WKU To Award Honorary Degree
To Mitch McConnell

April 09, 2004

Bowling Green, Ky. -The Academics Committee of Western Kentucky University's Board of Regents today approved an honorary doctorate for U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Pending approval by the full Board of Regents on April 30, Sen. McConnell will receive the honorary degree during spring Commencement on May 8.

Sen. McConnell is a senior member of the Senate Appropriations, Agriculture and Rules committees and chairs the Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee. In November 2002, he was unanimously elected Majority Whip, making him the second ranking Republican in the U.S. Senate.

"Sen. McConnell has been of considerable assistance to Western Kentucky University, helping the University qualify for various federal research, training and infrastructure development grants," WKU President Gary Ransdell said. "His leadership and his contributions to the development of Kentucky -and Western's role in that development - merit the awarding of this degree."

Since 1997, Sen. McConnell has helped secure some $35 million in federal appropriations for initiatives at Western and millions of dollars more for initiatives at other Kentucky higher education institutions. His record in the development of Kentucky's communities is even more significant.

A native of Louisville, Sen. McConnell received an undergraduate degree from the University of Louisville and his law degree from the University of Kentucky. He served as an intern with Sen. John Sherman Cooper; a legislative assistant with Sen. Marlow Cook and a deputy assistant attorney general under President Gerald Ford.

In 1978 he was elected Jefferson County Judge-Executive and in 1984 was elected to the U.S. Senate.

He is married to U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao and has thee daughters: Elly, Clair and Porter.

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-WKU-