2019 Annual Report The Bemidji Pioneer • D1 | Sunday, July 28, 2019
100 years old and ready for more Bemidji State honors its past, prepares for the future
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n June of 1919 a new school for teachers opened its doors in Bemidji, Minnesota. Nestled alongside Lake Bemidji, the Normal School (for “norms,” or educational standards) registered 130 students. But problems remained. There was not one book on campus (no library yet), plus no place for the students to live. But faculty members brought books, and the Dean of Women, working with the downtown Bemidji Women’s Civic Club, found rooming accommodations for all the students, most of whom were young women. This partnership in problem solving — school working with community — continues to this day. Bemidji State University began as a need to be filled. After achieving statehood in 1858, Minnesota developed rapidly but not equally. Rural areas, particularly “up north,” fell behind — especially in education. Country schools and small towns badly needed teachers. Training for more teach-
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ers was needed, everyone agreed, but where to put such a school: Cass Lake? Bemidji? Park Rapids? Thief River Falls? Walker? All were in the running for the new school, and a not always friendly contest dragged on. However, thanks to lobbying efforts by local civic leaders plus political maneuvering, the Normal School landed in Bemidji. As Art Lee, retired BSU history professor, writes in his book University in the Pines, “One set of politicians gave life to Bemidji Normal School, a second set nursed it and named it Bemidji Teachers College and sent it on its way.” The way forward was not always smooth. There were lean years during the Great Depression of the 1930s when state funding and student enrollment waned. Boom
years when “the boys came home” after World War II, and enrollment surged. Fun years, 19611965, when the Minnesota Vikings “to beat the heat” held their summer training camp on campus. Turbulent years during the Vietnam era, including the death of BSC President Harry Bangsberg in 1967 from a plane crash in Vietnam. And, in the 1970s, came an identity crisis of the best kind. While still known as a “teacher’s college,” Bemidji State found itself graduating 80t percent of its students in nonteaching pre-professional
degrees. These included business, nursing, political science and more. An increasingly diverse and accomplished faculty developed curricula that greatly expanded academic offerings. A “Eurospring” studyabroad program offered students life-altering travel and educational opportunities. New programs in Environmental Studies, Indian Studies, English and Music all added more academic heft. In 1975, perhaps catching up to its own success, Bemidji State College rebranded itself as Bemidji State University.
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Current enrollment is about 5,000. Along the way, Bemidji State presidents came and went. Each brought his or her own personality and predilections. Lowell “Ted” Gillett (1982-1990) pushed for the popular campus-community “rec center,” now named the Gillett Wellness Center. James Bensen (19942001) championed technology. Jon Quistgaard (2001-2010) promoted student diversity, internationalism and Division I hockey. Reacting to budget constraints, Richard Hanson (20102016) eliminated the Theater Department plus down-sized music and the arts. Current university president Faith Hensrud advocates for BSU sustainability initiatives and Indian Studies. “This was once Native American land,” Hensrud said of the campus and its popular American Indian Resources Center, “and we are proud to honor that heritage.” Looking beyond its 100th year, challenges remain for Bemidji State.
“Working with the Minnesota State Legislature on a stable funding formula is crucial,” says Hensrud, who is also concerned with rising student debt, a problem nationwide. But problemsolving “is what we do,” Hensrud adds. With a firm understanding of its past coupled with a strong vision for the future, BSU seems more than ready to begin its second century. Happy birthday, University in the Pines! Will Weaver is a Bemidji State University Professor Emeritus of English and was the recipient of BSU’s 36th Distinguished Minnesotan honor. He has written more than a dozen novels and non-fiction books, including “Red Earth, White Earth,” which was adapted into a television movie, and his recent memoir, “The Last Hunter.” His 2016 short story collection “Sweet Land” includes “A Gravestone Made of Wheat,” which has been adapted into the feature film “Sweet Land.” He lives on the Mississippi River east of Bemidji.
We’re proud of our Bemidji State University graduates and students!
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Not just another small town By Dennis Doeden ddoeden@bemidjipioneer.com f all the interviews Bemidji Pioneer reporters did to prepare for this Annual Report, one quote stands out. It comes from Fulton Gallagher, professor emeritus of music at Bemidji State University. “We’d be just another small town if it wasn’t for Bemidji State,” Gallagher told a reporter. With its proximity to the forests and its location between larger cities like Grand Forks and Duluth,
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it’s likely that Bemidji would have grown into a regional center even without a college. But the presence of the university, with its wide-ranging draw of students, faculty and staff, certainly has taken that growth to another level. The decision a little more than a century ago to make Bemidji the home of the state’s sixth Normal School changed the course of what was a lumberjack town. A century later, Bemidji still relies on the forest economy, but also is a regional center for govern-
ment, shopping, education, health care, the arts and tourism. Would all of that have happened without BSU? It’s unlikely. We hope readers enjoy the stories we’ve written, the commentaries from Will Weaver, Faith Hensrud and Jim Bensen, the historical perspective from Sue Bruns, and the photographs from Bemidji State archives. We also need to thank retired BSU professor Art Lee, whose book, “University in the Pines,” provided background for many of our stories.
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Art Lee (seated at right) was one of the new Bemidji State faculty members in the fall of 1959. Front row, from left: Arthur Charvat, Duane Bailey, Dorothy Veranth, Bernice Steel and Art Lee. Back row: Vic Weber, Richard Slinkman, William Marchand, Kenneth Kraft and Grant Bateman.
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Bemidji Normal summer school students pose for a photo on campus in 1923.
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The proximity of Lake Bemidji to campus meant opportunities for the university to sponsor ice fishing contests.
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Bemidji State student Joe Vene (left) rehearses a choral number in this 1974 photo. Vene came to Bemidji from the Iron Range and still lives here. He served as a Beltrami County Commissioner and has been instrumental in bringing a Veterans Home to Bemidji.
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The cluster for culture in Bemidji BSU’s impact on the arts too immense to measure By Dennis Doeden ddoeden@bemidjipioneer.com
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emidji is a mecca for the arts, harboring talented musicians, actors, poets, writers, artists and other creative souls. It’s possible that would be the case even if it was not a college town, but Bemidji State University certainly enhances the community’s creative and entertaining status. “It was immediately obvious to me that the arts are so strong here because of the university,” said Lori ForsheeDonnay, executive director of the Watermark Art Center. “I look at the Community Theater, the Chorale, the Symphony,... we are all here because of the university, and we have grown out of that. It’s almost like a little startup company. So there’s this amazing resource, and out of that came these different organizations that branch out into the community.” Beverly Everett, conductor and musical director of the Bemidji Symphony Orchestra, also paid tribute to the university. “One of the great blessings of my time in Bemidji has been getting to know and work with the students and faculty of the BSU Music Department,” Everett said. “Many of the kids have gone on to do absolutely outstanding things in their careers, and the faculty are some of the most respected and highly accomplished in their fields. I consider them deeply valued colleagues and friends, and feel that they have made me a better musician through their talents and influ-
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The late Lou Marchand (right) directed many theater performances at Bemidji State during his time as a professor from 1955 to 1992. He also was one of the founding members of the Bemidji Community Arts Council.
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Choral music has long been a strength at Bemidji State, providing entertaining concerts for the community. This 2017 photo from a BSU Alumni Choir concert shows current director Dwight Jilek (left) with former director Paul Brandvik (center) and 1975 graduate Mark Carlson. ences.” In addition to providing talent for community organizations like the Symphony, BSU offers many of its own cultural programs, concerts and events. “We’d be just another small town if it wasn’t for Bemidji State,” said Fulton Gallagher, retired professor of music who still teaches vocal lessons at the university. Gallagher, who served under every BSU president since C.R. Sattgast, was instrumental in creating the longstanding annual Opera Night event to fruition. “My first year I did ‘Call Me Madam,’ a musical at the high school,” Gallagher said. “We also did scenes from ‘Carmen’ just to sort of get things
rolling. We’ve done Opera Night since 1978. Our first performance was at the old Radisson South in Bloomington. The St. Paul Pioneer Press, I believe it was, wrote an article the next day that said, ‘Bemidji brings culture to the Twin Cities.’” Long before the Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex was built, concerts and theater productions were performed at other campus sites. Former English professor Bea Knodel remembers Louis Marchand putting on theater productions on third floor of Deputy Hall. “It was in a room that didn’t have curtains, or any way to put up curtains,” she recalled, “and the stage was maybe a foot high. It was like a little platform. And he
gave wonderful plays in that space.” The college also has been a venue for national and regional acts. Garrison Keillor brought “A Prairie Home Companion” radio show to campus, and student organizations booked acts like John Denver, Jim Croce and the Cowsills in the late 1960s and early ’70s. One BSU Homecoming event featured Lee Greenwood. Bemidji City Councilman Ron Johnson said stars like Mel Tillis, Charlie Pride, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn and the Statler Brothers also performed on campus. Sellout crowds of 3,200 people packed the Glas for Johnny Cash and the Carter Family and two of the Statler Brothers shows.
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Bemidji MusiCamp is a summer music program at Bemidji State led by music educators from across the region. Founded in 1948, MusiCamp is one of the oldest camps in the country. “I rented the John Glas Fieldhouse, because it was the only facility in town that could accommodate a large concert,” Johnson said. Dave Hengel, executive director of Greater Bemidji, said the economic impact of Bemidji State is only part of the story. “The other part is the
cultural aspect,” Hengel said. “Part of the reason people like to live in Bemidji is the arts and the culture that we have here, and some of that comes directly because we’re a college town, and the fact that we have a faculty and a student body that is gifted, and cares about the arts and culture.”
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A place to be themselves American Indian Resource Center was decades in the making By Joe Bowen news@bemidjipioneer.com
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he Anishinaabe Family Center sat on the edge of Bemidji State University’s campus for years. It was a spot for American Indian students to meet, host fundraisers, and more — the next step of a years-long effort to carve out a space for American Indian students at the university, which developed one of Minnesota’s first Indigenous Studies programs (“Indian Studies” until a few years ago) in 1969 and a seminal Ojibwe language program about the same time. The building was in disrepair by the 1980s, though, which presented leaders there with a choice: fix it up or think bigger. They chose the latter, and a decades-long
effort to build the school’s American Indian Resource Center began. Leaders such as Roger Aitken, Don Day and Lee Cook secured funding for the resource center in the early 2000s. Red Lake Nation, White Earth Nation, and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe all chipped in several hundred thousand dollars between them, and the rest came from Minnesota lawmakers then, who voted to borrow millions for the project. The center opened in 2003. “It’s the middle of three reservations,” Cook said, referring to the three tribal nations within an hour’s drive of campus. “It made sense to have a center for Indians there.” The university struggles to retain students generally, and the social hurdles that make a student leave before they’ve earned a degree — poverty, being
the first in their family to attend college, and so on — are more pronounced in the American Indian community, from which students can feel metaphorically thrown into the deep end of academia. “A lot of them sank,” Anton Treuer, a professor of Ojibwe at the university, said. “Some swam.” The center, then, which routinely hosts social gatherings, guest speakers, and has mechanisms in place to help students with childcare and even relatively small emergencies like a minor car repair, works as a “home away from home” that can replicate the functions of a traditional Anishinaabe community. “It’s also a place where American Indian students can come be themselves,” said Bill Blackwell, Jr., the resource center’s executive director. “You feel a lot more a part of the campus when you’ve got people with similar backgrounds that understand the dynamics of the culture.”
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Bemidji State University students promote the Festival of Nations during the 2014 Homecoming Parade through downtown Bemidji. The annual event celebrates the cultures of international students.
A worldly experience Coming and going, BSU has strong international programs By Jordan Shearer jshearer@bemidjipioneer.com
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t’s not entirely clear when students from around the world first began arriving at Bemidji State University, but they’ve nonetheless come to be an integral part of the northern Minnesota campus. The International Program Center goes back decades, although it has not always been the same size. The handbook for 1984-86 gives a brief description of the program, such as how many students it included and where they could get assistance with issues such as immigration regulations, visas, work permits, and so on. “The International Student Office is located within the Counseling Office. Approximately 50 international students are enrolled at Bemidji State University representing Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer nearly 20 different counThe American Indian Resource Center hosts social gatherings and guest speakers, tries,” the handbook said. and helps students with childcare and even relatively small emergencies like a minor That number of intercar repair. national students is less
than half of what it is today. In recent years, there have been roughly 120 international students at BSU. Together, they represent more than 30 countries. Although the current international student population is undoubtedly bigger than when it started, it’s also shrunk from its peak number. A few years ago, there were closer to 200 international students, according to IPC Director Patrick Liu. He went on to say that they are still trying to grow that portion of the student body. That student handbook from the 1980s may provide insight into the approximate size of the program from several decades ago, but students were celebrating international cultures at the university even before that. This year, BSU students held the 50th Festival of Nations, a program that celebrates the diversity of the BSU campus with food, music, and fashion. The students are not
the only ones coming from overseas. BSU also has hosted a number of visiting scholars. They come to learn the educational system, work on language skills and learn from local professors. All the current visiting scholars are from China. “Academically, they want to send faculty to the United State for their education, our system, things like that,” Liu said about China. For as long as foreign students have been coming to BSU, the university’s own students have been traveling to other shores as well. Although there have been other opportunities throughout the years, the university currently lists exchange programs with Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Malaysia, South Korea, and China. EuroSpring is a popular program where BSU students study at the prestigious Oxford University in England for a semester.
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n your o s n o i tulat Congra ersary! v i n n a ar 100-ye
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Bemidji State graduates make mark on business community By Dennis Doeden ddoeden@bemidjipioneer.com
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ric Carlson and Justin “Bud” Kaney took different routes to get to Bemidji State University. Carlson’s trip was across town. Kaney’s was about 425 miles. Both men now own businesses in town. They’re just two of many people who have joined the local business community after graduating from BSU. Carlson is the owner of the Bonded Lock & Key locksmith business he and his wife, Brittany, purchased in 2009. Both Carlsons grew up in Bemidji. Eric played golf for Bemidji State and earned degrees in history and philosophy. Kaney is one of the
owners of Bemidji Brewing Company, which was founded in 2011. He came to Bemidji from Wittenberg, Wis., to play football for the Beavers and earned a degree in design technology. “If you go and ask around the business owners in Bemidji how many went to BSU, I don’t know the number, but I bet you it’s significantly higher than people realize,” said Dave Hengel, executive director of Greater Bemidji Economic Development. “They came to our community to go to college and simply fell in love and never left.” In the case of Carlson and Kaney, they actually did leave for a time. Carlson, a 2002 BSU graduate, ran an insurance agency
in Virginia for five years before coming back to purchase Bonded Lock & Key. Kaney, a 2008 BSU graduate, took a job with Hasbro Toys in Rhode Island, but longed to get back to the Midwest. He and fellow BSU graduate Tom Hill began looking for a location to start a brewery, and Bemidji rose to the top of the list. They now own Bemidji Brewing with their wives, Tina Kaney and Megan Betters-Hill. “We did vet other communities for the brewery,” Bud Kaney said. “Bemidji was on the list immediately. We perceived it as a good opportunity economically but we also saw it just as a good lifestyle.” Carlson said family
was a big reason for his return. When Eric and Brittany found out they were going to have their first child, they decided to look for a way to return to Bemidji. They now have four children, and being close to family has become even more important. Eric’s father, John, also is a BSU graduate, former insurance agency owner and state senator. “Family is a big draw,” Eric said, “But Bemidji’s is just big enough that you pretty much have most everything you need, but it’s small enough that when you walk around you know everybody.” According to a study presented in October 2018 by consulting firm Parker
Phillips, Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College employ 726 people and generate $321.7 million in economic impact per year, generating $18.3 million in state and local revenue and making $2.5 million in community contributions and volunteer activities. “The impact is huge,” Hengel said. “People like to focus only on the amount of spending that the students bring, or the amount of economic
activity that actually occurs at the university. But it’s so much bigger than that. Economic development becomes a race for talent, and communities that have the ability to create and grow talent have an upper edge. That’s why you’re seeing college towns and regional centers grow faster, simply because they have the ability to both attract and grow talent. That’s going to be the differentiator at least as the baby boomers are retiring.”
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Justin “Bud” Kaney, left, and Tom Hill, who met while attending Bemidji State University, are owners of Bemidji Brewing Dennis Doeden / Bemidji Pioneer Company, along with their wives, Tina Kaney and Megan “Bemidji’s is just big enough that you pretty much have most everything you need, but it’s small enough that when you Betters-Hill. “We perceived (Bemidji) as a good opportunity walk around you know everybody,” says Eric Carlson, who graduated from Bemidji State University in 2002 and now owns economically but we also saw it just as a good lifestyle,” Bud Kaney said. Bonded Lock & Key in Bemidji.
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C E L E B R AT I O N 1919-2019
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‘It was a fun place to be’ BSU professors have fond memories of students, colleagues By Dennis Doeden ddoeden@bemidjipioneer.com
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ea Knodel doesn’t recall dealing with distracted students during her 31-year career as an English professor at Bemidji State College and Bemidji State University. She began as a half-time freshman English teacher in 1964 and retired from the university in 1995. “There were no computers and there were no cell phones,” said Knodel, who still lives in Bemidji with her husband, Ray, a retired BSU math professor. “I can’t imagine teaching in a classroom where the students have cell phones. When I first started we still called the students Mr. and Miss. I had a young man come up to me after class and ask me the first name of the girl who sat across the aisle from him because he wanted to ask her out. And he could not, he told me, imagine approaching her and saying, ‘Miss Jones.’ I can’t remember when we stopped using Mr. or Miss. Maybe about the time we started to smell marijuana when we walked through the union.” Bea has fond memories of her time on campus. “I just loved teaching,” she said. “It was a fun place to be. Dr. Sattgast (Bemidji State president from 1938-64) was big on we should be a friendly college.” She said it has been rewarding to see some former students succeed in their careers. “There are a couple still in Bemidji who I still see occasionally,” she said. One is Beryl Wernberg (retired Beltrami County
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Bea Knodel (lower right) remembers working with Jon Hassler (standing, third from left) on the Bemidji State literature faculty in 1966. Seated from left: Margaret Thorbeck, Kathryn Dyck and Bea Knodel. Standing from left: Robert Phillips, James Casper, Jon Hassler, Les Russell, Henry Dyck, Hazel Hegstad, Charles Carr, Kenneth Henriques and Ruth Stenerson. Sheriff’s Department communications officer). “Once upon a time she was going to be an English teacher, and I have told her I think we missed such a good bet. Dave Moffett (a Bemidji financial adviser) was another English major. I’m still rewarded by what they have done. They turned out to be wonderful people. They would have been very good teachers.” One of Knodel’s colleagues in the English department was the late Jon Hassler, who later wrote many awardwinning novels about
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small-town life in Minnesota. Knodel was not surprised by his success as an author. “He was just a good writer,” she said. “And this sounds old fashioned, but he told a good story. A beginning, a middle and an end. Characters that you cared about. My favorite is ‘North of Hope’ about a young man who ends up being a Catholic priest, which maybe was not the best thing that he could have done. So in a way there’s a sad undercurrent to it. Jon was originally a quite devout Catholic, so this was not
an attack on the church or the priesthood. Part of that book takes place in what has to be geographically Red Lake.” Knodel has many memories of her time at Bemidji State. One was about student unrest during the Vietnam War. “There were a lot of young men who were concerned,” she said. “They weren’t protesting, but they were very concerned about the draft.” She also remembers attending an interview session in 1994 when Jim Bensen was in the running to become BSU’s president.
“I came home and told Ray, ‘This guy is gangbusters, you’ve got to go hear him.’” Ray Knodel talked about Bemidji State’s growth and some of the challenges that came with it. At one point, the math department was located in Deputy Hall, but there was not enough room for all of the professors.”So they took one of the dorm rooms on the main floor of (now demolished) Sanford Hall and converted them into faculty space,” he said. “I was the only one in the math department who was not in Deputy.
They wanted a connection with me, so we strung a wire from the roof of Deputy over to the roof of Sanford, ran it down an outside wall and into my window so I had a telephone connection.” Ray was hired in 1961 and retired in 1992. He saw a lot of faculty members come and go in those 31 years, but didn’t give a lot of thought to moving away. “I thought of it as being a permanent job,” he said. “When I got here I liked the job and I liked both the college community and the city.”
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What’s in a name?
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Hagg-Sauer Hall, which is being torn down this summer to be replaced by a classroom building of the same name, honors best friends Dr. Harold T. Hagg and Dr. Philip R. Sauer. The pair served as Bemidji State University department chairs and were professors in history and English, respectfully. Chet Anderson Stadium, the university’s football and soccer facility, is named for the school’s former head football coach. Anderson coached the Beavers from 1955-60 and again from 1962-65.
Residence halls
The current dorms are mostly named for trees: Birch, Linden, Tamarack, Pine, Cedar and Oak. An exception is the University Heights student apartment building along Bemidji Avenue North. Walnut Hall houses the main campus dining, Housing and Residential Life offices and Campus Security personnel.
Those other buildings
Lower Hobson Union and Upper Hobson Union (home of the Beaux Arts Ballroom) are named for Dr. Claude Vivian “Mr. Conservation” Hobson. He came to Bemidji State University in 1931 and started as a science supervisor in the Bemidji Teachers’ College Lab School for children. He began teach-
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21. Glas Scholars House (GH) 22. Birch Hall (BH) 23. Decker Hall (DH) 24. University Heights (UH) 25. Practice Fields 26. Gillett Wellness Center (GC) 27. Physical Education Complex (PE) 28. John Glas Fieldhouse (FH) 29. Linden Hall (LH) 30. Tamarack Hall (TK) 31. Cedar Hall (CH) 32. Walnut Hall (WH) 33. Pine Hall (PH) 34. Softball Field 35. Baseball Field 36. Oak Hall (OH) 37. Central Receiving (CR)
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Deputy Hall, the first building completed on campus in 1919, was named for the school’s first president, Manfred Deputy. Other buildings named for presidents are the Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex, Sattgast Hall, Bensen Hall, Decker Hall and the Gillett Wellness Center. Two others — the A.C. Clark Library and the John Glas Fieldhouse — are named for faculty members who served as interim presidents as well.
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CAMPUS FACILITIES 1. Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex (BG) 2. Alumni Arch 3. Deputy Hall (D) 4. Sattgast Hall (S) 5. Lakeside Lawn 6. Memorial Hall (M) 7. Central Plaza 8. Hagg-Sauer Hall (HS) 9. Lower Hobson Union (HMU) 10. Upper Hobson Union/ Beaux Arts Ballroom (HMU) 11. Sanford Quad 12. A.C. Clark Library (L) 13. Bridgeman Hall (BN) 14. David Park House (DPH) 15. Alumni House (AH) 16. Chet Anderson Stadium 17. Outdoor Program Center (OPC) 18. Laurel House (LH) 19. Bensen Hall (BE) 20. American Indian Resource Center (AIRC)
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ing college classes in 1938 as a professor of geography and conservation and retired in 1962. The university-owned Hobson Memorial Forest along County Road 20 northeast of Bemidji also is dedicated to him. Bridgeman Hall is named for Harry Bridgeman, who was a state senator from 1922-50 and helped get an appropriation bill passed in 1923 to benefit Bemidji Normal School. The Harold T. Peters Aquatic Laboratory utilizes Lake Bemidji as a freshwater lab for the aquatic biology program. It is named for a former professor of biology. Memorial Hall, once a gymnasium but now a state-of-the-art learning building, was named in honor of students killed in military service, deceased faculty members, former resident directors and presidents and others who made significant contributions to the college. The David Park House is home to the BSU Alumni and Foundation offices. David Park was a prominent businessman in Bemidji and the owner of the largest creamery in the area. The Park House was designed by architect Edward K. Mahlum. The building is made mostly of poured concrete and shaped like a grand piano with an art deco interior. It is the only house in Bemidji on the National Registry of Historic Residences. The Alumni House, located next to the Park House and built in the same style, has offices of the Alumni Association as well as some BSU Foundation staff. It was previously owned by professor emeritus, the late Dr. Phil Sauer and his wife, Betty. The Laurel House, a residence for students in the honors program, was named for the laurel leaf, which in Roman culture symbolized victory. Offices of the Alumni Association as well as some BSU Foundation staff. Previously owned by Professor emeritus, the late Dr. Phil Sauer and his wife Betty, this building is located next to the David Park House and was built in the same style. The Glas Scholars House was built in 1941 as the home of John and Elfy Glas. The family donated the house to the university as a residence for scholars. Located at 1609 Birch Lane NE, the home was built in 1941 and was the first home constructed on its block.
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Campus buildings named after everything from presidents to trees By Dennis Doeden ddoeden@bemidjipioneer.com avid Park? Harry Bridgeman? Claude Hobson? Who are these people, and why are buildings at Bemidji State University named after them? Many of the campus facilities are named after former presidents. The residence halls are named for trees. Former professors are honored with one soon-to-be-placed classroom building. Here’s a breakdown on the naming of campus buildings and facilities:
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BSU Photo
The David Park House is home to the BSU Alumni and Foundation offices. It is the only house in Bemidji on the National Registry of Historic Residences.
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When Bemidji became ‘Normal’ State selects city for teacher training school over Cass Lake, Thief River Falls
The first class of Bemidji Normal School poses on the steps of what is now Deputy Hall in May of 1920. By Sue Bruns Special to the Pioneer
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hen news broke in Bemidji that the city had been selected as the location for Minnesota’s sixth normal (teacher training) school, a great celebration erupted. The Bemidji Pioneer reported on July 17, 1913, “BEMIDJI IS JOYFUL OVER NORMAL NEWS: CELEBRATION LASTS UNTIL 9:00 THIS MORNING.” Automobiles crowded with people formed a spontaneous parade; participants rang bells, pounded on pans and tooted horns. The Bemidji Band marched and played. A.P. Ritchie, Bemidji’s superintendent of schools, who had promoted the city for the site since 1907, was hoisted upon shoulders and cheered. Fellow committee members J.J. Opsahl and F.S. Arnold were heartily toasted for their parts in lobbying for Bemidji and securing the site. The campaign to bring a normal school to Bemidji had been a long one, and much work needed to be done before the school could open its doors to train teachers. Normal School refers to a two-year teacher training institution for high school graduates that focused on teaching norms of curriculum and pedagogy. In 1921, the normal schools became four-year State Teachers Colleges. Between 1860 and 1902, the first five normal schools had opened in Winona (1860), Mankato (1868), St. Cloud (1869), Moorhead (1888) and Duluth (1902). Enrollment
ertheless, new bills were introduced; and in March of 1909, a bill passed to build a sixth normal in Cass Lake, but Gov. John A. Johnson vetoed the bill, citing “no pressing need for the establishment of an additional normal school at this time.” He indicated that the financial situation in the state was not conducive to constructing new public buildings. Also, he said, the Cass Lake site had never had the approval of normal school authorities. Once again, the issue died down until 1911. In the summer of 1912, Thief River Falls jumped into the mix, vying for the school. Other towns entertained the idea: Warren, Grand Rapids, Park Rapids, Bagley, Ada, Clearbrook. In 1913, bills were introduced for a Back-and-forth sixth normal at Bemidji, Cass Lake Times ediCass Lake, Thief River tor Frank Ives touted Falls, or a general site in Cass Lake as the best site. northern Minnesota. The State Sen. Daniel M. Gunn top contenders in this gointroduced a bill for a new round were Bemidji and normal school there. Over Thief River Falls. Earlier, the next several months, the main supporter in there was a lot of smearCass Lake had been Peter talking between Bemidji Larson, the local school and Cass Lake, each vying superintendent, but he for the school. Other was no longer there. towns in the region were Bemidji and Thief River more concerned about Falls had many similarigetting a normal in the ties on paper: good basic area and less concerned infrastructures-water, about exactly where. A gas, electricity; wellgeneral bill proposed a connected rail systems, normal school for the area new Carnegie libraries, with no specific location, comparable county popubut in 1907, none of the lations-although Beltrami bills passed. was much larger geoThe topic died down graphically; each touted temporarily but resurbanks, mills, and several faced a year later. The churches. Each had two State Normal Board newspapers. Bemidji had acknowledged crowda reputation as a someing in the five existing what rough lumber town; Thief River Falls had normals but saw no need more agriculture. Bemidji for a sixth school. Nevin all five normals was approaching 2,200, and settlers in northern Minnesota needed teachers. Villages sprung up and townships were established in Beltrami County, each setting up their own school. Teachers who trained in the normal schools weren’t moving north to teach. By 1907, county superintendents all across northern Minnesota, including Beltrami County Superintendent W.B. Stewart, were advocating for a normal school in north-central Minnesota. In an article in The Bemidji Pioneer, Ritchie promoted Bemidji as the site; Stewart agreed and enumerated the financial benefits for Bemidji. State Rep. J.J. Opsahl prepared a bill to promote Bemidji in the Legislature.
BSU Photo
boasted its clean air and lake. On April 19, 1913, the bill for a new normal in north central Minnesota passed-site to be determined. Competition grew between Bemidji and TRF. Thief River was fairly confident, but scrambled to figure out possible locations. Bemidji had already selected an ideal lake shore campus site. When the Normal School Commission visited Bemidji on July 8, they were toured and dined at a banquet at the Markham Hotel and presented with plans and arguments. Attorney E.E. McDonald declared, “There is not a more moral or law-abiding city of its size in the state.” When asked about the number of saloons in town, McDonald gave the number 29, possibly an under-estimate, but he countered with nine churches. The commission finally selected Bemidji on a vote of 4-1-the dissenting vote for Thief River Falls. Bemidji was ecstatic, but construction was slow to start. Legislative hangups and partial fundings slowed things down. As the U.S. grew closer to involvement in World War I, purse strings at the capitol were tight. Just $25,000 was appropriated in 1915, and finally another $75,000 in 1917. By May of 1919, the first building was near completion, and the first Bemidji Normal School president, Manfred W. Deputy, for whom that building is named now at Bemidji State University, announced the opening of a six-week summer session to begin in June.
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The presidents of BSU: A timeline
Manfred W. Deputy, 1919-1938
Deputy moved to Bemidji in 1919, and started Bemidji State College. During Deputy’s presidency, peak enrollment was 537 during the summer session of school in 1924. During the Deputy era, the school had three main buildings: an academic building, a dormitory and a heating plant. The academic building was the main building and is now known as Deputy Hall. He served as president for 19 years until mandatory retirement.
C.R. Sattgast 1938-1964
Along with being a World War II veteran, Sattgast is best known for the science building named after him. During his tenure, Bemidji State expanded from a teachers college to one offering liberal arts and graduate studies. Additionally, the campus grew from 20 to 74 acres, making way for science, physical education, industry, arts and dormitory buildings. Enrollment was down near the 200s due in large part to World War II. By October of 1944, 360 students and faculty members were serving in the war. Sattgast took leave from the college in 1943 and served in the war until returning in 1946.
Leslie C. Duly 1990-1993
Duly started as the Vice President of Academic Affairs. After he became president on July 1, 1990, Duly said he wanted to spend a week living in Tamarack Hall, dining with students at Walnut Hall and listening to their concerns. Under Duly’s presidency, BSU was listed as the highestranked Minnesota State University in America’s Best Colleges. Duly died of a heart attack on May 8, 1993. The school held a memorial service where many people reminisced about all the great things Duly had accomplished at the school.
ACTING/INTERIM: E.W. Beck (1938)
Beck was acting president for the month of January after President Deputy served his last day on Dec. 31, 1937. Beck was a faculty member of Bemidji State prior to his month as acting president before President Sattgast came into office Feb. 1 of 1938.
Harry F. Bangsberg 1964-1967
In 1967, Bangsberg took a tour of Vietnam with seven other U.S. educators. The group was determined to assist the government of Vietnam in developing a higher education system. Bangsberg was on leave from Bemidji State for two months to Saigon. On March 23, 1967, a few weeks before their return home, the plane crashed in the mountains north of Da Nang. Bangsberg is honored through the Bangsberg Fine Arts building located on campus.
M. James Bensen 1994-2001
Bensen was named the eighth permanent president of the university. He graduated from Bemidji State with a degree in Industrial Education and Physical Education. Prior to serving Bemidji State University, Bensen served as president at Dunwoody Institute, a private, nonprofit school in Minneapolis. He had also served as the Dean of the School of Industry and Technology at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. After retiring from BSU, he became President Emeritus.
Decker was influential in what was considered the “great expansion” on campus. Eight buildings were built, three existing buildings were renovated, and the enrollment hit an all-time high of 5,787 students. He introduced a wide variety of new programs at the school, including computer science, criminal justice, technical illustration/ graphic design, communication media, and American Indian studies. After retiring as president, Decker resumed teaching for about nine years, until deciding to run for State Senate, where he served until 1990.
Jon E. Quistgaard 2001-2010
Prior to his presidency, Quistgaard served as Dean of Graduate Studies, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. During his tenure at Bemidji State, there were major changes in technology, enrollment, funding and diversity. Most notably, the school diversified to include students from more than 30 states and 40 countries. Quistgaard recalls seeing more adults and military veterans seeking opportunities to further their education during his tenure.
Sattgast’s death from April 1 to Sept. 1, 1964. While at Bemidji State, Clark served as a social science instructor, chairman in the division of social sciences, director of publicity, placement, and public relations and vice president.
Bevington Reed (1967)
R.D. Decker 1968-1980
Reed did not hold a permanent position at Bemidji State. He only served as a very brief interim president after A.C. Clark (1942-1946, 1964) the death of President Bangsberg. DurClark was the acting president for Charles Sattgast as he was on leave dur- ing his time as president, he also had ing WWII from 1942-1946 and also after Bangsberg’s assistant John Glas serve as
Rebecca Stafford 1980-1981
Stafford served as president of BSU from April 9, 1980 to December 16, 1981. Following her resignation, Stafford announced she accepted the position of Executive Vice President of Colorado State University.
Richard A. Hanson 2010-2016
Among his accomplishments, Hanson implemented a broad restructuring of course offerings at Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College in an effort to adapt to current market conditions, resulting in an increased competitiveness for both institutions. With the help of the student body, Hanson implemented a tobacco-free policy on both campuses. In addition, he founded the Bemidji School of Nursing, coordinating the instructional efforts of both NTC and BSU.
the Campus Executive Officer to handle the campus matters.
John S. Glas (1967-1968)
Glas was the college’s Business Manager from 1939-1959. He was the Assistant to the President for 11 years and Campus Executive Officer and the Vice President for Administration.
Richard R. Haugo (1982)
Haugo began teaching Industrial Technology at Bemidji State in 1965 and later became the chair of Industrial Technology Department. After eight
Lowell R. “Ted” Gillett 1982-1990
Gillett’s time as president was highlighted by student-centered construction and renovation projects. One of his constructions was the building of the Gillett Recreation and Fitness Center (now the Gillett Wellness Center), which is named in his honor. Gillett was also successful in renovating Pine Hall into apartments for students who were single parents. Also, the Alumni Arch outside of Deputy Hall was established, which has become the university’s most distinguished landmark and serves as the unofficial gateway to campus.
Faith Hensrud 2016-present
Faith Hensrud became the 11th permanent president of BSU on July 1, 2016. Her career in higher education spans more than two decades and includes teaching and administrative roles at the University of WisconsinSuperior and Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College, also in Superior. Hensrud is also a U.S. Army veteran. She served on active duty with the 24th Transportation Battalion at Ft. Eustis, Va., from 1986-89 and as a member of the U.S. Army Reserve from 1989-2000.
months as acting president, he returned to Placement and Counseling, Educational Services until he retired in 1988.
Linda L. Baer (1993-1994)
Baer was the Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs when President Duly died. As interim president, Baer was able to lead the school in its 75th anniversary. Baer retired as president on June 30, 1994, but took the position as Senior Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs until 1997.
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As the community has blossomed, so has the university A
s Bemidji State University has celebrated its 100th birthday over the past 17 months, it is only fitting that we also recognize and celebrate the impact BSU, Northwest Technical College and the Bemidji community have on one another. Our inseparable relationship began on a raucous night in 1913, when the citizens of Bemidji learned they had won the state’s sixth Normal School. The scene that night must have been incredible to see. Fire whistles blew long into the night, automobiles paraded through streets lined with celebrating citizens, and as the Bemidji Pioneer reported, “all
DR. FAITH
HENSRUD President, Bemidji State University
in all the town presented one of the wildest scenes ever known in its history.” In the century that has passed since that celebratory night, Bemidji has grown from a small logging town of about 5,000 people into a bustling regional center that provides services for a population of more than 100,000. Bemidji is home to some of northern Minnesota’s best health care, modern telecommunica-
tions services, bustling retail and dining sectors, a thriving arts community, a regional events center, nearly unlimited outdoor recreation activities and a tourism trade that draws visitors from all over the world. As the community has blossomed, the university has blossomed as well. We’ve grown from our roots as a Normal School of a dozen faculty and less than 200 students into a comprehensive regional university. And we’ve become recognized as one of the finest public institutions in the Midwest region by renowned organizations such as U.S. News & World Report. Our impact on the city of Bemidji is easy to
identify. Our 5,000 students and more than 550 employees provide significant benefits to the city’s economy, and our presence means the citizens of Bemidji have access to an affordable, world-class education right in their own back yards. An economic impact study commissioned in 2018 by Minnesota State clearly illustrates the role BSU and NTC play as regional leaders: the study credited the institutions with the creation and support of more than 2,700 jobs and with the generation of more than $18 million in state and local tax revenues each year. In addition to this measurable economic
impact, our students and employees also put forth tremendous efforts to be leaders and role models in the community. Our staff and students provide more than $600,000 in charitable contributions and nearly a $2 million value in volunteer time in Bemidji each year. Our students are involved in partnerships with local elementary schools and participate in camps and clinics. Led by some of the finest faculty in the world, we provide support to local businesses and industry through internships and research partnerships. Our contribution to the arts and our competitiveness in athletics adds to the vitality of our region. We provide
leadership and support to a broad spectrum of local and regional initiatives through our Sustainability Office, American Indian Resource Center, Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence, and Center for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. It is through these activities where Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College generate tremendous impact on the city of Bemidji. While our students come here to study, and our faculty come here to teach, we are fully engaged in the Bemidji community, supporting and leading, to make Bemidji a better place for us all.
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An outdoors extravaganza BSU home to world-class outdoors and environmental programs in the heart of the wilderness By Natalie Hilden nhilden@bemidjipioneer.com
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ric Sorenson can remember the first time he saw students carrying in buckets of walleye into Walnut Hall, decked out in their snowmobiling jackets and Carhartt bibs. He also remembers the first time he saw a student lugging a shotgun to their car for a hunting trip. Sorenson, a BSU grad and now communications coordinator with the Alumni Foundation, said those memories perfectly describe the impact the outdoors has on the BSU campus community. You don’t find moments like those on many college campuses today, he says. With Lake Bemidji right in the university’s backyard, a large amount of public land for hunting and more than 400 lakes within a 25-mile drive, there is no surprise that outdoor recreation is highly valued by students and faculty. In fact, many people find the outdoors deeply rooted in the BSU culture and student experience. Randy Ludeman, director of Housing and Residential Life, said the availability of outdoor activity options — and an outdoors education — are a great selling point incoming students look at when committing to BSU. The experience allows students to find their passions through recreation and education. He said university staff keep trying to improve and provide more options for students to take advantage of the local outdoor resources.
“We have very clearly taken advantage of where we are located in selling to students the experience here and living on a lake,” said Ludeman. “With all the activities and our Outdoor Program Center — which is ranked nationally — we have that asset available to our students.” It isn’t just the natural resources that helps students come and decide to stay at BSU. University officials’ ability to listen to students with outdoors-related interests and provide them with the resources they need is something that students appreciate. Some notable specialty aspects of BSU’s campus include a weapons storage facility and a wild game cleaning room, both located in Walnut Hall. These additions have made safety and ease a priority for students who enjoy hunting, fishing and trap shooting. In 2017, BSU remodeled it’s more than 30 yearold, weapons storage area. “We were not meeting the need for numbers of those interested, and what we had just wasn’t usable,” Ludeman said. “It was hard to get things in them because they were old gym lockers that were recycled after the wellness center renovated years ago.” Ludeman said weapon storage guidelines are directly addressed with students from Day 1 and the regulations have been widely accepted among the campus community. There are weapon cleaning stations in the storage facility along with cameras that are monitored by
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Jillian Gandsey | Bemidji Pioneer
The BSU campus features a weapons storage area, as well as a wild game cleaning room, in Walnut Hall. the Public Safety Department to ensure the safety of everyone involved. Both Sorenson and Ludeman agree that the outdoor experiences available at BSU have an effect on students educationally and mentally. “When students are having a good time doing that kind of thing they are going to stick around and they are probably going to be more successful — because they are doing things they like to do and doing it in a positive productive way,” Ludeman said. Along with recreational activities, Ludeman said he has found that the Outdoor Learning Community floors in the freshman residence halls have become a popular choice for incoming stu-
dents. “First year freshman students it’s amazing how many come here because of that, they do want they love and want to stick around, and this place has 400 fishable lakes within 20 minutes of town — the woods are public and there are lots of opportunities,” Ludeman said. Sorenson said that the natural beauty of the Bemidji community helped him with his college transition and there were no second thoughts about his decision. He said he is thankful the university is really listening to what students want out of their college experience. “When I first came to campus and I found out there was a weapons storage facility and a
game cleaning room and things like that it was such a welcoming feeling,” said Sorenson. “It was so nice to know that I chose a place that was welcoming of students who enjoy the outdoors — I felt accepted.” Along with using the outdoors as a source of recreation; it has also been important to students educating themselves in the classroom and out. Students studying in outdoors- and environmental-related fields have a great classroom right outside the door, The Aquatic Biology department is home to one of the biggest examples of these experiences. The Hard Water Research Lab, which was built on an ice fishing
house frame, is a portable research lab designed to give students the opportunity to conduct field research all year long. BSU Sustainability Coordinator Erika BaileyJohnson said the opportunity to get involved in outdoor activities only enhance students’ ability to do what they love while learning to respect the area around them. “We can teach not only the techniques and how to do these things, but how to respect the environment — I think students come in with a lot of good experiences here and learn to interact with the outdoors in a positive way and to continue traditions their families have taught them, too,” Ludeman said. “ It’s about wellness.”
LEADERSHIP and LEARNING ARE INDISPENSABLE TO EACH OTHER. — John F. Kennedy
”
Keith Johanneson, a Bemidji State and University of Minnesota graduate has been serving communities within the grocery industry for over 60 years. Keith and his team oversees over 20 businesses and 1,000 employees. In Bemidji Keith and his companies have made and continue to make numerous contributions that include: • Founding President of the J.E.D.C. known today as Greater Bemidji. • Past President of the Bemidji Chamber of Commerce. • Past President of the Bemidji Town and Country Club • Thirty years of service on the Board of Directors Security Bank USA
• In 2013, was recognized and awarded the BSU Outstanding Alumni Award • In 2016, Keith inducted into the Northwest Minnesota Foundations IDEA Hall of Fame • Founder of “Stuff A Truck” which after 25 years is the largest event to gather food and money for the Bemidji Area Food Shelf. • Founding Member of “Ride for the Troops”
Congratulations Bemidji State University on 100 years of producing great leaders!
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A school within a school Lab School gave real-world experience to students for decades By Dennis Doeden ddoeden@bemidjipioneer.com
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he Bemidji Normal School also housed an elementary school, or Observation School as the first brochure called it, that served as a laboratory for future teachers. College students could simply stay on campus to receive real-life classroom experience. “With so many student teachers available, they got a lot of individual attention and could do a lot of side projects because of the availability of student teachers,” recalls Kermit Bensen of Bemidji, who taught sixth grade at the Lab School for two years in the late 1960s and early 1970s. “It was really kind of a neat deal. They were right there on campus. There were great opportunities for the kids and for the future teachers.” Former Bemidji State professor Art Lee, who wrote the historical “University in the Pines,” observed: “President Deputy saw this observation school as the heart of a normal school.” The school’s purpose was “to illustrate the best methods of teaching for the Normal School students enrolled,” said Deputy. The school was originally housed in the campus Main Building, now known as Deputy Hall. In the 1950s, the newly constructed Education Building (now known as Bensen Hall) heightened Bemidji’s appreciation for the Lab School on campus. According to university archives, “Parents considered it the premier place for their children
to attend, and many former students continue to look back fondly on their experience. The story goes that one new dad applied for his son’s admittance on the same day the child was born. But in the face of competing college demands, the school closed in 1975.” Brothers Mike and Randy Gregg, who now run the family’s business, Dick’s Plumbing and Heating in Bemidji, were students at the Lab School. Both went there from kindergarten through sixth grade, Mike finishing in 1971 and Randy a year later. “One thing I can tell you about that place is we had just a radical playground out back,” Mike Gregg said with a chuckle. “I mean all the stuff that would no longer be considered safe at all. Big jungle gym, big swings. We tore around out there. I never remember anybody
getting hurt.” The playground wasn’t the only campus amenity that stuck in the students’ memories. “The track was kind of a nice option,” Randy Gregg said. “That’s where we did our track and field events from the school. We just went through the gate and we were there.”
Jim Thompson, a retired ophthalmologist and current Bemidji City Council member, also was a Lab School student in the 1940s. His father, Carl O. Thompson, was professor of vocal music and chair of the Music Department at Bemidji State, so Jim remembers biking, walking and riding to school
with his dad from their home just up the road on Birchmont Drive. One of Thompson’s vivid memories was the Lab School’s basketball team going up to Ponemah for a game and getting clobbered 66-16. Of course, it wasn’t all about fun and games. Bensen, as one of the
full-time professional teachers at the school, said it was interesting watching the “trainees” learn the ropes in a classroom setting. “I think a lot of had to do with personalities,” he said. “You can’t be too easy going, but you can’t be too hard, either. You could pick that out.”
BSU Photo
Students at the Observation School, also known as the Lab BSU Photo School, work on projects in this 1936 photo. The school was Bemidji State acting president A.C. Clark visits with students in operation from Bemidji Normal’s beginning through 1975. in the Lab School in this 1964 photo.
BSU Photo
Hard knocks have a place and value, but hard thinking goes further in less time.
Bemidji State Teachers College Lab School students and staff pose for a campus photo in 1962.
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Congratulations Bemidji State University On Your 100 Year Anniversary
Bob Lowth
Celebrating 55 Years in Bemidj 049041-00045 7/19
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BSU Foundation a longtime key to student success
BSU Photo
Bemidji State University’s annual Community Appreciation Day bridges the gap between local residents and campus groups. It was the idea of the late Joe Lueken, who served as a BSU Foundation board member and was a generous supporter of BSU and the Bemidji community. By Matthew Liedke mliedke@bemidjipioneer.com
B
emidji State University has been welcoming students to the First City on the Mississippi for higher education for 100 years, and for half of that time, they’ve been supported by the BSU Foundation. Founded in 1969, the BSU Alumni and Foundation backs the university in securing the financial resources needed to provide that educational experience for students. According to Lisa Hofstad, BSU Alumni and Founda-
tion director of development, the primary method of support is through scholarships. “Student scholarships are particularly important, as today’s college students bear a greater burden of the cost of their education, leading to high levels of student debt,” Hofstad said. “Over 50 percent of BSU students are first-generation college students and the vast majority of BSU students, 82 percent, qualify for financial aid.” Hofstad said the foundation provides more than $1 million in scholarships
to students, along with several members donating to programs they’re passionate about. “One example of this is the Frederick P. Baker Training Center,” Hofstad said. “The renovation project, funded by a gift from 1961 BSU graduate Frederick Baker, converted the former home of Beaver Hockey (the John Glas Fieldhouse) into an artificial turf-covered multi-sport indoor practice facility.” In addition to financial support, the foundation organizes several events, such as a celebration on
campus at the start of the fall semester. “Community Appreciation Day was the idea of the late Joe Lueken, who served as a BSU Foundation board member and was a generous supporter of BSU and the Bemidji community,” Hofstad said of the man behind Lueken’s Village Foods. “Community Appreciation Day is an opportunity for us to invite the community to visit our beautiful campus and thank them for supporting the university and our students.” This year’s Commu-
nity Appreciation Day, the 14th annual, will be especially important as it takes place in BSU’s hundredth year. “The centennial gives us the unique opportunity to both reflect upon the past successes and traditions of BSU, and look at how we can build a stronger Bemidji State and support the next century of students,” Hofstad said. The foundation’s headquarters is in the David Park House, located on campus. The house was built in 1931 and named after a major entrepre-
neur in northern Minnesota. The 5,326 squarefoot building, shaped like a grand piano, is on the National Registry of Historic Residences and was acquired by BSU in 1991. Some foundation staff, and the BSU Alumni Association, is located in another building next door called the Sauer House. It was previously owned by the late BSU Professor Dr. Philip Sauer and his wife, Elizabeth. The family donated the house to the university and it’s been home to the Alumni Association since 2004.
Congratulations, BSU!
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College brings in students, jobs, and a need for housing By Matthew Liedke mliedke@bemidjipioneer.com
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ach year, thousands of students descend on the Bemidji area to attend BSU, with 5,136 enrollees for the 2018 fall semester. In addition to the strong student population, BSU, along with Northwest Technical College, supports some 2,749 jobs. “It’s been a part of our community forever,” Bemidji City Manager Nate Mathews said. “The impact of a college town on a community is sig-
nificant. Not only does BSU provide an education, it also gives a vehicle to customize regional workforce training.” Outside of educational and employment opportunities, BSU and NTC also generate an estimated $2.5 million in charitable donations and volunteer activities, according to Minnesota State. And while BSU and NTC have a major impact on almost every sector of Bemidji, there are some challenges. Being a college town can lead to a crunch for local housing options.
According to Mary Thompson, the Headwaters Regional Development Commission Operations director, the impact from the university population is a larger-thanaverage level of rental housing. Thompson said the data shows about half of those living in Bemidji are renters, both as a result of the student population and the workforce in the area. “Everywhere else in the state, it’s been difficult to get developers who’re interested in building, because the numbers don’t work,” Thompson
said. “The rents they’re going to capture won’t cover those costs. “In Bemidji, because the market is so tight, the rents are higher, so therefore, private developers are willing to build in Bemidji. So it’s definitely an anomaly. We’re getting private development most communities aren’t seeing.” While more development is a plus for the community, though, Thompson said it does create a challenge for students to keep up with market rates. “I think the affordabil-
ity challenge will continue to be pronounced, especially for people in that $12 to $15 salary range,” Thompson said. “From a college perspective, a student may be able to afford an efficiency or one-bedroom, but it will be more likely for them to room with some of their friends.” Considering that Bemidji is a growing community, Thompson said along with rent costs, another factor to consider with meeting population demand is where to build new homes. “New housing stock will
continue to be an issue, whether it’s rental or single family,” Thompson said. “In the city limits, there is very little land available for development. So, in order to increase capacity, there has to be infill, where existing lots can be redeveloped.” The population brought in by Bemidji’s higher education institutions don’t just impact housing, though. The city’s infrastructure and identity are deeply tied to the university, with an entire century to build up the relationship.
BSU Photo
Sanford Hall was the first dormitory building on campus. It was built in 1920 and demolished in 2014. At its inception, the hall could house 50 students, and 100 persons could eat at the cafeteria. Room and board were fixed at the rate of $6 per week under the watchful eye of the dean of women Miss Margaret Kelly.
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Annual Report: BSU at 100
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Sunday, July 28, 2019 E5
Staying ahead of its time Bemidji State’s future remains bright B ack in the beginning, when Bemidji Normal School was in its early years, my mother attended the school for a short period of time. But finances were difficult; she left and took a job in Erskine, Minn. My father attended St. Olaf College and returned home to Erskine to take over the family farm. Dad met and married my mother and they raised a daughter and two sons. My brother Kermit and I both attended Bemidji State Teachers College. I enrolled in 1955 with my sweetheart and wife to be, Nancy Berge, and we are both graduates of BSU. Bemidji State was a “teacher’s college” when we started, and two years later it was re-established as Bemidji State College. The 1955 freshman class was huge, bringing the overall enrollment to 600-plus students. It had six buildings: Deputy Hall, Memorial Hall (physical education and athletics), the Laboratory School, football stadium, Sanford Hall and Birch Hall. There were two old wooden “military barracks” where Sattgast Hall is now located. The area along the lake held athletic fields and there was a city forest and “zoo” north of Birch Hall. The Minnesota Vikings, when they were first established, held their training camp activities in this space along with the football stadium. The curriculum was primarily teacher education oriented, and we had outstanding professors. With the small enrollment one usually had an opportunity to take a class from most of them. I loved teaching, and took a position to teach and coach for three years in Erskine. With two young children, we left the home town for graduate work, earning a master’s degree at the University of WisconsinStout and a doctorate at Penn State and returned to Stout as a faculty member. I taught and served in senior administration for 24 years at Stout, five years as president of Dunwoody College of Technology and then was appointed president of Bemidji State University in 1994. We returned home to our alma mater with excitement and anticipation. I was very familiar with Bemidji State University, having visited it frequently. It had expanded its enrollment to over 6,000 students at one time, and this had “settled” to 5,000-plus students, where it is today. The physical plant expanded to more than 35 buildings, reaching out to Bemidji Avenue, and it is
ers in distance learning in as a higher education plished athletic confermunity leaders for lunch the Upper Midwest which institution. ences in the nation. An to offer being a resource BENSEN I retired as president included huge centers on issue arose during my for their community, BSU graduate presidency that Division II the Minnesota Iron Range in 2001, and still have an visiting companies to and President office at the BSU Foundaand in Toronto. Bemidji explore opportunities and hockey would be dropped Emeritus State also led the 50-plus tion. Nancy and I connationally by the NCAA ending with 100 or more tinue to support the uniand Bemidji State, having campuses in the system alumni for an update. in on-line programs, won 13 national chamIn each case we were versity in any way that we which continues today. pionships, was a powerinformed that a univercan. Jon Quistgaard, Dick one of the most beautiful Bemidji State’s Social house in this sport. With sity had never dedicated Hanson and currently, campuses in the nation, Work Program established community commitment a full day in their comFaith Hensrud, have folwith a long shoreline on a Post-Doctorate Summer lowed me as presidents munity and over the three to support it, we were Lake Bemidji. The one years we acquired over $1 able to move our program Workshop in the ancient and continue to provide tunnel, from “Old Main” city of Dubrovnik, Croatia. up to Division I, which million for scholarships, outstanding leadership. to the Laboratory School, Scholars from more than Bemidji State Univerhad expanded throughout research and development also required BSU to add 50 universities throughwomen’s hockey. projects and unique colsity over its 100 years has the campus. out the world would proWe implemented dozstayed ahead of its time in The curriculum expand- laborations. pose papers, debate and ens of innovations at Music, opera theater providing a tremendous ed to meet the needs of then published an online BSU, based on “Planand the visual arts are asset to our community. a broad base of interfindings as a first in the ning From the Future” exceptional at the univerThousands of graduates ests and we continued to world. sity and they reach widely and re-invented higher have spread throughout attract excellent faculty We installed a “servant education. During this the world in the quest to provide instruction and into our communities. leadership” culture, and time Bemidji State was Early on athletics were to better our society in scholarship. The larger Bemidji State was the first thousands of ways. In recognized with numernon-scholarship, but programs today are in university in the nation to Bemidji we feel this every moved into NCAA Division ous awards as being tops Business, Nursing, Sciconduct an “experimenin the nation with its new II and now participate in day. The future is indeed ence & Technology, Edutal” accreditation process very bright. ventures. We were leadone of the most accomcation, Social Work and Music. A continued focus on Native American studies provides a reach into our local tribes. BSU is also involved in a large number of international experiences to enhance faculty and student educational experiences. International education includes students from throughout the world, with the longest established program being EuroSpring in Oxford, England. I arrived one year ahead of the merger of the Minnesota Technical College System, Community College System and the State University System. This promised major change in working collaboratively between the systems. Bemidji State took a leadership position in working with the twoyear systems and built a BSU Photo number of opportunities for students and faculty Following the Red River Valley flood of 1997, Bemidji provided food and shelter to residents of the Grand Forks and to enhance education. East Grand Forks area. Bemidji State University took part in the relief effort by providing meals for flood victims. On my second day on campus as its new president, I was informed when meeting with the vice presidents that we were not going to make payroll on May 1. To my surprise, they responded, “didn’t they tell you this when you were hired?” This brought about an aggressive mode of change at Bemidji State, with a major layoff of people on the first day of the second semester and an implementation of a plan to rebuild the university to attract more students. Within a year we were back on target. One of the features of change was to place the university in front of our regional communities. During my first three years as president of BSU we spent a full day in 30 communities. The day started with breakfast, being on the radio, interviewed by the local newspaper, speaking to BSU Photo students and faculty at Students and faculty members from Bemidji State Teachers College collected clothing and other items to send to the high school about the people of West Berlin in 1948. In response to the Soviet blockade of land routes into West Berlin, the United the wonderful world of tomorrow, hosting comStates begins a massive airlift of food, water and medicine to the citizens of the besieged city. JIM
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The Bemidji Pioneer
Bemidji State’s top 10
BSU Photo
Counting down the best sports moments in BSU history By Austin Monteith and Micah Friez ver since the inaugural men’s basketball team first took the court in 1921, Bemidji State has racked up quite a history in athletics. From game-winning heroics and national championships to conference crowns and postseason breakthroughs, the Beavers have been making headlines for nearly a century. Accomplishments have sprouted from the rink, the pitch and beyond — in all their Paul Bunyan-sized might. And while 10 spots can’t
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contain all the glory BSU has achieved over the decades, some moments rightfully stand out from the crowd. Here are the top 10 sports moments in Bemidji State history, as voted on by the Pioneer newsroom.
program-record 11-game winning streak for the NIC regular season crown, and BSU defeated Milton (Wis.) 5-4 in the deciding game three of the District 13 championship series to clinch a spot in the World Series.
No. 10: Baseball NAIA No. 9: Men’s hockey national title threeWorld Series The Beavers reached peat baseball’s highest stage in 1982, winning their first Northern Intercollegiate Conference championship and advancing to the eight-team NAIA World Series in Lubbock, Tex. Bemidji State used a
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The men’s hockey team dominated the competition in the 1990s. The Beavers rattled off three straight NCAA Division II national titles from 1992-93 to 1994-95. After a championship hiatus in 1996 that saw the Beavers fall in the finals to Alabama Huntsville — their biggest rivals of the era with whom they clashed in four national finals — BSU won its fourth title of the decade in 1997 for its most recent national championship.
No. 8: Women’s basketball NAIA tourney
No Bemidji State women’s basketball team has seen more success than the 1986-87 squad. The Beavers went 25-3 on the season — including a 23-game winning streak — to claim Northern Sun Conference and NAIA District 13 championships. The team earned the right to participate in the NAIA National Tournament with a 73-64 victory over Minnesota Duluth in BSU Photo the District 13 title game. The Bemidji State baseball team advanced to the 1982 NAIA All-American Kim Babula World Series. Pictured is a game played at the BSU baseball spearheaded the success, racking up program field that season.
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records for career assists (843) and steals (293).
No. 7: Track and field national shot put titles
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Bemidji State had the best shot put throwers in the business in 2008. Sheena Devine (women’s indoor) and Joe Remitz (men’s outdoor) won Division II national championships with respective throws of 52-2.50 and 63-02.00. Devine also won the indoor and outdoor national titles in 2007, and she was featured in the March 24, 2008, issue of Sports Illustrated. The two stockpiled their trophy cases with 12 combined All-American accolades, as well.
No. 6: Men’s hockey national title fourpeat
In the earliest days of the men’s hockey program, when the paint was still drying inside the John Glas Fieldhouse, Bemidji State claimed the first of its 13 national titles in 1967-68. The Beavers didn’t stop there. BSC four-peated as NAIA national champions from 1967-68 to 1970-71 in what was arguably the most successful era in the program’s history. The team nearly won six straight national titles. After International Collegiate Hockey Association rival Lake Superior State finally broke through in 1971-72, the Beavers pocketed their fifth national title in six seasons in 1972-73.
BSU Photo
All-American and future NBA player Arnie Johnson led the 1941-42 Bemidji State men’s basketball team to a thirdstraight conference crown by netting the game-winning basket against Mankato.
No. 5: Football’s Mineral Water Bowl win
For the first time ever, BSU’s football program earned a postseason victory in 2016. An 8-3 regular season — which featured a 45-17 road steamrolling over No. 6 Minnesota State — reserved the Beavers a spot in the Mineral Water Bowl in Excelsior Springs, Mo. Bemidji State didn’t disappoint. BSU
No. 4: Men’s basketball giantslaying postseason Led by future NBAer
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surmounted a double-digit deficit and defeated Washburn (Kan.) 36-23. Jordan Hein threw for 261 and four touchdowns to lead BSU to a tie of the program’s record for wins in a single season.
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The good, the bad and the quirky
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By Micah Friez mfriez@bemidjipioneer.com
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eep down in the record books, buried beneath decades of box scores and rosters, dwells one of the earliest losses in Bemidji State history. The date was February 26, 1925. The dead of winter. The men’s basketball “cagers” from Bemidji State Teachers BSU Photo College were in Bagley The 1983-84 BSU men’s hockey team made history by finishing a 31-0-0 unbeaten season that day, on hand to challenge the local high with the NCAA Division II national championship school squad. The result reads, in full: NSIC title L, 9-5 (ot). unbeaten season BSU won the 2006 NSIC BSTC’s fledgling proGuided by NCAA DiviFrom Page E6 title, its only outright gram managed to oversion II Hobey Baker conference championcome that gut-wrenching Award winner Joel Otto, ship in program history. defeat — somehow — as the 1983-84 men’s Arnie Johnson, the 1941The Beavers went 9-3 they mustered the willhockey team completed 42 Bemidji State men’s overall and 8-0 in NSIC power to top Crookston a 31-0-0 unbeaten seabasketball team won a play, finishing the season Agricultural 33-10 two son and won the NCAA third straight Northern ranked No. 23 nationally days later in the season Division II national title Teachers College Conferin the final AFCA poll. finale. in the process. That run ence title, the first-ever Men’s hockey; Jason When it comes to includes a 42-game win school to do so. The BeaMack OT goal (1994) quirky, not much can streak that extended vers advanced to the NAIA Jason Mack netted the match that overtime nailinto the next season and national tournament, overtime winner to defeat biter. Nevertheless, with stands as the longest in where they snapped Alabama Huntsville 2-1 in over two dozen athletic NCAA hockey history. The Panzer College’s nation42-game unbeaten streak a winner-take-all Game 3 programs and a century best 44-game winning played in enemy territory to work with, Bemistreak and then overthrew also counts as the longest for the NCAA Division II dji State has had its fair in NCAA hockey history. the defending national national championship. share of oddities pile up. The Beavers defeated champs of San Diego Women’s hockey beats Don’t forget 1945, when State to reach the national Merrimack by scores of nation’s No. 1 the Beaver football team 6-3 and 8-1 in the finals quarterfinals. Johnson In a day of historic hosted the Winnipeg Blue to claim the national was named the program’s firsts, the women’s Bombers at the still-new championship on home first All-American. hockey team defeated stadium. (But it’s OK to ice. Mercyhurst 5-3 on Oct. forget that it was a 40-7 No. 3: Women’s 16, 2010, for its first-ever loss, BSU fans.) No. 1: Men’s hockey soccer NSIC win over a No. 1 nationalDrown out the noise Frozen Four run ly-ranked team. The vicfrom those pesky North championship The men’s hockey team tory was also the first by Dakota State fans in The 2018 women’s socreached the 2009 Frozen a BSU team at the newly Fargo, Beaver faithful, cer team rewrote the Four in its most historic opened Sanford Center. because your football club program’s record book NCAA Division I season. Men’s basketball DII is 2-1 all-time against the en route to winning its The Beavers were the No. Tourney 2004 so-called mighty Bison. first NSIC regular season 16 overall seed and pulled Bemidji State reached St. Thomas likes to boast championship, reaching the NCAA national tourabout its dominance, too, the NCAA Tournament for off one of the biggest upsets in tournament his- nament in 2004 with but Bemidji State is 5-3 the second consecutive tory by knocking off Notre an at-large bid, its first all-time against the trouyear. The Beavers hosted appearance in the Divibled Tommies. a regional and beat Minot Dame. A win over Cornell in the Midwest Regional sion II era. Charles Hanks State 3-1 for their firstfinal punched their ticket scored 34 points on 16-22 ever NCAA Tournament to Washington, D.C. as the shooting in a 104-90 loss win. BSU climbed as high program appeared in its to Nebraska-Kearney. as No. 3 in the national only Frozen Four to date. Wrestling Kevin Kish rankings during the year. Though BSU fell to Miami national titles The 2018 campaign also Wrestler Kevin Kish (Ohio) in the national saw the squad comsemifinals, college hockey won 1976 and 1978 plete its second straight national championships fans across the nation unbeaten regular season at 118 pounds during his will never forget Bemidji before an 18-1-2 finish sophomore and senior State’s Cinderella run. and a new school record seasons, ending his collefor wins. Honorable mention giate career as a two-time NAIA All-American. No. 2: Men’s hockey Football 2006 outright
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BSU Photo
Pictured are members of the 1945 Bemidji State football team. The Beavers went 3-4 that season, which was capped by a 40-7 home loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. BSU also molded alumnus Pete Fenson into the Olympic bronze medalist that he is today. The Beavers may not have an official curling team, but who better to come out of the town dubbed the curling capital of the United States? Trent Baalke is another product of Bemidji State. The 1986 grad was a two-time all-conference football player, and he broke into the NFL as a New York Jets scout in 1998. Baalke later climbed the ladder to become the San Francisco 49ers’ general manager from 2011 to 2016, and the team reached Super Bowl XLVII in his second season. As for the nickname, generations of Beavers have been labeled as such thanks to the university’s first president. According to school lore, Manfred Deputy often watched the football team, and in 1932, he declared that the players were working as hard as beavers. An identity was born. Bemidji State can
claim seniority to most everyone in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, too. The old North Teachers Athletic Conference was founded in 1932 with six charter members, and BSU is one of three schools to have remained in the conference throughout its entire existence (Minnesota State Moorhead and Winona State being the others). We didn’t forget about college hockey, either, even though the Bemidji community had to for a decade. From 1950-59, Beaver fans coped with a puck-sized hole in their hearts that matched the hole in the roof of the Bemidji Sports Arena. At 2:20 p.m. on Jan. 4, 1949, the building’s roof collapsed. BSU continued to use the ill-fated arena for another year but the program was ultimately suspended until 1960. The puck finally dropped again in Bemidji on Feb. 13, 1960, but the Beavers bounced around venues — from the 17th Street Rink to the 19th Street Rink to the John S. Glas Fieldhouse by 1967. The rink-to-rink whiplash earned the team a local nickname of “Hard Luck Boys.” Speaking of traveling, the annual Battle for the Axe between BSU football and Minnesota State Moorhead has a high wager at stake. With origins dating back to 1948, it’s the second-oldest traveling trophy in Division II history. And who could forget about the marathon on the baseball field? On April 11, 2015, BSU endured an eight-inning, 41-20 home loss to Minnesota State. Yes, 41-20. In baseball. The No. 7-ranked Mavericks bullied Bemidji State with 10 runs in the third inning and 14 in the eighth. In all, the two sides combined to tally 61 runs, a Division IIrecord 56 hits, nine home runs and a whopping 470 pitches. The car that caught fire in the parking lot during the game pretty much BSU Photo BSU Photo made it official: Some The puck is dropped to begin the Frozen Four semifinal game between Bemidji State and A 1970s student working as the Bucky the Beaver mascot moments are just too good to forget. Miami in Washington, D.C., on April 9, 2009. takes a break on the ice.
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All-time BSU men’s hockey team By Austin Monteith amonteith@bemidjipioneer.com o sport at Bemidji State University has a richer tradition than the men’s hockey program. The Beavers have won 13 national championships in program history. And, after making the jump to NCAA Division I in 1999, BSU made a run to remember by advancing to the Frozen Four in 2009. There has been no shortage of talented players who have come through Bemidji over the years. Compiling a lineup of the best to ever don the green and white is a daunting task, but Pioneer sports editor and BSU hockey beat writer Austin Monteith was up to the challenge. Presented are the first, second and third-team lineups for Bemidji State’s all-time men’s hockey team.
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BSU men’s hockey all-time teams First Team Forwards — Joel Otto (1980-84); Bryan Grand (1967-70); Matt Read (2007-11) Defensemen — Brad Hunt (2008-12); Gary Sargent (1972-73) Goalie — Michael Bitzer (2014-18) Second Team Forwards — Mike Alexander (1982-86); Mark Eagles (1972-76); Rod Heisler (1975-79) Defensemen — Jim McElmury (1967-71); Charlie Brown (1968-71) Goalie — Blane Comstock (1967-71) Third Team Forwards — Scott Johnson (1987-91); Jamie Erb (1989-93); O.J. Kennett (1989-92) Defensemen — Terry Mattson (1986-89); Gary Ross (1973-75) Goalie — Mark Liska (1981-85) and Galen Nagle (1980-84)
first-team player bios
Joel Otto:
► Stanley Cup champion (only BSU alum to win cup) ► Played in 943 NHL games (CGY, PHI) ► BSU career rankings: • 3rd all-time in points (204) • 3rd all-time in assists (115) • 6th all-time in goals (89) ► Co-captained unbeaten 1983-84 national championship team ► Played for U.S. in 1998 Olympics, two World Championships (1985, ‘90), two Canada Cups (1987, ‘91 — captain in latter) and one World Cup of Hockey (1996) ► First Beaver to have jersey retired by school ► All-American (3x) ► 1984 Division II Hobey Baker Award winner ► Hometown: Elk River, Minn.
Brad Hunt:
► Helped lead BSU to 2009 Frozen Four ► Has played in 120 NHL games (EDM, STL, NSH, VGK, MIN) ► BSU career rankings: • 1st all-time in points by defensemen (112) • 1st all-time in assists by defensemen (88) • 5th in D-I era in points by all skaters (112) ► Three-time AHL All-Star Game participant ► Hometown: Maple Ridge, B.C.
Bryan Grand:
► Played three seasons and won national titles all three years ► BSU career rankings: • 1st in pts/gm (2.61) • 4th in assists (112) • 14th in points (154) ► All-American (3x) ► Second Beaver to have number retired by school ► Played for U.S. at 1970 World Championships ► Coached Bemidji HS for 19 years (1976-95) ► Hometown: Roseau, Minn.
Gary Sargent:
► Selected to 1980 NHL All-Star Game ► Played in 402 NHL games (LA, MNS) ► All-American in lone season (1972-73) • 47 points (23g-24a) in 30 games ► National champion ► Led Bemidji HS to first state tournament appearance in 1971-72 ► Hometown: Bemidji, Minn.
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Matt Read:
► Helped lead BSU to 2009 Frozen Four ► Has played in 449 NHL games (PHI, MIN) ► BSU career rankings: • 1st in D-I era in points (143) • 1st in D-I era in goals (65) • 2nd in D-I era in assists (78) ► All-American (1x) ► Played for Canada at 2013 and 2014 World Championships ► Hometown: Ilderton, Ont.
Michael Bitzer:
► 2nd in NCAA history in career shutouts (21) • 1st in WCHA and BSU history in career shutouts ► BSU career rankings: • 1st in saves (3,165) • 1st in save percentage with at least 1,500 min. played (.921) • 1st in goals against average (1.98) • 1st in minutes played (8,227) • 2nd in wins (65) ► Hobey Baker Award finalist in 2016-17 ► All-American (1x) ► Hometown: Moorhead, Minn.
CONGRATULATIONS, BSU!
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Annual Report: BSU at 100
Sunday, July 28, 2019 E9
From BSU to Stanley Cup champ Joel Otto remains one of the all-time greatest Beavers
BSU Photo
Joel Otto (24) fires a shot at the Merrimack goal during the 1984 NCAA Division II finals at John Glas Fieldhouse. BSU won 14-4 in the two-game, total goals series. By Austin Monteith amonteith@bemidjipioneer.com
O
ver more than 60 seasons of men’s hockey across eight decades, Bemidji State has produced 13 national championships and exactly one Stanley Cup champion: Joel Otto. Otto is among the most accomplished Beavers in any sport. Ever. A bruising two-way center from Elk River, Otto led the team in points three straight years, starting as a sophomore in 1981-82 through his senior season in 198384. In his final year, Otto helped captain the Beavers to a season that will go down in the record books. BSU captured the NCAA Division II national title on home ice with an unblemished 31-0-0 record, setting an NCAA hockey record for the most wins in an unbeaten season. Otto also brought home the Division II Hobey Baker Award as national player of the year. “We had a great group of guys under coach (Bob) Peters,” Otto said. “We were all on a mission that year.” His 204 career points (89g-115a) stand as the third most in program history. It didn’t take long for NHL scouts to come knocking. Otto signed with the Calgary Flames prior to the 1984-85 season. “I think the fact that our college team that year had a good season,” Otto said of how he caught Calgary’s eye. “We probably got a few people coming into watch at some point.”
His towering 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame didn’t hurt either. “My size was big and at that time teams were looking for size,” Otto said. “It wasn’t all about the speed. So I was in the right place at the right time. And things kind of progressed from there and I made the most of it.” While Bemidji State had won eight small-school national championships by 1984, Otto became only the fourth Beaver to skate in the NHL. “It’s certainly different,” Otto said of being one of the few Division II players to break into the NHL. “Not everybody’s coming to flock to watch our games. But there are good hockey players, as we’ve all known throughout the years of Bemidji’s rich history of winning national championships and the good hockey players that it has produced.” Otto soon established himself with the Flames in 1985-86 when Calgary finished as Stanley Cup runner-up. Three years later, the ex-Beaver scored the overtime-winning goal in Game 7 of a first-round series against Vancouver, a moment that still holds a special place in the hearts of Flames fans. Otto’s goal kept Calgary alive as the Flames went on to hoist the Stanley Cup for the only time in franchise history. “We had a lot of good players, and the family atmosphere is the same as the championship teams you win at Bemidji,” Otto said. “It’s the same. You walk together forever and it’s very exciting to look back on.”
Otto’s 943 career NHL games are the most by any Beaver. He also represented the U.S. at the 1998 Olympics, two World Championships, two Canada Cups and a World Cup of Hockey. By the time he hung up his skates as a Philadelphia Flyer in 1998, it was only a matter of time before Otto’s number would grace the rafters of John Glas Fieldhouse. His No. 24 jersey became the first to be retired by BSU in 2003. Now entering his 13th season as an assistant coach for the Western Hockey League’s Calgary
Hitmen, Otto still remembers the advice he learned from his college coach during his time in Bemidji three decades ago. “I still think back of coach Peters and the things he taught us,” Otto said. “The rules, the simplicity of the game and things that progressed me to be a pro and the coach that I am today. I still look back and use some of his stuff for sure.” BSU Photo
Joel Otto became the first Beaver to have his jersey retired by the school when his No. 24 was raised to the rafters in 2003.
BSU Photo
Joel Otto (24), pictured during the 1983-84 season, captured the Division II Hobey Baker Award as a senior that year.
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E10
Annual Report: BSU at 100
Sunday, July 28, 2019
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The Bemidji Pioneer
Erickson’s coaching lives on in BSTC lore By Micah Friez mfriez@bemidjipioneer.com
W
ith a quick scan through the coaching history of Bemidji State athletics, one cheerful name is bound to pop up in more places than not. Hjalmer “Jolly” Erickson became a do-it-all coach for Bemidji State Teachers College after he first stepped on campus in the 1930s, earning the nickname “Mr. Athletics” with 17 years of experience on the Beaver sidelines. Most notably, Erickson coached the football program from 1938-1954 and racked up 53 victories, a then-program record
that still stands as second best today. On the hardwood, Erickson coached the men’s basketball team in 1944-45 and 1945-46, where he compiled a 23-6 record and cemented a still-standing program best for winning percentage (.793). The Moorhead native also coached track, tennis and golf at different times during his tenure at BSTC. Erickson originated the Beaver Relays track event, which is still an annual showcase today, and he held coaching clinics in Bemidji that attracted the likes of coaching legends Adolph Rupp and Vince Lombardi, among others. Erickson also pioneered the football program
through the World War II days, a rarity in the region. Bemidji Teachers was the only Minnesota Teachers College to continue to football program throughout the war as others temporarily suspended their teams due to a lack of available men on campus. The Beavers went 4-0 in 1944, beating Eau Claire (Wis.) and Concordia College twice each. BSTC was one of 15 undefeated teams in the nation, and the season remains the program’s lone undefeated and untied season. Erickson gave up coaching in 1954 due to health. He died of a heart attack in 1959 at the age of 53.
BSU Photo
Jolly Erickson spent 17 years on the Bemidji State sidelines, coaching football, basketball, track, tennis and golf throughout his tenure
BSU Photo
BSU Photo
Pictured is a 1920s men’s basketball squad, one of the earliest athletic teams in Bemidji State history. The program began play in 1921.
Former Minnesota Vikings head coach Norm Van Brocklin (left) during the team’s inaugural 1961 training camp at Bemidji State. BSU Photo
Bemidji State gymnasts
BSU Photo
BSU Photo
Pictured is one of the earliest Bemidji State men’s hockey teams in a photo taken in 1948. Chet Anderson is well known as the namesake of BSU’s football stadium, which was named The program began play in 1947. after the longtime coach in 1996. Anderson coached the football team from 1955-65, and wrestling from 1955-81.
Buena Vista.
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The Bemidji Pioneer
Annual Report: BSU at 100
www.bemidjipioneer.com
Sunday, July 28, 2019 E11
Peters reflects on BSU athletics In honor of Bemidji State’s centennial celebration, longtime Beaver men’s hockey coach and athletic director Bob Peters explains what BSU athletics mean to him. think Bemidji State athletics, most of all, offers an opportunity to participate. We have facilities, as a matter of fact excellent facilities, when you consider the size of the university. The availability of the facilities extends not just to the BSU athletes, but to Bemidji High School. It means that the regional high schools have an opportunity to play in the regional playoffs in football, basketball and a variety of sports. BSU athletics provides marvelous facilities for the region where schools can gather for competition. They are BSU’s facilities but we share them. The facilities grew and grew, and I’m grateful for that. BSU athletics has come a long way since its earliest days when the men’s basketball team became the first sports program to begin play in 1921. Now nearly a century after the university began sponsoring athletics, BSU is up to nine women’s programs and five men’s sports programs. The
I
BOB
PETERS Former BSU men’s hockey coach
Beavers have risen from NAIA and have now established themselves as NCAA Division II members, as well as competing in Division I for men’s and women’s hockey. The faculty members that are assigned as head coaches and assistant coaches, as well as the support staff for coaches and athletes, have proven so valuable to BSU athletics. It takes a lot of people — and many irregular hours — to maintain an athletic department. The amazing success of the athletes over the years — both the individuals and the various team programs — shows it doesn’t really matter how small a school is. It’s the opportunity provided to the athletes, and the rest will take care of itself. Look at Arnie Johnson, for example, an NBA champion with the Rochester Royals. Or Joel Otto, a Stanley Cup champion with the Calgary Flames. There are also many BSU athletes that go on to become high school
BSU Photo
Bemidji State head coach Bob Peters (right) checks out the work done by an ice resurfacer during the 1967-68 season at the recently built BSC Fieldhouse. The venue was later renamed for John Glas. and college coaches, some of whom have aided the success of the Beavers’ individual athletes and teams. But most importantly, it’s about the success of those male and female athletes, not the coaching staff.
It’s amazing the success we’ve had with BSU athletics in the toughest of climates. It proves it doesn’t matter where you come from. It’s about where you’re going. The indoor practice facilities that have been made available to athletes have
BSU Photo
Pictured is the Bemidji State men’s tennis team in 1965. The men’s tennis program began in 1928 before being discontinued in 1980.
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improved the ability for athletes to train in all weather conditions. To be an athlete in northern Minnesota takes a great deal of intestinal fortitude. When I add everything up — the coaches, the athletes, the success —
impressive is the word. That’s how I sum up BSU athletics over all these years. Bob Peters, 81, coached the Beaver men’s hockey program for 34 seasons between 1966 and 2001. His 744 career wins rank sixth among college hockey’s all-time winningest coaches.
BSU volleyball players celebrate a point during a 1980s match.
BSU Photo
Congratulations, BSU! Bemidji Locker Red Lake Walleye • Wild Rice Seafood • Smoked Fish • Jerky 3001 Bemidji Ave N, Bemidji, MN 218-444-3244
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Annual Report: BSU at 100
Sunday, July 28, 2019
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The Bemidji Pioneer
Campus scenes
BSU Photo
Dorm life in Birch Hall in 1951.
BSU 100 Year Blanket BSU Photo
Bemidji State cheerleaders show their moves in the 1970s.
Contact BSU Alumni Association for information on this limited issue commemorative wool blanket
50”x60” wool blanket with BSU 100 Year embroidery Celebrating
Celebrating
100 YEARS 99 YEARS BSU Photo
A “Hands Across Campus” cultural event in the 1990s.
1920-2020
Congratulations, BSU!
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BSU Photo
Students gather for a memorial following the Kent State shootings in May of 1970.
Higgins Sheet Metal & Heating was started by Hollie Higgins in 1946. The business shared the old Tom Smart barn with the telephone company on 612 America Avenue.
A summer art class held outdoors in the 1930s.
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7 3 Years
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T-Shirts• Beads & Beading Supplies Unique Jewelry• Birch Bark Items Congratulations, BSU, on your 100th Anniversary! PHONE (218) 751-4321 301 Bemidji Ave, Bemidji, MN
Chippewa Trading Post
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Back row: Shawn, Dave, Adam, Alex, Jackie (holding Joey), Dustin, Charlie. Front row: Helen, Laura, Richie, Daren.