The Gem State lost an accomplished public figure this year with the November 7 death of Wayne Kidwell at age 87. He was born in Council, Idaho, on June 15, 1938, and raised in Boise, where he supported himself during his last high school years. He spent many years faithfully serving the public in local, state and federal offices.
Kidwell graduated from Boise High School in 1956, obtained a BA degree from the University of Idaho in 1960 and a law degree from the U of I in 1964. He interrupted his studies twice–first, to serve a year in the US Marine Corps and, again, to serve two years as an officer in the US Army Military Police Corps, including a tour on the DMZ in Korea. He attained the rank of Captain.
Kidwell’s first elective office was as Ada County Prosecutor. He then went on to be the second Idahoan elected to the top level of all three branches of state government. In 1968, he was elected to the State Senate, where his Republican colleagues chose him as Majority Leader. He was elected as Idaho Attorney General in 1974, defeating the incumbent, Tony Park. In 1998, he was elected to the Idaho Supreme Court, retiring in January of 2005. He ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1972 and 1980. He was expected to run for Governor in 1978 but decided instead to spend time with family.
In 1980, Kidwell was appointed as the first Attorney General of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Two years later he was appointed Associate Deputy Attorney General for the Reagan Administration’s Department of Justice. His responsibilities included the Department’s liaison with the White House.
Kidwell’s tenure as Idaho’s Attorney General was remarkable. He hired attorneys based on their qualifications, rather than political affiliation. He hired an excellent consumer protection chief, even after the candidate volunteered he’d voted for Kidwell’s opponent. He had courage, as evidenced by his fertilizer anti-trust lawsuit against the J.R. Simplot Company in 1975. When I was introduced to Jack Simplot in 1983 as Idaho’s new Attorney General, he said, “I hope you don’t file a lawsuit against me like that knothead Kidwell.”
In a 1976 argument to the U.S. Supreme Court, Kidwell convinced the Justices that Idaho should be allowed to sue Oregon and Washington for endangering salmon and steelhead by overfishing the runs. Both of his AG successors carried on with that lawsuit. In addition to providing competent legal advice and representation to the state, Kidwell steadfastly championed consumer protection, victims’ rights and scrupulous observance of the law, both by the public and by governmental entities at all levels.
I became acquainted with Wayne in 1974, when he attended a meeting of the Jerome County Republican Central Committee to gain support for his Attorney General campaign. I was a member of the Committee, but I had already committed to support his primary election opponent, Tim Hopkins of Idaho Falls. That may have gotten us off to a bad start. During his two campaigns for a position on the Supreme Court in the 1990s, I supported his opponent both times. He lost his 1994 race but won in 1998. It just so happened that I ran for the Court in 2004 and took the position he was vacating. During the transition, we finally got to know each other and became good friends.
We met for lunch frequently and he soon invited me to join him and a former Ada County District Judge, Duff Mckee, for a weekly luncheon meeting at Eddie’s Restaurant on Overland Road in Boise. Our trio was dedicated to discussing and solving the problems of the state and nation. I learned that Wayne was vitally interested in the world around him. He studied the cosmos, ancient civilizations, scientific theories and natural phenomena. He was an armchair expert on coffee with at least 3 high quality espresso machines so as to make the very best brew. About four years ago, we invited Wayne’s 1974 opponent for the AG’s job, Tony Park, to make it a lunch foursome. The foursome got along famously, viewing most social and political issues in the same light. It’s interesting how the passage of time can wisen your views and break down barriers. Unfortunately, our group lost both Tony and Wayne in 2025. May they rest in peace.