His mother was Marie Celeste McVoy Kohler (1900-1974), a Chicago socialite who had been married and divorced and had one child.
In 1962, he received a bachelor of science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, majoring in industrial management.
[3][4] Kohler's full-time association with the Vollrath Company, a manufacturer of stainless steel and aluminum wares, began in 1963.
[7] In 1982 Kohler secured the GOP nomination for Governor, but subsequently lost to Democrat Tony Earl by a 57% to 42% margin,[8] the worst showing for a Republican gubernatorial candidate since 1942.
[11] In 1991 Kohler was nominated by Governor Tommy Thompson for a seat on the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.
The nomination was heavily criticized by liberals in the State Senate and newspaper editorials, who cited Kohler's past racial slurs, commentary about the "immoral" and "sick" behavior of homosexuals, and other viewpoints.
[13] Beyond elected office, both Kohler and his wife remained active inside the Republican Party.