Clifford Peter Hansen was an American politician from the state of Wyoming. A Republican, he served as the 26th Governor of Wyoming and subsequently as a United States senator. He served as a member of the board of trustees from 1946-1966 to his alma mater, the University of Wyoming located in Laramie. He was also a county commissioner in Jackson, the seat of Teton County in northwestern Wyoming. Before his death on October 20, 2009, he was the oldest living former U.S. Senator as well as the third oldest living former U.S. Governor.

The University of Wyoming (UW) is a public land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, and opened in September 1887. The University of Wyoming's location in the state is written into the state's constitution. The university also offers outreach education in communities throughout Wyoming and online.