PETER

Many who knew him, especially those who knew him well, described Peter as a generous man. "Peter was generous to a fault," his son-in-law noted, "but you had to prove yourself worthy of that generosity." Before he died, Kiewit directed that his personal estate be used to establish a foundation to support public-purpose projects primarily in Nebraska and Western Iowa. Peter always felt that his success was a product of the hard working people of Nebraska and he wanted his wealth to be invested back into their communities. Peter Kiewit Foundation opened its doors in 1979 with a $150 million endowment. After his passing, Peter's friend, Bob Hope, shared, "He was a wonderful man who had charity in his heart morning, noon and night. He left all of us with a world that is better."... While Peter constantly strove to educate himself and develop better business practices, he similarly pushed his employees to learn and grow. His process of building better men and women through company training..

Also known as: Peter Kiewit, Peter Kiewit Foundation

Primary location: Omaha United States