Michael William Louis

An Evanston native, Mr. Louis lived across the street from the National-Louis campus for much of his life. He graduated from Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts and attended classes at Northwestern University and the University of Arizona, but never earned a degree. But in 1990, after Mr. Louis made a $30-million pledge, Evanston-based National College of Education was renamed National-Louis University after him. His great-grandfather founded Johnson Wax Co. in Racine, Wis., which manufactures household products including Windex and Ziploc. Mr. Louis was in the U.S. Air Force in Germany in the early 1950s but his main interest was golf, his brother said. At the height of his game, he was a plus-two handicap and competed in amateur matches in Belgium, France, Britain and Scotland. He was active in the Western Golf Association and headed the Louis Foundation, which supported education and golf programs such as the Grand Slam of Golf at Kemper Lakes. In 1990, the board of trustees decided to add Mr. Louis' name to the name of the university. In 1992, Mr. Louis became vice chairman of the board and stepped down in 1998. He completed payments on the pledge in 2000.