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The Honorable Kenneth W. Starr, 39th Solicitor General of the US who served on the Board of Trustees and as a faculty member portrait in front of Regent University's Virginia Beach campus

Ken Starr Served Faithfully on Regent University Board of Trustees and Faculty

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (Sept. 14, 2022) – Regent University mourns the loss of the Honorable Kenneth W. Starr, 39th Solicitor General of the United States. Starr served on the Regent University Board of Trustees and he was a faculty member in the Regent University School of Law.

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of my dear friend, Ken Starr,” said Dr. M.G. “Pat” Robertson, founder, chancellor and CEO of Regent University. “He was a man of deep and abiding faith, who championed the cause of religious liberty and freedom of conscience for all throughout his extraordinary lifetime. His loss will be felt by multitudes around the world. My prayers and deepest sympathies are with his wife Alice and his family.”

Starr had a distinguished career in academia, the law, and public service. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan nominated Starr to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He was confirmed by the United States Senate and served as a federal judge from 1983 to 1989. Starr became the 39th Solicitor General for the United States from 1989 to 1993 under President George H. W. Bush. Starr served as president and chancellor of Baylor University and dean of the Pepperdine School of Law.

Starr argued 36 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, including during his service as U.S. Solicitor General. He served as Counselor and Chief of Staff to U.S. Attorney General William French Smith, and law clerk to both Chief Justice Warren E. Burger and to Fifth Circuit Judge David W. Dyer. He was appointed to serve as Independent Counsel for five investigations, including Whitewater, from 1994 to 1999.

After graduating from San Antonio’s Sam Houston High School, he earned his B.A. from George Washington University, an M.A. from Brown University, and a J.D. degree from Duke University Law School. Starr is survived by his wife of 52 years, Alice, three children, and nine grandchildren.

About Regent University

Founded in 1977, Regent University is America’s premier Christian university with more than 11,000 students studying on its 70-acre campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and online around the world. The university offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in more than 150 areas of study including, business, communication and the arts, counseling, cybersecurity, divinity, education, government, law, leadership, nursing, healthcare, and psychology. Regent University is ranked the #1 Best Accredited Online College in the United States (Study.com, 2020), the #1 Safest College Campus in Virginia (YourLocalSecurity, 2021), and the #1 Best Online Bachelor’s Program in Virginia for ten years in a row (U.S. News & World Report, 2022).

(Photo Courtesy of Johnny “J.D.” Cargill)

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