Ira McKissick Koger

KOGER IRA McKISSICK KOGER, patron of the Arts, distinguished former Chairman, Florida Arts Council, passed away Saturday evening May 29, 2004. Mr. Koger was 91 years old. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Nancy Jane Tedder Koger and a daughter, Pamela Koger Moore and husband, William J. Moore, Jr. Mr. Koger had another daughter, Celeste Koger Hampton who predeceased him leaving husband Wade Lee Hampton. Five grandchildren, William J. “ Chip” Moore III; Amanda Moore Meeks; Wade McKissick “ Wycke” Hampton, Peter Winthrop “Winn” Hampton, and Anne Hampton Langley. He is also survived by his brother, Robert Koger of Charleston, SC, 9 great grandchildren and three nephews. Mr. Koger was educated at the College of Charleston and attended law school at the University of South Carolina. He was a member of Blue Key and an Honorary Phi Beta Kappa. Mr. Koger holds three honorary degrees from Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida, University of North Florida, J acksonville and University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina. Mr. Koger served on many boards of charitable and educational institutions, including 30 years on the Board of Channel 7, Jacksonville, and 17 years as Chairman. Deeply involved as a Collector of American Impressionist paintings, American furniture, English furniture, and Chinese Dynastic Ceramics, The Koger Support Foundation recently donated 400 major Chinese pieces to the Ringling, State Museum of Florida, and Florida State University. Mr. Koger was a Past-President of The Meninak Club, a member of The River Club, The Florida Yacht Club, Ponte Vedra Club, a former member of San Jose Country Club, Timuquana Country Club, Sag Harbor Yacht Club and others. Mr. Koger, at the age of 21, served in the South Carolina General Assembly, youngest person ever to be elected. During his term he was an author of the first Workmen's Compensation Law ever enacted in South Carolina. In World War II, Mr. Koger was an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve, serving afloat on U. S. Pope, DE 134, in the European and American Theatre and on U. S. Submarine Sailfish, the former Squalus. Mr. Koger was an active member of the American Federation of Musicians of the American Federation of Labor for many years as a professional musician and was given an honorary life membership several years ago. At the age of 14 he was a member of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and continued his active participation in musical performances with many dance orchestras. Mr. Koger served as a Board member and officer of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, as a Board member of the Savannah Symphony, as a vice chairman of the American Symphony Orchestra League, and as a managing trustee of the Chicago Orchestra. He was a member of the National Board of the Public Broadcasting System and Chairman of the Finance Committee. Leaving law school without graduation, Mr. Koger was employed for many years in the radio broadcasting industry in Savan nah, Georgia. Upon moving to Jacksonville, he was national advertising director of the Jacksonville Journal newspaper. He left radio broadcasting to enter the United States Naval Reserves. Upon retirement from the Navy, at the end of WWII, Mr. Koger returned to Jacksonville as Executive Vice President of O. P. Woodcock Company, a successful general contractor. Upon Mr. Woodcock's death in 1953 Mr. Koger bought Mr. Woodcock's interest in the company and became its president. In 1957 he invented the office park, a new real estate developing plan and as Chairman and CEO of Koger Properties (NYSE) produced over 325 office buildings in 36 office parks in 23 cities in southeast and southwest United States, yielding approximately $150 million in annual rent from mostly prime credit tenants. In 1988 he established Koger Equity; a holding company which survived the general real estate failure of the 90's and now has operational headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida. Koger Properties no longer ex ists. In 1969 the Jacksonville Symphony disbanded. Under Mr. Koger's leadership for the next two years as President, he restored the orchestra to viability.
The symphony made appearances in Washington, D.C. and New York, and was able to once again sequester its grant from the Ford Foundation. He was recently presented the Jacksonville Symphony's first “ Gold Baton Award”. Mr. and Mrs. Koger through the Koger Support Foundation and Koger Properties established and endorsed the School of American Music/Jazz at the University of North Florida. Mr. Koger organized and operated for many years the St. Johns River City Band, an organization of brass musicians, fully professional, to play free concerts of traditional band literature in Metropolitan Park on the St. Johns River. The Band is the official Band of the City of Jacksonville, and the State of Florida. Pallbearers will be William J. Moore, Jr.; Wade L. Hampton; William J. “ Chip” Moore, III; Wade McKissick ” Wycke” Hampton; Peter Winthrop “ Winn” Hampton and Eric Christian Meeks. Honorary Pallbearers will be Edward Booth; Richard Brown; Koger Burns; James Fischette; Sam Fricano; Sam Jacobson; Kerry Kelly; Phillip Koger; Robert Koger, Jr.; Samuel Langley; Tom Nehl; Mark Nickerson; Donald Padgett; Brian Shrum; Seabury Stoneburner; Frank Taylor and Enzo Torcoletti. Mr. Koger will lie in state Monday, 6-8 pm and Tuesday 10am-8pm at Hardage - Giddens, 4115 Hendricks Avenue. Funeral services will be held 2:00 pm Wednesday, June 2nd at Riverside Presbyterian Church, 849 Park Street, Dr. Robert S. Smith to officiate. Interment will follow at Oaklawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family requests that contributions be made to the following: WJCT-TV, 100 Festival Park Avenue, Jacksonville, 32202; Department of Music at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC; or in his memory the charity of your choice. Please sign the Guestbook at Jacksonville.com