|
 he
news that former Colorado senator Hank Brown will become president
and CEO of the Daniels
Fund this summer is heartening news to conservatives. With the
John M. Olin Foundation planning to spend out the rest of its money
in the next few years, the conservative movement will lose one of
its most critical sources of financial support. The Daniels Fund,
which will soon be worth approximately $1 billion, represents an
attractive candidate for becoming "the next Olin."
The fund itself
is young. Its namesake, Bill Daniels, died two years ago after making
a fortune in cable television. Daniels was a Republican committeeman
from Colorado, where he also ran unsuccessfully for governor.
Up to now,
the Daniels Fund mainly has supported college scholarships for kids
in Colorado and neighboring states — not grants for the intellectual
and policy work that have been the Olin Foundation's specialty.
"The whole direction of the Daniels Fund hasn't been worked
out yet," says Brown.
The board of
the Daniels Fund certainly isn't conservative. Chairman Jack Daniels,
the brother of Bill Daniels, is a longtime Democrat from New Mexico.
He served in its state legislature and ran unsuccessfully for governor
and Senate. His daughter, Diane B. Denish, is also on the board.
She's currently a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor in
New Mexico and recently served for two-and-a-half years as chairwoman
of her state party.
The only obvious
right-of-center member of the current board is Jim Nicholson, former
head of the Republican National Committee and now ambassador to
the Vatican.
Brown isn't
making any promises about what the future holds for the Daniels
Fund. "The board will carry out the will of Bill Daniels,"
says Brown, who knew Daniels for 25 years. "The fund's general
philosophy will be determined by the board, and it's too early to
tell how that will break out."
Brown spent
ten years in the House and six in the Senate. He chose not to run
for re-election in 1996, even though he would have been a favorite
to win. He compiled a generally conservative voting record, especially
on spending issues, but also supported abortion rights. He is currently
president of the University of Northern Colorado, and will officially
move over to the Daniels Fund in July.
|
