Milan Puskar

Milan "Mike" Puškar (September 8, 1934 – October 7, 2011) was an American entrepreneur and philanthropist from Morgantown, West Virginia.^[1]

Biography

Puskar was born in Vintondale, Pennsylvania, to ethnic Serbian parents from Kordun.^[2] He graduated from Youngstown State University in 1960.^[1] In 1961, he and Don Panoz co-founded a pharmaceutical company which became Mylan Inc.^[3] Puskar was Mylan's president from 1976 through 2000.^[4]

In November 1993, aged 58, he became the company's chairman and chief executive officer.^[5] He served as CEO until 2002^[6] and as chairman until 2009.^[4] Following his retirement as CEO, his successor Robert J. Coury drastically cut employee benefits and blocked Puskar from entering Mylan’s Morgantown facility, and Puskar came to regret putting him in charge of the company.^[7]

West Virginia University's Milan Puskar Stadium was named for him after he made a US$20 million donation.^[8] Morgantown Health Right a free clinic was renamed Milan Puskar Health Right in 2004 in recognition of his generous support since its inception.^[9]

Death

Puskar died in Morgantown, West Virginia, on October 7, 2011, from cancer.^[10]

References

1. Pam Fronko (Spring 2004). "Milan Puskar gives $20 million to WVU". WVU Magazine. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
2. Profile^{[permanent dead link‍]}, pittsburghlive.com; accessed August 28, 2016.
3. "Our History". Mylan.com. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
4. "Mylan founder stepping down as chairman". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 7, 2009. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
5. "Mylan Names Top Executive". The New York Times. November 10, 1993. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
6. Patricia Sabatini, Len Boselovic (August 21, 2008). "Golden parachute for Mylan chief: free flights for life". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
7. Eban, Katherine (July 23, 2021). ""We Can't Reach Him": Joe Manchin is Ghosting The West Virginia Union Workers Whose Jobs his Daughter Helped Outsource". Vanity Fair. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
8. "WVU names stadium after Puskar". Pittsburgh Business Times. November 24, 2003. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
9. Kasey, Pam (October 14, 2011). "Morgantown mourns a humble, generous man". State Journal. Charleston, WV. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved 2014-04-20 – via HighBeam Research.
10. "Mylan Puskar Obituary". Legacy.com. December 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2018.