. DeVos was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the son of Helen June (Van Wesep) and Richard Marvin DeVos. Being the ardent sports enthusiast that he was, Richard owned several hockey franchises (before the hockey league got scrapped). [123], DeVos has been a controversial figure throughout her tenure. "[164] DeVos believes that opening up the education market will offer parents increased choice, a view that critics call a drive to privatize the American public education system. "It's a three-legged stool", DeVos explained. [18] Later on February 1, 2017, two Republican U.S. senators, Susan Collins from Maine and Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, came out against the confirmation (despite supporting DeVos in committee when both of them voted to move her nomination to the floor),[79] bringing the predicted confirmation vote on DeVos to 5050 if all Democrats and independents voted as expected, meaning Vice President Mike Pence would have to break the tie. [16][39], The foundation has also given money to organizations that promote free-market economics, such as the Grand Rapids-based Acton Institute; the Heritage Foundation; and the Hudson Institute. [76] More than 300 state lawmakers from across the U.S., overwhelmingly Democrats, voiced their opposition to DeVos's appointment in a letter to the U.S. Senate sent the day before a scheduled vote on her nomination. 11th United States Secretary of Education, Opposition to limits on political spending, Benjamin Wermund and Kimberly Hefling (November 25, 2016). Staying current is easy with Crain's news delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge. The DeVoses own a sportsplex in Florida, a baseball stadium in Michigan and a resort in the Bahamas. However, she testified under oath in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing, in response to Senator Maggie Hassan's questions, that she had nothing to do with the contributions made by her mother's foundation to conservative advocacy groups including Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council. [118], In a January 2018 speech, Devos said that the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) found that "60 percent of its teachers reported having moderate to no influence over the content and skills taught in their own classrooms." [142][146][147][149][150], With respect to educational-focused donations, the foundation from 1999 to 2014 supported private Christian schools (at least $8.6million), charter schools ($5.2million), and public schools ($59,750). Richard M. DeVos passed away on the 6 September 2018, at his Ada home from complications developed due to an infection in his body. The DeVos Family Foundation invests in initiatives that create pathways to opportunities, support the healthy growth of children and families, and cultivate thriving communities. This was the first time in U.S. history that a Cabinet nominee's confirmation was decided by the vice president's tiebreaking vote.[19][20][21]. The Griffins are a part of American Hockey League now and are owned by Richards son Dan. Only one percent of charters were significantly outperformed by traditional public schools in reading and only 7 percent on math. Together, Betsy DeVos, her husband and their four adult children are worth roughly $2 billion. In June 2022, the Supreme Court righted a grave wrong when it . "I still remember when it was in the basement of our home when I was growing up," he later said. Public records show it's owned by an entity connected to members of the billionaire Michigan-based DeVos family, whose patriarch, Richard DeVos, is a co-founder of Amway. I hear it from business people everywhere I go in this state. In other polls, the two candidates were "in a dead heat," and, to some observers' surprise, DeVos was leading "4840 among union households." Under his leadership, the company opened numerous new markets and tripled foreign sales to exceed domestic sales for the first time in company history. DeVos, Richard M. Amway co-founder and Orlando Magic Senior Chairman Richard M. DeVos died September 6, 2018, at his home in Ada, Michigan. We just hung around the company. Granholm was quoted as saying she "admired his tenacity and his passion for Michigan". When he left the position six years later, they had grown to 50 percent of annual sales. In a 1997 op-ed for Roll Call, defending unlimited donations of "soft money" in political spending, DeVos compared government limits to Big Brother of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. [146][147][148] Of the $100million the foundation donated between 1999 until 2014, half of it went to Christian organizations. Wrong username or password. Also Known As: Richard Marvin DeVos Sr. Died At Age: 92 Family: Spouse/Ex-: Helen Van Wesep (m. 1953) father: Simon Cornelius DeVos mother: Ethel Ruth DeVos children: Cheri, Dan, Dick, Doug Born Country: United States Billionaires CEOs Died on: September 6, 2018 place of death: Ada Township, Michigan, United States Notable Alumni: Calvin University The latter reflects his feelings after successfully undergoing a heart transplant operation in the United Kingdom in 1997 after being turned down for a transplant in the United States because of his age and diabetes. Downtown condos are selling for long-ago prices. [135], On January 7, 2021, DeVos resigned from her position as Secretary of Education after the January 6 U.S. Capitol riots. Public records show it's owned by an entity connected to members of the billionaire Michigan-based DeVos family, whose patriarch, Richard DeVos, is a co-founder of Amway. Richard Marvin DeVos Jr. (born October 21, 1955) is an American businessman and author. "We want to help develop human capital and leverage that capital to the greatest extent possible", she said, describing Kaiser's "practice and approach" as "practical, realistic and creative". [62][63] Republican senator Ben Sasse said DeVos "has made a career out of standing up to powerful and connected special interests on behalf of poor kids who are too often forgotten by Washington". [98] She stated an interest in implementing choice policies directed toward children as individuals and criticizing the Obama administration's additional funding of $7billion for the U.S.'s worst-performing schools as "throwing money at the problem" in an attempt to find a solution. [2], DeVos was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the son of Ethel Ruth (Dekker) and Simon Cornelius DeVos, Dutch Americans[3] who worked in the electrical business. [4] He was educated at Grand Rapids Christian School,[5] and at Calvin College, and was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. DeVos and his wife became co-chairs of the Education Freedom Fund in 1993. Click here to get the full experience on your screen. Jobs are the number one issue in Michigan right now. It makes him the 259th richest in the world and 91th in the United States. Scarlet Envy depicted DeVos as "silly" and "martini-swilling. [51][54][55] In November 2019, Truth In Advertising filed complaints[56] against Neurocore with the Food and Drug Administration for unapproved medical devices[57] and the Federal Trade Commission for deceptive marketing. This was to be Amways first product. The protesters physically blocked her from entering through the back entrance of Jefferson Academy, a D.C. public middle school in Southwest, Washington, D.C. DeVos was eventually able to enter the school through a side entrance. His first book Believe, published in 1975 which was co-written by Charles Paul Conn, documents his journey of becoming a successful businessman. "[7], When the DeVos family acquired the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic basketball franchise in 1991, DeVos's father, Richard DeVos became president and CEO of the team. After retiring from Alticor, DeVos returned to become president of The Windquest Group. "[1], She also wrote (in Roll Call) that she expected results from her political contributions. Today one DeVos (Dicks brother Doug) and one Van Andel co-chair the board. The Times article noted that the Devos family had given over $1 million to the Michigan GOP in 2012 and at least $2 million to a successful effort to defeat a proposal for a pro-union constitutional amendment. [27] She graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business economics in 1979. "Threats to water quality are threats to public health and safety, and the people of Holland cannot afford to wait until 2017 for action. Amway Corporation founded; Entreprenurial Success. ", He also called for an increase in "funding for secondary and higher education," for a streamlined health-care system "that utilizes technology to reduce hospital errors by making medical records more efficient," and for " strong anti-crime measures, specifically against child predators." [37] DeVos resigned the position in 2000. They reportedly own at least ten yachts, including the 164-foot Seaquest. In 1999, they created a company Alticor, which would act as the parent firm to all their businesses. [4] DeVos is the husband of Betsy DeVos, the former United States Secretary of Education in the Trump administration.[5]. That evolved to speaking in front of groups and even giving product demonstrations." Rich was known globally for his business achievements and locally in West Michigan and Central. Sway in State Contests", "The inside story from Dick DeVos on how right-to-work was passed in Michigan", "Right-wingers Koch, ALEC, pushed Michigan 'right-to-work' laws", "Dick DeVos launching aviation-themed charter high school at Ford Airport this fall", "West Michigan Aviation Students Tour DC", "Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Gets $22.5M Gift from DeVos Family", "DeVos Claims to be Public Education Advocate; Granholm Supports Militarization of the US-Mexico Border at Second Gubernatorial Debate", "NU offers scholarship for aspiring entrepreneurs", "$500K study looks at Lake Macatawa pollution sources", "Was There a Connection Between a Russian Bank and the Trump Campaign? [17] On January 31, following strong opposition to the nomination from Democrats, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions approved her nomination on a party-line vote, sending her nomination to the Senate floor. In all, she has disclosed that her share of these outside holdingswhich do not include Amway or the Magicare worth at least $335 million. In an opinion editorial, the Chicago Tribune wrote that "DeVos has helped lead the national battle to expand education opportunities for children". One of his daughters-in-law, Betsy DeVos, is the U.S. secretary of education. Betsy, the daughter of auto parts magnate Edgar Prince and sister of Blackwater founder Erik Prince, owes the vast majority of her fortune to her marriage to Dick DeVos. ", The article also pointed out that "newspapers have divided their support along party lines, with the Detroit Free Press endorsing Granholm and The Grand Rapids Press siding with DeVos." "[23], Thomas Bray of RealClearPolitics reported on June 21, 2006, that incumbent Jennifer Granholm was "in deep trouble," with DeVos surging "to a 4840 leadin a Detroit News/WXYZ-TV poll." 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