University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu Business and Cybersecurity Division lecturer and adjunct faculty Gregory Markham was named one of University of Colorado Boulder’s Living Legends — an honor that celebrates the 50th anniversary of a student-athlete’s first letter from CU Boulder.
CU Boulder’s Living Legends celebration in September of last year recognized its Class of 1975 letter winners, which included Markham, a top-tier track and field athlete. The Living Legends event is an annual tradition of CU Boulder’s Alumni C Club, the university’s letter winner association, whose goal is “to preserve and foster the tradition of CU Athletics by honoring those letter winners who helped to create the foundation of success we experience today,” according to CU Boulder’s official athletics website.
In 1975, Markham competed in the indoor 60-yard dash, 100-yard dash, outdoor 100 meters, 200 meters, outdoor 220-yard dash sprint, 400 meters and 440-yard relay, establishing himself as one of Colorado’s top sprinters. A former Denver sprint champion, he was also a team leader in athletics throughout his collegiate career. Markham competed for four years and earned four varsity letters, a rare accomplishment as freshmen were seldom awarded varsity lettering honors at the time.
Markham said he is proud of his athletic legacy at CU Boulder. While he maintains a strong and lasting connection to CU Boulder, he has lived for decades in Hawai‘i, where his wife, a former gymnast at CU Boulder, is from.
In addition to being a partner at Honolulu law firm Chee Markham & Kato, where he practices as an insurance defense attorney, Markham also teaches business law at UH West O‘ahu.
“The students are the best,” Markham said. “They are eager, motivated, career-oriented and focused on building their futures.”
Markham has taught at UH West O‘ahu since 2010, before the university officially opened its Kapolei campus in 2012. During that time, he taught risk management and insurance courses, and helped develop related academic programs.
Markham advises students interested in the insurance field to earn their business degree, complete the appropriate certifications and actively pursue career opportunities in the industry, which offers a wide range of paths.
Additionally, Markham said his advice to students centers on developing intellectual curiosity. He encourages students not to simply accept the world around them at face value, but to ask questions, seek context and understand the deeper reasons behind everyday things.
“Through my teachings, I hope my students gain not only technical knowledge about the insurance industry, but also a broader appreciation for how ideas, history and human behavior are interconnected,” Markham said.
CU Boulder’s next Living Legends celebration, honoring its Class of 1976 letter winners, will take place in September.
