Steven K. Hamp, president of Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village, will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University. The honorary degree will be presented to Hamp at a commencement ceremony at the U-M–Dearborn May 5.
Hamp has been Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village president since 1996. He joined the staff of the museum in 1978 and served in a variety of leadership roles, including director of educational programs, chairman of collections, and chief curator of archival and library collections.
“Steven K. Hamp is a highly respected and dynamic educator, administrator and cultural leader,” reads a citation adopted by the U-M Regents at their April meeting. “Under his direction, Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village has grown from a regional tourist destination to one of the world’s most influential educational and cultural enterprises.”
The award will be presented at U-M–Dearborn in recognition of Hamp’s long-term affiliation with the campus and the strong collaborative relationship between the campus and Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village.
“Steve Hamp has been a consistent and helpful friend to the U-M–Dearborn campus,” says Chancellor Daniel Little. “Our campus depends a great deal on the friendship and support of leaders of cultural and business organizations in the region, and Steve Hamp is at the very top of this list.”
Hamp has nurtured close relationships with the U-M–Dearborn, leading collaborative efforts such as the Wade McCree Scholarship Program, the Rouge River Gateway Partnership and projects benefiting the Henry Ford Estate–Fair Lane, a national historic landmark on the U-M–Dearborn campus.
In his career at the Henry Ford Museum, Hamp helped shape every aspect of the institution’s education program and business strategy, including the establishment of the state’s first public school connected to a museum, the Henry Ford Academy. He planned and implemented many of Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village’s major exhibitions, presentations and visitor amenities, which now serve as national benchmarks. He introduced a new generation of user experiences and services, and strengthened the museum’s ties to other historical and cultural organizations in the Detroit area.
Hamp, who earned a bachelor’s degree from Butler University and master’s degrees from Indiana University and the U-M, serves on numerous community boards, including as chairman of the Michigan Travel Commission and as executive committee member of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. He is past-president of the Michigan Museums Association and a member of the advisory board of the Getty Leadership Institute for Museum Management.
Honored as Michiganian of the Year by the Detroit News in 1999, Hamp received the Michigan Environmental Council’s first Helen and William Milliken Distinguished Service Award.