Controversial Philanthropist Peter Lewis Dead at 80 - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Controversial Philanthropist Peter Lewis Dead at 80 - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: Peter B. Lewis died on Saturday, leaving behind a notable legacy in his philanthropy. A member of the Giving Pledge, he was known to have strong opinions and principles, progressive politics, a love for the arts and higher education, and high expectations of those he funded. In just one of a few high-profile disagreements he had with grantees, for instance, Lewis resigned summarily from the Guggenheim Museum board in 2005, citing “differences in direction” after being on its board for eight years and contributing $77 million. This was four times as much as any trustee had ever given. The dsipute was substantive in this case, centering on whether the museum should focus locally or internationally but Lewis was known to be as generous with his opinions as with his money.