Daniel Kemmis

Daniel Kemmis (born December 5, 1945) is an American politician. He has written four books and is considered a major contributor to the theory, practice and revitalization of American democracy.

In addition to his books, Kemmis has contributed to many edited collections; he has authored or co-authored five monographs and has written articles appearing in numerous journals, including the Utne Reader, National Civic Review, Kettering Review, Orion, Open Spaces, The Regionalist, Parabola, Places, and The Responsive Community.

Kemmis served as the minority leader and speaker of the Montana House of Representatives, and as mayor of Missoula, Montana. He has been active on many public and nonprofit boards, especially in the field of philanthropy where he served on the boards of the Kettering Foundation, the Northwest Area Foundation, and Philanthropy Northwest.

Early life and education

Kemmis received his undergraduate education at Harvard University, where he earned a B.A. in Government, focusing his study on political theory and graduating with high honors in 1968. Later, he interrupted his service in the Montana legislature to earn a law degree at the University of Montana.

Recognition

His work has been honored with several awards, including the Ruckelshaus Award for Collaborative Leadership, the Wallace Stegner Prize, and the Charles Frankel Prize, awarded by President Bill Clinton for outstanding contribution to the field of the humanities.

Books

• Community and the Politics of Place, University of Oklahoma Press, 1990. ISBN 0-8061-2227-7 (review)
• The Good City and the Good Life: Renewing the American Community, Houghton Mifflin, 1995. ISBN 0-395-68630-X
• This Sovereign Land: A New Vision for Governing the West, Island Press, 2001. ISBN 1-55963-842-7
• Citizens Uniting to Restore our Democracy, University of Oklahoma Press, 2020