Dr. Gordon B. Olson

Dr. Gordon B. Olson, 84, former Minot State University president, died Tuesday, June 30, 2009, during a brief stay in a Minot nursing home.

Gordon was born Oct. 19, 1924, at Almont, the oldest of four children of B.T. and Hulda (Monson) Olson. He attended rural schools in Morton County and graduated from Almont High School. He attended a year at Jamestown College, before enlisting with the U.S. Army during World War II. He honorably served his country in the Pacific Theatre of the war, including the Luzon Campaign in the Philippines. He participated in the Army Specialist Training Program, which trained doctors, dentists and engineers. It was through this program that Gordon attended the University of Alabama, Manhattan College in New York, and Syracuse University in New York.

While on leave for a short time from his military duties, Gordon returned home, where he met Carley Yates, from New Salem, who was teaching in Almont. They were married on Jan. 20, 1945, in Tacoma, Wash., while Gordon was stationed there. He received his honorable discharge in 1946, and finished out that year as a teacher at Belfield, where Carley was teaching. He returned to summer school and then taught a year at Almont. He attended Dickinson State University where he completed his bachelor's degree. He taught, coached and served as superintendent at Bucyrus for a year before entering graduate school at the University of North Dakota. Through a test, he earned what he believed to be the first MEd degree at UND and then completed his PhD in philosophy. While attending classes at UND, his adviser encouraged him to enroll in classes at the University of Minnestoa, which he did, and completed two courses of classes in one summer.

Gordon was employed at Black Hills State College in Spearfish, S.D., where he started the graduate program in education. After a brief stay there, he began employment at Dickinson State University in the fall of 1953, as chairman of the Education and Psychology Department. He stayed with that institution, serving as chairman, dean and finally vice-president until June 1967. Gordon assumed the president's post at Minot State University that year. During his tenure, MSU went from an enrollment of 2,000 students to just over 3,700 students when he retired in 1992. Many new programs were added, some of which included social work, nursing, and criminal justice. Graduate programs expanded from just one in 1967 to 10 programs. Dr. Olson stressed the importance of having adequate facilities that led to the efforts of building a number of facilities that included the MSU Dome, Hartnett Hall, the Amphitheater, and most notably the Gordon B. Olson Library.

Gordon received a number of awards for his accomplishments, some of which consisted of President Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Education and Administration granted by the ND State Board of Higher Education, Minot State University Alumni Association Golden Award, UND Sioux Award, Dickinson State University Alumni Association Chief Award and the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award from Lions International. He was honored by the City of Minot with "Salute to Gordon Day." Gordon served on the Chancellor's Cabinet of the North Dakota University System, served on the board of directors for Minot Area Development Corp., St. Joseph's Hospital, Norwest Bank, all in Minot. He worked with accrediting teams for North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, North Dakota Association of School Administrators, MSU Beaver Boosters, North Dakota Education Association, Minot Lions Club, the Inquisitors Club, and served as a church council member at First Lutheran Church, Minot.

Gordon's surviving family includes: wife of 64 years, Carley; daughters, Wendy (Kerwin) Sletto, Grand Forks, Linda (John) Bittay, Pittsburgh, Pa.; grandchildren, Larissa (Daniel) Conner, Suzanne Sletto, Heather (Bobby) Quick, Chadrin (Tisha) Clark and Cherie (Dereck) Johnson; several great-grandchildren; brother, Merrill (Sylvia) Olson, Dickinson; and sister- in-law, Audrey Olson, Williston; uncle, Gayle (Lean) Monson; aunt, Verna Monson; several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Gordon was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Corliss Clark; sister, Lois Burgess; and brother, Leon Olson; and several aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Funeral service: Monday, July 6, 2009, at 10:30 a.m. in First Lutheran Church, Minot.

Interment: Rosehill Memorial Park, Minot.

Visitation: Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m., in Thomas Family Funeral Home, Minot.

In lieu of flowers and plants, the family prefers memorials to the Gordon B. Olson Scholarship Fund, Bethel Free Lutheran Church, Minot, Minot Lions Club or the Gordon B. Olson Library.

Those wishing to sign the online memorial register or share memories are invited to use the expressions of sympathy section at (www.thomasfamilyfuneralhome.com).