Lawson W. Hamilton Jr.: 1923-2007

Before his death Wednesday at age 84, Lawson W. Hamilton Jr. had become a legend in several respects: as a successful coal operator, an often-anonymous philanthropist and a key figure in the state's select pantheon of GOP donors.

The Associated Press has a report on his passing, as does the Charleston Daily Mail and MetroNews (with audio). (Update: The Charleston Gazette also has a story.)

Hamilton's support was sought by generations of Republican politicians, though he also contributed to the occasional Democrat. He gave at least $105,000 in the last decade to federal and state candidates and causes, including $25,000 for the 1997 inauguration of Gov. Cecil Underwood.

But Hamilton was perhaps more-well known for his charitable giving - to hospitals, for cancer research, to co-found Kids Count, to name just a few.

Yet, Hamilton often kept a low profile in his giving, as when he donated about $500,000 in gold leaf for the state Capitol dome in 1990. His gift became known only when he joined calls in 1998 to address the black streaks that had marred it.