KU News Release

School of Business honors 2 distinguished alumni

LAWRENCE - Two high-achieving graduates of the University of Kansas School of Business were recognized as distinguished alumni at a banquet in April. The 2007 honorees were William (Bill) Docking and Robert Kaplan.

The Distinguished Alumni Award was created in 1998 to honor outstanding graduates from the School of Business. Recipients are chosen from nominations by fellow alumni and by the school's Board of Advisors. Candidates are nominated based on leadership, business contributions and involvement with the community and the business school.

“Bill and Robert are two of the finest graduates of the KU School of Business,” said Dean William L. Fuerst. “They are prime examples of how hard work, intelligence and a solid business education can work together to build a distinguished career. We're pleased to count them as our newest Distinguished Alumni.”

Docking is chairman and CEO of Union State Bank in Arkansas City, Kan., and chairman of City National Bank & Trust Company in Guymon, Okla. He also is managing member of Docking Development LLC, an oil production company based in Oxford, Kan., and is president of Cowley County Broadcasting Inc., which owns two radio stations. Docking has three degrees from KU: a bachelor's in 1973, a master's of business administration in 1977, and a juris doctorate in 1977.

Kaplan is a senior lecturer in organizational behavior at Harvard Business School and a senior director of the Goldman Sachs Group. He was previously a vice chairman of Goldman Sachs and became a partner in 1990. He was appointed by Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to the newly created Kansas Health Policy Authority Board. Kaplan received a bachelor's degree from KU in 1979 and a master's of business administration from Harvard University in 1983.

The School of Business has honored 40 graduates with Distinguished Alumni awards since the award's inception in 1998.

For more information, visit the KU School of Business Web site, www.business.ku.edu.

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The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.