Bard History Alum Tom Begich ’82 in the Running for Alaska Governorship
Begich, a former Alaska State Senator and Senate Minority Leader, was among the top four out of 17 candidates in a primary that is now going into a runoff election in November. Photo by David Lienemann, shared via Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
Tom Begich ’82, Bard history alumnus and recipient of the 2023 John Dewey Award for Distinguished Public Service, is in the running for Alaska’s upcoming gubernatorial election. A former Alaska State Senator and Senate Minority Leader, Begich was among the top four out of 17 candidates in a primary that is now going into a runoff election in November. Belich campaigned on an agenda of affordability and the funding of public education, Begich’s father served in the US House; his brother was a US senator; and his nephew is currently a congressman representing Alaska.
“I love my state, I know what it means to serve this state, and I don’t see us on the right path right now,” he said in a recent interview. “I think I’m the only one in this race who both understands the challenges facing us and has a plan to solve them.”
Begich graduated from the Historical Studies Program at Bard College, which encourages students to examine history through the prism of other relevant disciplines such as anthropology, economics, and philosophy and different forms of expression. The program also introduces students to a variety of methodological perspectives used in historical research and to philosophical assumptions about men, women, and society that underlie these perspectives.
The John Dewey Award for Distinguished Public Service was established in 1990 to recognize extraordinary contributions by Bard alumni/ae and others to the public sector or in the public interest. It continues Bard’s tradition of honoring public service embodied in the Episcopal Layman Award, which was given until 1983. The Dewey Award honors the eminent American philosopher and educator John Dewey, the father of progressive education and an outspoken advocate of a system of universal learning to support and advance this country’s democratic traditions.
Post Date: 08-26-2026
“I love my state, I know what it means to serve this state, and I don’t see us on the right path right now,” he said in a recent interview. “I think I’m the only one in this race who both understands the challenges facing us and has a plan to solve them.”
Begich graduated from the Historical Studies Program at Bard College, which encourages students to examine history through the prism of other relevant disciplines such as anthropology, economics, and philosophy and different forms of expression. The program also introduces students to a variety of methodological perspectives used in historical research and to philosophical assumptions about men, women, and society that underlie these perspectives.
The John Dewey Award for Distinguished Public Service was established in 1990 to recognize extraordinary contributions by Bard alumni/ae and others to the public sector or in the public interest. It continues Bard’s tradition of honoring public service embodied in the Episcopal Layman Award, which was given until 1983. The Dewey Award honors the eminent American philosopher and educator John Dewey, the father of progressive education and an outspoken advocate of a system of universal learning to support and advance this country’s democratic traditions.
Post Date: 08-26-2026