Obituary: Frank Batten Sr., 82, Media Magnate and Philanthropist
September 11, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
Frank Batten Sr., who founded the Weather Channel and donated tens of millions of dollars to educational institutions, died Thursday in Norfolk, Va., at age 82, The Washington Post reports.
Mr. Batten ran Virginia’s Landmark Media Enterprises, which came to include nine dailies and scores of specialty publications, before launching the all-weather cable channel in 1982.
He has given more than $220-million to colleges and universities, including $100-million to the University of Virginia, his alma mater, to create the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, which graduated its first class this past spring.
Mr. Batten’s gifts were so large that he appeared six times on The Chronicle’s list of America’s most-generous donors.
(Free registration is required to view this article.)
