Steve F. Kime

Hall of Fame Class of 2004

Since 1989, Steve F. Kime has been the distinguished President of Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC), a consortium of fifteen national higher education associations and over 1,730 colleges and universities dedicated to providing higher education to American servicemembers, their families and others around the world. He is recognized as one of higher education’s foremost advocates of educating military personnel, veterans and their dependents around the world, and his efforts have transformed SOC into a world-class organization. He has been a visionary and promoter of the use of technology to assist servicemembers in accessing adult and continuing education. 

He oversaw the consortium’s growth from 574 colleges and universities in 1989 to more than 1,720 in 2003. He has made SOC known in the military, higher education, adult and continuing education, and veteran’s communities through his lectures and writings. He worked to integrate fully the various undergraduate degree programs sponsored by the military services into the SOC network system, such as the Navy College Program for Afloat College Education (NCPACE), the Navy’s Distance Learning Partnership Program, the Army’s eArmyU program and the United States Coast Guard program including SOCCOAST Afloat Aboard Coast Cutters.

Since 1990, Steve Kime has also served on the congressionally-mandated Educational Advisory Committee for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and has become a nationally respected advocate of reforming the G.I. Bill. In 2002, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities appointed him as Vice President. 

Steve Kime studied at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he received a master’s degree in Public Administration. In 1970, he completed his Ph.D. in Political Science at Harvard University. Steve Kime’s advocacy of the special educational needs of the American servicemember stems from his own military service in the Navy. He was commissioned at the University of Louisville where he was an NROTC Battalion Commander. He retired as a Navy Captain in 1989 after a distinguished career at sea, where he served as the Navy’s scholar on Russia, the Associate Dean at the prestigious National War College (1979-1982), Naval Attaché to the Soviet Union (1983-1985), and as Director of United States and International Studies at the U.S. Naval Academy (1986-1989). During his Navy career, he was highly decorated, being awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal (two awards), the Legion of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), the Joint Service Commendation Medal (two awards), and many others.

Kime has written numerous articles for publication in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times, leading newspapers, and several national education association newsletters, on the importance of providing educational opportunities to servicemembers. Millions of servicemembers and veterans have benefited and will continue to benefit from Steve Kime’s monumental efforts.

"Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today."

-Malcolm H