BISMARCK A Minot native and aviation pioneer has been selected as the 42nd recipient of the North Dakota Theo-dore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award, the state’s highest citizen commendation.

John Odegard was a founder and former dean of the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, which grew to become one of the nation’s most widely-respected aerospace education programs. He died in 1998.

Gov. Jack Dalrymple announced his selection of Odegard for the Rough Rider Award Thursday. The award will be presented posthumously to Odegard’s family during a luncheon in Grand Forks Oct. 15. Dalrymple will unveil a portrait of Odegard that will hang in the state Capitol in Bismarck, alongside other portraits of other notable North Dakotans who have received the Rough Rider award.

“We are deeply honored and thank Governor Dalrymple for recognizing John’s vision and his North Dakota spirit with this prestigious award,” said Diane Odegard in a prepared statement on behalf of the family.

Odegard, a graduate of UND, was appointed to UND’s faculty in 1966 in the Business College. His proposal to merge a business degree with a flight program gave birth to UND’s aviation program, and Odegard was named assistant professor and chairman of the new Department of Aviation in 1968. In 1982, the department was re-organized to become the Center for Aerospace Sciences, with Odegard as director. In 1984, the center was granted full status as a college and he was named dean.

Throughout his career, Odegard logged more than 14,000 flight hours and held an airline transport pilot certificate, with type ratings for the Learjet, Beechjet 400 and Cessna Citation I/II aircraft. He was a certified flight instructor for airplanes, instrument, multi-engine and gliders. He also was an Federal Aviation Administration pilot examiner for private, commercial, instrument, multi-engine, flight instructor, ATP, glider, and seaplane certificates and ratings.

“John D. Odegard was an extraordinary leader, entrepreneur, pilot and educational administrator who took two donated aircraft and a small office in UND’s Business College and built an aviation program that has grown into the largest and the best in the world,” Dalrymple said in announcing the award. “His vision and determination to see his dreams come true paved the way for North Dakota to become a worldwide leader in aerospace sciences, including aviation, space studies, atmospheric science and unmanned aircraft systems. His impressive achievements have brought global prestige and recognition to UND and our state, and his pioneering spirit will continue to impact generations of North Dakotans.”

The college has grown to become one of UND’s largest degree-granting colleges and a leader in atmospheric research. The program that began with only 12 students now enrolls nearly 2,000 students who come from every state in the nation and several foreign countries. The program and its nearly 500 faculty and staff members are housed in a one-of-a-kind aerospace education complex. The school’s flight training facility is one of the largest of its kind in North America. Students fly more than 116,000 flight training hours annually in a fleet of 120 aircraft.

Throughout his 32-year career as an aerospace educator, Odegard’s reputation for leadership earned him industry acclaim and numerous recognitions.

Odegard was honored with the FAA’s Excellence in Aviation Award and Distinguished Service Award for his many achievements in aerospace education and aviation safety. He was honored by the National Air Transportation Association with its Excellence in Pilot Training Award and received the prestigious Frank G. Brewer Trophy from the National Aeronautics Association for his leadership in creating new educational opportunities. He was named North Dakota Business Innovator of the Year and was inducted into the North Dakota Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, the North Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame and the Norsk Hostfest Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame.

He served as a consultant and guest speaker for many national governments, multi-national corporations, airlines and educational institutions. In North Dakota, he was a prominent figure on numerous boards and committees and served for 20 years on the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission. He is widely published on subjects of aviation education and flight training and co-authored a leading textbook, Airport Planning and Management.

In 1982, Odegard chaired the University Aviation Association’s Airway Science committee and directed the development of the FAA’s four-year degree designed to prepare technical managers for an increasingly complex National Airspace System. UND Aerospace was the first to implement the curriculum and has served as a model for academic institutions nationwide.

Odegard’s visionary approach helped initiate the Airway Science Network, a joint effort between UND Aerospace and the FAA to broadcast aviation classes via satellite to college campuses across the country. In 1986, he captured worldwide industry attention for leading the development of the SPECTRUM ab initio airline pilot training program, a program that emerged as an industry standard for commercial pilot training around the globe.

Under Odegard’s leadership, UND Aerospace moved to the forefront of research aimed at modernizing the nation’s aging weather radar surveillance system. The program’s accomplishments in severe weather analysis have generated millions of dollars in federal research contracts supporting studies on wind shear, aircraft icing and digital Doppler radar.

The nation’s first multi-disciplinary space studies program was established by UND Aerospace in 1987 to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of humankind’s move into space. Because of this program, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration designated UND a Space Grant College.

“John’s memory is still very much alive here at UND,” said Bruce Smith, dean of the School of Aerospace Sciences. “His legacy as a leader and a consummate pilot continues to make a lasting impression on all of us.”

An honorary rank of colonel in the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Riders was established during the 1961 Dakota Territory Centennial. The award recognizes present and former North Dakotans who have been influenced by the state in achieving national recognition in their fields of endeavor, thereby reflecting credit and honor upon North Dakota and its citizens.