Bob Kustra Explained

Bob Kustra
Office:6th President of Boise State University
Term Start:July 1, 2003
Term End:June 30, 2018
Predecessor:Charles Ruch
Successor:Marlene Tromp
Office1:10th President of Eastern Kentucky University
Term End1:June 30, 2002
Term Start1:July 1, 1998
Preceded1:Hanley Funderburk
Succeeded1:Joanne Glasser
Order2:43rd
Office2:Lieutenant Governor of Illinois
Term Start2:January 14, 1991
Term End2:July 1, 1998
Governor2:Jim Edgar
Predecessor2:George Ryan
State Senate3:Illinois
District3:28th
Term Start3:January 12, 1983
Term End3:January 14, 1991
Predecessor3:redistricting
State House4:Illinois
District4:4th
Term Start4:January 14, 1981
Term End4:January 12, 1983
Predecessor4:Michael Abramson
Successor4:redistricting
Birth Name:Robert Walter Kustra
Birth Date:21 March 1943
Birth Place:St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Party:Republican
Profession:Educator and politician

Robert Walter Kustra (born March 21, 1943) is an American politician and academic administrator who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Illinois from 1991 to 1998, President of Eastern Kentucky University from 1998 to 2001, and President of Boise State University from 2003 to 2018.

Education

Kustra received his Bachelor of Arts in political science from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, his master's degree in Public Administration from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and his PhD in political science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Career

Politics

Kustra served in both houses of the Illinois General Assembly. He served in the House of Representatives, representing the 4th district, from January 14, 1981, to January 12, 1983, when he began representing the 28th district in the Senate, which he did until he resigned to become the Lieutenant Governor in 1991. While in the Senate, he served as Assistant Minority Leader. He was voted Best Freshman Legislator during his first year in each house.[1]

He was elected 43rd Lieutenant Governor of Illinois as Jim Edgar's running-mate, and served from January 14, 1991, to July 1, 1998, when he resigned to become president of Eastern Kentucky University.

He sought the Republican nomination for United States Senate in 1996 to succeed Paul Simon but was defeated in the primary by Illinois Representative Al Salvi.

The defeat to Al Salvi was considered a major political upset. Kustra before the primary was considered a heavy favorite to defeat Salvi, a relatively unknown conservative state representative, and Chicago area attorney.[2]

Academics

Kustra served as a member of the faculty at University of Illinois Springfield, Loyola University of Chicago, the University of Illinois Chicago, and Northwestern University.[3] Kustra served as president of Eastern Kentucky University from 1998 until 2001. From 2003 to 2018, he was president of Boise State University and is a member of the board of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. He also hosted the radio show Reader's Corner on Boise State Public Radio.[4]

He has also served in the following university organizations:

While Boise State University saw enormous growth during Kustra's tenure there, his leadership was not without criticism. Congressman Raúl Labrador in August, 2017 suggested that it might be time for Kustra to leave Boise State University. Kustra and Labrador have been critical of each other.[5]

Kustra retired from his position of President of Boise State in the summer of 2018, having announced his pending retirement in November 2017.[6]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Handbook of Illinois Government 1991–1992 . . 4.
  2. Parsons, Christi. "Being a Maverick Not New To Salvi", Chicago Tribune, March 20, 1996.
  3. Web site: Profile – President Robert W. Kustra. Boise State University . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20071021114146/http://boisestate.edu/president/profile.shtml . October 21, 2007.
  4. Web site: PRX » Series » Reader's Corner with Bob Kustra. PRX - Public Radio Exchange. 2019-03-10.
  5. Richert, K. "The Politics of the Labrador Kustra Feud," Idaho Education News. August 22, 2017 retrieved from: https://www.idahoednews.org/kevins-blog/politics-labrador-kustra-feud/
  6. News: Dutton. Audrey. Webb. Anna. Bob Kustra took a Boise commuter school and pushed it to become more. 3 December 2017. Idaho Statesman. 18 November 2017.