Daniel Kemmis (born December 5, 1945) is an American author and former politician. Kemmis served as the minority leader and speaker of the Montana House of Representatives and mayor of

Missoula, Montana Missoula ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot and Blackfoot rivers in western Montana and at the convergence of five ...

Early life and education

Daniel Kemmis was born December 5, 1945, in

Fairview, Montana Fairview is a town in Richland County, Montana, United States. The population was 896 at the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1913, the town lies on the North Dakota border. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a t ...

. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

and a

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

from the

Alexander Blewett III School of Law The Alexander Blewett III School of Law is a law school at the University of Montana in Missoula. It was established in 1911 and remains Montana's only law school. Its name was changed from the University of Montana Law School to its current name ...

Career

Kemmis was elected to the

Montana House of Representatives The Montana House of Representatives is, with the Montana Senate, one of the two houses of the Montana Legislature. Composed of 100 members, the House elects its leadership every two years. Composition of the House In the event that the parti ...

in the 1974 general election. He eventually rose to be the speaker of the House in the 1983–1984 session. Kemmis was elected mayor of Missoula, Montana, in 1989 and re-elected in 1993. Since retiring from politics, Kemmis has been active on many public and non-profit boards, especially in the field of philanthropy. He was a member of the boards of the

Kettering Foundation The Kettering Foundation is a US-based non-partisan research foundation founded in 1927 by Charles F. Kettering that works to inspire and connect individuals and organizations to advance thriving and inclusive democracies around the globe. Th ...

, the Northwest Area Foundation, and Philanthropy Northwest.

Books

*''Community and the Politics of Place'', University of Oklahoma Press, 1990. *''The Good City and the Good Life: Renewing the American Community'', Houghton Mifflin, 1995. *''This Sovereign Land: A New Vision for Governing the West'', Island Press, 2001. *''Citizens Uniting to Restore our Democracy'', University of Oklahoma Press, 2020

References

1945 births Living people 20th-century mayors of places in Montana Harvard University alumni Mayors of Missoula, Montana University of Montana alumni Writers from Missoula, Montana National Humanities Medal recipients Speakers of the Montana House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Montana House of Representatives 20th-century members of the Montana Legislature {{Montana-mayor-stub