Mortimers buy
Washington home

Associated Press

HONOLULU -- University of Hawaii president Kenneth Mortimer and his wife have bought a house in Bellingham, Wash., where he served as president of Western Washington University before taking the top job at UH.

Mortimer said he and his wife, Lorraine, plan to split their time between Hawaii and Washington after he retires and will rent the $522,000 home until then.

"I plan to at least serve out my current contract," Mortimer said.

Mortimer's $162,312-a-year contract, extended by four years last year, is scheduled to expire in June 2003.

Mortimer has been president of UH since 1993. He served as president of Western Washington University from 1988 to 1993. The 62-year-old administrator has said the UH job will be his last presidency of a university.