Kris Kristofferson was a Rhodes scholar, a country music legend, an A-list Hollywood actor, and an activist. He died at his home in Maui, Hawaii, on Saturday and will be remembered especially by those in my generation who enjoyed his music and charismatic personality. Women loved him. The entertainment industry embraced him.

Kristofferson was a Golden Gloves boxer and football player in college, received a master's degree in English from Merton College at the University of Oxford in England. He turned down an appointment to teach at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, to follow his heart and passion moving to Nashville to pursue songwriting.