UW-Green Bay Mourns the Loss of Professor Emeritus William George Kuepper
William George Kuepper III, age 91, of Longmont, Colorado, passed away on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
Professor Emeritus William George Kuepper left a lasting impression on the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. In his 1995 
nomination papers for Provost and Vice Chancellor emeritus, his colleagues wrote, “To review the career of William G. Kuepper is to review the history of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay….he corralled any number of students into UWGB programs that reached around the globe, arranged for hundreds of local academic experiences off campus….his steady voice, calm demeanor, and pertinent questions were invaluable to the faculty and administration as we built a University that gained national and international recognition for educational innovation and environmental study….it was good to have a geographer as Vice Chancellor so we could know where we were going—at least that was the theory. As we puzzled over the…path before us, William Kuepper gained the trust of the faculty and his administrative colleagues. That trust and his steady calm leadership in rough times guided us through three Chancellors and the transition from a ‘new’ to an ’emerging’ and now a ‘mature’ University. Despite all that administering, he can still be mistaken for a faculty member both in dress and attitude…wearing his commencement cap at too jaunty an angle, gunning a motorcycle around town, and nursing rusty jeeps until the junk yard gets them.”
Prof. Emerius Kuepper earned a B.S. and M.S. in geography from UW-Madison, and a Ph.D. in geography, UW-Madison with specializations in Africa and Climatology, 1968. His time at UW-Green Bay spans three decades and includes the following highlights:
- 1965-1967 Professor of Geography at UW-Green Bay Center
- 1967-1968 Acting Dean at UW-Green Bay Center
- 1968-1979 Professor in Regional Analysis and Geography
- Interdisciplinary Courses; themes of African environments; low-latitude weather; climate and human settlement
- 1969-1971 Director of Off-Campus Learning Programs (in conjunction with Liberal Education Seminars)
- 1973 Tenure awarded
- 1974-1975 Speaker, Faculty Senate
- 1974-1975 Chair, University Committee
- 1975-1976 Chair UW System Faculty Council
- 1978 Founders Award for excellence in institutional development
- 1979-1985 Appointed Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
- 1985-1986 Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs, UW System
- 1986-1987 Senior Academic Planner, UW System
- 1988-1995 Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
- 1994 Served as UWGB Interim Chancellor
- 1995 Retired from role of Vice-Chancellor of Academic Affairs
- 1995 Appointed Provost and Vice-Chancellor Emeritus
- 1996-2001 Colorado Commission on Higher Education, senior policy advisor
- 2001 Served as UWGB Interim Chancellor
- Established campus ombudsperson
- Created Chancellor’s Advisory Council on Equality for Women
- Approval received for remodeling Laboratory Sciences building and construction of three new student housing units
- Presided over dedication of Mary Ann Cofrin Hall
His peers shared a deep respect for Prof. Emeritus Kuepper. “Bill is very much a faculty statesman. He addresses issues in a quiet, brief, and lucid manner. He seeks to find he places where people can come together rather than exaggerating divisions. He builds confidence that he is a person of great integrity, and in this sense an exemplar of the virtues of wisdom and good character that universities cherish.” ~Donald Smith, UW System Senior Vice-President, 1978 
“Your cooperative spirit and patience have allowed you to have an impact on the long-term development of the University. During your tenure as vice-chancellor and provost, your achievements have been notable in three basic areas: (1) the establishment of a spirit of program cooperation; (2) the development of a focus on the student as our primary objective; and (3) the development of a people-orientation through the effective utilization of your human instinct. [Your] most important administrative strength is your human instinct and humor. In essence you are the master of the “art of the possible”. This University will be long indebted to you for that contribution.” ~Chancellor Mark Perkins in letter addressed to Kuepper, 1995
A full obituary will be published when it becomes available.
William George Kuepper III
JUNE 9, 1933 – APRIL 15, 2025
William George Kuepper III, age 91, of Longmont, Colorado, passed away on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
A full obituary will appear at a later date, please check back for updated information as it becomes available.
Cremation is entrusted to Howe Mortuary & Crematory of Longmont, Colorado.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.howemortuary.com for the Kuepper family.
