Kemmerers donate $5 million to university tourism initiative

JACKSON — Jay and Karen Kemmerer, known for their long tenure owning Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, have donated $5 million to the University of Wyoming to expand an existing tourism research initiative.

Energy has long been Wyoming’s largest industry, which the University of Wyoming has supported with its School of Energy Resources. While the university has had another school dedicated to environmental issues since 1994 — the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources — it has only had a dedicated tourism program since 2021.

The tourism program, dubbed the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tou...