Stewart R. Mott, 70, a General Motors heir and self-described “avant-garde philanthropist” who used his family’s fortune to underwrite progressive social causes and liberal political campaigns, died June 12 at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, N.Y. He was 70 and had cancer.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Mott was one of the country’s most visible and controversial activists.
He invested heavily in causes including population control, abortion reform and arms reduction. He was also a chief financial backer of two antiwar presidential candidates.
Mott’s political advocacy group, People Politics, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on organizations for women, African Americans, young people and good governance.
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