The Kellner family: Biographical information

The Kellners have long been loyal and generous supporters of UW–Madison. They believe that “to those whom much has been given, much is expected.”

The family gave a generous gift for the construction of UW–Madison’s Kohl Center, as well as for the creation of the Kellner Family Terrace at the Below Alumni Center. As chair of the Alumni House Expansion Committee, Ted D. Kellner was instrumental in bringing about the new Alumni Center.

Other gifts from the Kellners have provided major support for the Fluno Center, Grainger Hall and School of Business programs, SHAPE Tutoring Program in the School of Education, the band endowment and a variety of other university projects.

The patriarch of the well-known Milwaukee family, Jack F. Kellner, was a 1941 graduate of the College of Letters and Science. He was an outstanding track star at Wisconsin, winning the Big Ten Outdoor High Hurdles in 1935 and honored as an Outdoor Track All-American in 1936. He was captain of the track team and often raced against the legendary Jesse Owens at college meets. He qualified for the 1936 Olympics, but did not attend. His first wife died during that year. A devoted Badger fan, Jack was inducted into the UW Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997 in recognition for his years as a Big Ten Conference champion hurdler.

Jack, who died in 2001 at the age of 85, was born in Milwaukee and spent his entire life in Wisconsin. After graduation from the UW, he began a 41-year career with Western Industries Inc., a Milwaukee-based manufacturing firm. He was named president in 1964.

Two sons, Ted D. and Jack W., both attended the UW. Ted earned his BBA in finance, investment and banking from the School of Business in 1969. A founding partner and portfolio manager for Fiduciary Management, Inc., he serves as chairman and chief executive officer of that firm and as chairman of Fiduciary Real Estate development, Inc. He currently is a director for American Family Mutual Insurance Company and Marshall & Ilsley Corporation.

Ted is active in the Milwaukee alumni club and served as the Milwaukee chair for the UW Foundation’s The Campaign for Wisconsin capital campaign. A member of the UW Foundation’s Board of Directors since 1992, he was elected chairman of the board in April 2000. He also was a trustee for the University Research Park and serves on the board of the UW–Madison School of Business, which honored him with a Distinguished Alumni Award in 1994. Ted served as president of the Wisconsin Alumni Association in 1991-1992 and in 1998 received the Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest WAA honor. Ted was named the first Honorary Member of the National W Club.

Ted is married to Mary Tucker, who earned her BS in elementary education from the UW–Madison in 1968 and her master’s degree from UW-Milwaukee in 1978. Mary has worked with schools since 1968, in capacities ranging from classroom teaching to counseling children. She served on the School of Education’s Board of Visitors from 1995-1998.

While attending UW–Madison, Ted played basketball for three years. He was a Brittingham Scholar and attended the University of Oslo in 1968.

During his years at the UW, Jack W. majored in business and served as a manager of the UW basketball team for three years, earning his major W award. He is president of MCP Company Inc., a Milwaukee printing company owned by the Kellner family. Jack is married to Karen, who shares in this gift.