Howard Wolpe Time a Wes ern Universi y 1967-1972, re- urned as a gues eacher Originally from , Dr. Wolpe moved o Michigan o each African poli ical s udies a WMU in 1967. He resigned in 1972 o be an elec ed official bu remained close o his WMU ies for he res of his life. Firs , he sa on he Kalamazoo Ci y Commission as par of he liberal sla e. Three years la er he was elec ed as a Democra o he Michigan House of Represen a ives. In 1976, he ran a close race for US House of Represen a ives bu los o Republican Gary Brown. During he nex wo years he worked as a s aff member for US. Sena- or . He successfully defea ed Rep. Gary Brown in 1978, beginning a 14 year career in Congress. He represen ed he hird dis ric consis ing of Kalamazoo, Ba le Creek, and Lansing. Dr. Wolpe’s mo her par icipa ed in he Civil Righ s Movemen of he 50s and 60s which some believe igni ed his passion for African s udies and fueled his views on helping apar heid vic ims. His congressional ac- ions were ins rumen al in ending apar heid in Sou h Africa. He chaired he Africa Subcommi ee on he House Foreign Affairs commi ee. During 1980s, he US and o her coun ries were s ill deciding heir s ance on Sou h African apar heid. Mr. Wolpe s rongly advoca ed for economic sanc ions agains he Sou h African governmen . The commi ee proposed he Comprehensive An i-Apar heid Ac of 1986. This bill would ban new rade in Sou h Africa and forced he release of imprisoned and an i-apar heid ac ivis Nelson Mandela. This was he lesser of wo bills presen ed. Congress passed he bill wice, he second ime overriding Presiden Reagan’s ve o. Apar - heid in Sou h Africa soon ended. The ac also provided famine relief and developmen assis ance in Sou h Africa and in conflic ed coun ries like Congo, Rwanda, , and Uganda. Upon release, Nelson Mandela phoned Mr. Wolpe and hanked him for his role in ending apar heid. Due in par o his aggressive approach of he Comprehensive An i-Apar heid Ac and s rong liberal s and- poin s his dis ric was re-drawn, a process called gerrymandering. Dr. Wolpe chose no o seek office again and he re ired from Congress a his ime. His poli ical roles con inued af er re iremen . He was he Democra ic Can- dida e for Governor for he S a e of Michigan in 1994 bu los o . Presiden Clin on appoin ed him o be he Special Envoy o Africa’s Grea Lakes. He was he Direc or of African Program a he Woodrow Wilson In erna ional Cen er for Scholars. Las bu no leas , Presiden Obama appoin ed him o be Special Adviser for Africa’s Grea Lakes Region in 2009. He was dedica ed o his cons i uen s. He never missed a chance o serve in his dis ric . When he ornado of 1980 hi Kalamazoo, he ook he firs fligh home o be wi h he people of his dis ric and provide aid in any way he could. He even offered o help his successor Republican Fred Up on in he early s ages of ransi ion.

“True pa rio , devo ed eacher, and wonderful s a esman,” US Represen a ive in 2011.

The Howard Wolpe Scholarship is an annual award given o a s uden who is apoli ical science senior, US ci i- zen, and one who demons ra es overall academic excellence a WMU, especially in poli ical science. The Howard Wolpe Scholarship for African S udy is given o a gradua e or undergradua e poli ical science major s uden who is engaging in he s udy of Africa or selec ed African na ions and plans o ravel o Africa.