Faculty and friends also highlighted the Koc family's achievements.
The Kocs are "one of the most remarkable families in Turkey" and "really represent the entrepreneurial spirit in Turkey," Yalman said.
Now a Fortune 500 company, the Koc's business earned $14 billion last year, Rahmi Koc said. According to friends, Vehbi Koc built the empire from the ground.
"That's an extraordinary feat especially when achieved without robber baron methods," Yalman said.
The Koc family has also founded schools and universities in Turkey.
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"The match between Koc and Harvard could not be a more perfect one," Kandemir said