CASPER, Wyo. — Former Wyoming First Lady Carol Mead will be presented with an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Wyoming during UW’s Saturday, December 11 winter commencement ceremony, the university announced Wednesday.
Mead was first lady in Wyoming from 2011-2019 when her husband, former Governor Matt Mead, was in office. UW says that Carol Mead spearheaded efforts to support child and adult literacy during her time as first lady. She helped fund and establish the Literacy Research Center and Clinic at UW.
“My work with the Literacy Research Center and Clinic and the College of Education was a highlight of my time as first lady of Wyoming,” Mead said in UW’s announcement. “I am immensely humbled and honored to receive such an award from a university that has meant so much to me and my entire family.”
Carol Mead has served as the founding co-chair of the Literacy Research Center and Clinic’s Outreach Board and has also served as a member of the UW Trustees Education Initiative’s Governing Board.
“She hosted scores of literacy forums across Wyoming in local communities and served on the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, Wyoming Family Day, Wyoming Reads and others,” UW adds. “The annual statewide literacy leadership award was named in her honor, the Carol Mead Literacy Leaders Award.”
Carol Mead also served on the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center Foundation Board as a court-appointed special advocate and served as the Governor’s Residence Foundation Board chair, according to UW.
“As first lady, she led several statewide projects such as Eat, Read, Grow, which provides financially disadvantaged families with hot meals and books for children and parents to read together,” UW added. “She also wrote and published two children’s books: ‘Wyoming Firsts’ and ‘Blazing Wyoming Bonnets.’ She served as a spokesperson and advocate for the Wyoming Talk Early and Often campaign and created the First Lady’s Young Artist Showcase to encourage youth in artistic endeavors.”
“Mead also led a charity team of marathon runners at the New York Marathon to raise money to create an endowment at UW aimed at the prevention of underage drinking. She has been part of trade mission visits to Peru, Australia, China, South Korea, Taiwan, India, Japan, Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as visiting Wyoming troops stationed in Bahrain, Cuba, Kosovo and Germany.”
Carol Mead graduated from UW in 1988 with bachelor’s degrees in biology and in kinesiology-cardiac rehabilitation.
“She has worked as a cardiovascular technician, pharmaceutical sales representative, real estate agent, and principal and managing partner of Mead Land and Livestock LLC and X Diamond Development LLC,” UW said.
She will be conferred a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from UW during the upcoming winter commencement ceremony.
