Stewart R Mott Tribute

Stewart Mott, the Flint-raised eccentric and freethinking philanthropist who helped bankroll the presidential campaigns of Eugene McCarthy and George McGovern, has died. He was 70.

Mott had been suffering from lung and throat cancer, Martin said.

Mott was raised in a family whose motto was "Let us be known by our deeds," and he "epitomized that sentiment in his philanthropy and his work for peace," Martin said.

The flamboyant Mott gave heavily to organizations that promoted peace, population control, civil rights and government reform -- the issue perhaps closest to his heart and one that didn't sit well with some politicians.

The $400,000 he gave to McGovern, a Democrat, made him a top campaign contributor in 1972, but it also attracted the unfriendly attention of Republican President Richard Nixon. Charles Colson, Nixon's special counsel, placed Mott on Nixon's infamous enemies list.

Mott made headlines for his colorful lifestyle as well.

Mott's father, Charles Stewart Mott, was an early investor in General Motors and made a fortune. His estimated worth was $500 million when he died, making him one of the country's richest men. He founded the Flint-based Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, which counted more than $2.6 billion in assets on its 2006 tax return, the latest available.

Son and father didn't share the same politics. The younger Mott called himself the black sheep of the family. He took GM to task for failing to speak out against the Vietnam War.