William “Bill” Koch Awarded Gold Service Medal from the Sons of the American Revolution

25 September 2021

Louisville, KY – William “Bill” Koch, the 1992 America’s Cup winner, international businessman and philanthropist, was awarded the Gold Good Citizenship Medal from the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution for a lifetime spent supporting cultural and historical institutions, youth events, education and the arts. The Sons of the American Revolution (“SAR”) is the oldest fraternal organization in the United States. It has more than 37,000 members, including 16 former U.S. presidents. SAR has chapters in all 50 states, plus several international locations.
Koch, 81, is the founder and chief executive officer of Oxbow Carbon LLC. Based in West Palm Beach, Oxbow Carbon employs more than 1,000 people in 13 countries and generates annual revenue of more than $2 billion. It is the largest independent distributor of petroleum and calcined coke, two critical ingredients in the manufacturing of aluminum, titanium dioxide and high impact plastics. “Bill Koch has spent a lifetime competing on some of the world’s largest stages while always giving back to others,” said Davis Lee Wright, President General of the Sons of the American Revolution. “An underdog who defeated a field of professional sailors for the oldest trophy in sports, Koch built an equally successful international business. He has used his wealth to improve public schools, understand and reduce juvenile crime, assist Native Americans and enrich the communities where he lives and beyond with his philanthropy.”
In 2011, Koch founded Oxbridge Academy, a private preparatory high school that has provided millions in financial aid to economically disadvantaged children in Palm Beach County. Graduates have attended some of the most selective colleges in the country, including Stanford, Columbia, Yale, Harvard, Virginia, Michigan, U-California Berkeley, and Florida. Students have averaged more than $8 million annually in merit-based scholarships. Koch is the youngest son of Fred and Mary Koch. He grew up in Wichita, Kansas, and attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering. He was the recipient of the Roger de Friez Hunneman Prize, MIT’s oldest chemical engineering honor, awarded for the most outstanding scholarship and research.
Koch was the keynote speaker at the Sons of the American Revolution’s Fall Leadership meetings in Louisville, Kentucky. He follows James Mattis, the former U.S. Marine General and Secretary of Defense, in receiving the Gold Good Citizenship Medal in 2021.