Dirk Kempthorne to receive honorary doctorate from University of Idaho

IBR Staff//May 12, 2017//

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The University of Idaho has awarded former Secretary of the Interior and Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne an Honorary Doctor of Administrative Science. He will receive the honor AT the commencement ceremony May 13 in Moscow. He was nominated for the award by CLASS Dean Andrew Kersten.

During his time as governor, Kempthorne championed an education safety initiative that led to a rebuilt Troy High School, and another investment project that remodeled UI’s Teaching and Learning Center. He also led the way on an investment in highway safety, which resulted in 57 projects around the state — improvements that, according to the Idaho Transportation Department and Idaho State Police, save at least 88 lives per year.

Kempthorne was nominated to be the 49th Secretary of the Interior in 2006 by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. In 2009, he became president and CEO of the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) in 2010. ACLI represents nearly 300 member companies, about 94 percent of the life insurance industry assets in the United States.