Governor Nixon to address class of 2009 at KCOM commencement
Posted: May 1, 2009
Founding college of osteopathic medicine celebrates its newest D.O.s
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. (May 1, 2009) – Missouri’s governor, the Honorable Jeremiah W. “Jay” Nixon, will address the newest class of graduates at KCOM—A.T. Still University’s Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, the founding osteopathic medical school—on Saturday, May 16.
KCOM is slated to hold its 117th annual commencement ceremony at Baldwin Hall Auditorium on the campus of Truman State University. As the school celebrates its new physicians, who number among more than 15,000 who have graduated since 1892, Governor Nixon will join them to deliver his keynote speech.
Governor Nixon took office on January 12, 2009, as Missouri’s 55th Governor. A native Missourian, he was born in De Soto, received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1978, and a juris doctorate from UMC in 1981. After six years of work as state senator, he became Missouri’s attorney general in 1992, serving four straight terms and becoming the only person in Missouri to ever do so.
As attorney general, Governor Nixon took a strong interest in healthcare issues, working to improve access and education for his constituents. He joined state attorneys general across the nation in litigation against major companies for marketing cigarettes to young people. This suit brought a settlement of more than $1.2 billion to Missouri. Working on a more local level, he helped establish the Missouri Foundation for Health and the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City. ATSU President Jack Magruder said Nixon’s background made him a solid choice for graduating medical students.
“Almost every college in the state would love to have the sitting governor as their commencement speaker,” Magruder said, “and ATSU is very fortunate that he has agreed to speak to our students. Governor Nixon has done great work in providing healthcare to individuals in Missouri; his work with the Missouri Foundation for Health has led to better healthcare in the state and has also led to funding community health outreach, including at ATSU.”
This year 166 students are candidates for the degree of doctor of osteopathic medicine, eight will receive a master in biomedical sciences, and four will receive dual degrees. These new graduates represent nine different countries, including Kenya and Lithuania.
At the ceremony, Governor Nixon will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters (D.Hu.L.)degree, as unanimously voted upon by KCOM professors and the ATSU Board of Trustees.
“By awarding Governor Nixon this degree, we will be recognizing his championship of higher education and of broad access to high-quality healthcare in Missouri,” President Magruder said.
“This year’s graduates,” said KCOM Dean Philip Slocum, D.O., “will go out as individuals representing the founding osteopathic medical institution, and they will together and individually make significant contributions to addressing the shortage of physicians in the United States and to whole-person healthcare in this country.”