Contact: Whitney Hale

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Kathyrn, Keith and Kerry Knapp

The Knapps had a busy schedule May 8. The family attended Kathryn’s College of Communications and Information Sciences ceremony in the morning, UK’s 138th Commencement ceremonies, and Keith’s hooding at the College of Public Health’s ceremony that afternoon. He also decided to add another intergenerational touch to the day’s events.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 9, 2005) -- About 6,272 candidates for degrees, including two members of an Oldham County family, were honored at the University of Kentucky’s 138th Commencement May 8 at Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington.

Commencement day was a memorable day for College of Public Health student Keith Knapp. Knapp received his doctorate in gerontology from UK, but the graduation ceremonies not only marked the culmination of his doctoral studies at UK, it was also daughter Kathryn’s graduation day.

Keith, naturally excited about the graduation ceremonies, said, “It is a pretty unique event for a father and daughter to graduate from the same institution on the same day!”

Keith, formerly of Lexington and a graduate of Sayre High School, is the chief executive officer of Episcopal Church Home in Louisville.

Kathryn Knapp graduated with a Bachelor of Science in communications. Kathryn, a UK Honors Program student and member of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority, graduated summa cum laude. She has been accepted to UK’s MBA program and plans to enter the program this fall.

The Knapps had a busy schedule. The family attended Kathryn’s College of Communications and Information Sciences ceremony in the morning, UK’s 138th Commencement ceremonies, and Keith’s hooding at the College of Public Health’s ceremony that afternoon. He also decided to add another intergenerational touch to the day’s events.

“I wore my father’s doctoral robe for Commencement,” said Keith. His father, Donald Knapp, was a faculty member of UK’s College of Dentistry.

Donald, a former chairman of the Department of Oral Biology, served Dentistry from 1964 until his death in 1971.

Interestingly enough, Kathryn is not the only daughter attending the university, sister Kerry completed her freshman year. Kerry also is in the Honors Program. Keith’s son Kyle graduated from UK in 2003 and his wife Jane Bell Knapp graduated from UK in 1977 and has served as a UK alumni board member.

The Knapps, residents of LaGrange, Ky., are a wonderful testament to UK’s mission and its commitment to lifelong learning.

For more information about UK’s Commencement, visit online.