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The use of the title of "provost" began in 2002. As of 2023, the person who holds this position is also the Vice-President for Academic Affairs.

The Aero Club was established in the fall of 1948 through the initiative of faculty and students, including WWII veterans, who were reluctant to give up flying as a way of life. The club began with a war surplus Link trainer but the following year they aquired the club's first aircraft, an Aeronca. In the 1950s the club joined the National Intercollegiate Flying Assocation (N.I.F.A.) so their team, called the Flying Saints, could compete in air meets. The Aviation program at SCSU ended in 2014.

Isabel was the daughter of Claude Lewis, who was the older brother of author Sinclair Lewis.

George Alderink was born in 1889, he married Bessie Toussaint and had four children. Alderink was a Minnesota state representative from District 55, serving from 1954 until 1958. Alderink lived in Pease, Minnesota until his death in 1977.

The St. Cloud State Alumni Association was established on April 28, 1881. That year there were two hundred and six graduates of St. Cloud College who were eligible to join the association. The Alumni Association has dedicated itself to keeping graduates of the school connected with their alma mater and also on raising funds for resources and items such as scholarships and memorials.

The alumni association was established on April 28, 1881, where Professor Thomas Gray was elected president. Others elected at that time include:

Vice President : Flora M. Truman

Corresponding Secretary: Mary L. Upham

Recording Secretary: W.H. Alden

Records are sparse from the early period of the Association’s history but continue to grow in size as the years progress.

On March 26, 1932, the Alumni Association was incorporated in the state of Minnesota. The bylaws called for the association to be run and managed by a Board of Directors. Board members were to be elected for terms of office.

In 1965, an alumni executive director was hired to help plan and expedite events and services offered through the Alumni Association. Though its not clear how this position related to the director of alumni relations position, its likely it was the same person doing two different but related jobs.

In the 1966 Handbook for Chapter Coordinators, it states that the general purposes of the Alumni Association are:

• To promote the objectives of St. Cloud State College through the establishment and maintenance of contact between the college, its graduates and its students.

• To promote effective interest in and loyalty to St. Cloud State College on the part of its alumni and the public in general.

• To foster and encourage good scholarship and to offer awards and appropriate means of recognition for excellence in all forms of educational endeavors of various kinds contributing to the welfare of St. Cloud State College.

The specific purposes of the Alumni Chapters and Coordinators are:

• To be a communication link between the Alumni Association and the graduates.

• To sponsor annual alumni reunions.

• To assist the Alumni Office in the updating of alumni records.

• To serve in the advisory capacity to the Alumni Board of Directors.

• To identify potential leadership among Alumni Association members.

• To assist in the growth of the Alumni Association program.

In 1963, the association began presenting the Distinguished Alumni Awards to former outstanding students. The awards were (and still are) made during the annual Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner on Homecoming weekend.

Also taking place during Homecoming is the annual meeting of the Alumni Association. The membership is given the financial statement of the Association and program reports are given by both the Alumni Director and Alumni President. Every two years, Association officers are elected at the annual meeting.

St. Cloud State University procured the house that is now known as the Alumni House on November 17, 1972. The house was designed by a local architect named Louis Pinault and built in 1924 by Hubert Hansen. The house was built for Dr. Claude Lewis, who was a prominent surgeon and was also the brother of famous author Sinclair Lewis. After the death of Dr. Lewis, his second wife sold the house to L. Ferne Atwood in 1964. The state then purchased the Lewis-Atwood home due to the accelerating growth of the university grounds.

A notable event that was presented by the Alumni Association was the 125th Anniversary of St. Cloud State University. The official kick-off took place on September 10, 1994 at the Capitol grounds in St. Paul. The festivities included a relay-style event called “Journey to St. Cloud” which featured various modes of transportation from the steps of the Capitol to the campus in St. Cloud. According to Bob Dinndorf, SCSU Alumni Association Executive Director, “We want the transportation in the journey to mark progression from historical to modern. The journey will take place along Highway 10. We would like to feature special events in the communities along Highway 10.” (Letter, dated April 19, 1994)

The position of director of Alumni Affairs was first established in 1965. At that time, an alumni executive director was hired to help plan and expedite events and services offered through the Alumni Association. Though it’s not clear how this position related to the alumni executive director, its likely it was the same person doing two different but related jobs.

According the St. Cloud State faculty/staff directories the following have held the position, except where noted:

According the St. Cloud State faculty/staff directories the following have held the position, except where noted:

1965-67: Jay Blaha, Director of Alumni Relations (1)

1967-69: Warren Johnson, Director of Alumni and Development

1969-72: Michael Keable, Director of Alumni Services

1972-77: Richard Kisch, Director of Alumni Services

1977-78: Bruce Boehne, Acting Director of Alumni Services

1978-84: Tom Macgillivray, Director of Alumni Services

1984-87 Joanne Benson Director of Alumni Services

1987-96: Bob Dinndorf, Director of Alumni Relations

1996-2002: Jim Stigman, Director of Alumni Relations

2002-04: Calvin Miller, Director of Alumni Programs

2004-06: Mark Larson, Director of Alumni Relations

2006-08: Kurt Stelton, Director of Alumni Relations

2008-: Chris LeDuc, Interim Director of Alumni Relations

One of the main objectives of the office of Alumni Affairs was to correspond with former students, keeping the lines of communication open between the school and its alumnus. In addition, the office also raised money for scholarships.

The Alumni Affairs office began printing the newsletter, The St. Cloud State College Magazine, in 1973. The editor’s letter in the first edition states that the publication “will attempt to bridge the chasms of time and distance which separate you from the St. Cloud State College campus and other alumni.” The magazine was to be published four times a year.

The St. Cloud State College Magazine consisted of a variety of articles, including items on the Distinguished Alumni Awards presented by the Alumni Association, scholarships, homecoming events, and notices on former students. Also included were articles on new dorm policies, the move of the Alumni Association to the Lewis/Atwood home, and information on membership to the Alumni Association.

The American Association of University Professors began in 1915, to “advance academic freedom and shared governance, to define fundamental professional values and standards for higher education, and to ensure higher education’s contribution to the common good.” The Minnesota Chapter of the AAUP serves as a representation for faculty across the state.

The Saint Cloud branch of the American Association of University Women, A.A.U.W., was formed in 1922 with an original membership of thirty-one. It has been in continuous operation since then and now (1975) numbers slightly over 200 members.

The club is comprised of St. Cloud area women who have graduated from A.A.U.W. approved colleges and universities throughout the world.

Through it programs and activities the club has delved into countless fields during its 53 years. Here is a sampling of topics covered: The Role of Women as Makers of History; Is Palestine to be Restored to the Jew?; American Lyricists; The Subconscious; Modern Music and Art; Drama; New Science as Related; Portraits of Minnesota Pioneer Women; Law and Child; Education; International Relations; Portraits of Minnesota Pioneer Women; Law and Citizen. All these and many more have been researched and discussed by the club.

In December of 1922 the group started its first venture in raising money to establish an annual scholarship fund to assist deserving students. The fund has been a continuous project for the club.

In 1924, the organization began to form into special interest groups and committees with the first being; The Pre-School Group for Mothers of Elementary Age Children. Other groups soon followed: International Relations Group (October, 1926); The Music and Drama Group (October, 1928); The Literature and Writing Group (September, 1934); The Art Group (October, 1934); The Education Committee (1934); The Consumers Problems Group (September, 1936); The Status of Women Committee (1939); and, The Fellowship Committee. All these groups and committees research their particular area and make reports to the club as a whole.

In 1925, the St. Cloud branch joined the new State Organization and voted to follow its constitution. Miss Pape Quayle was delegate to the first state convention in St. Paul in 1925. In May 1929, the St. Cloud Club sent its first representative to the National Convention in New Orleans; Miss Ethel Graves.

The club, through the years, has also done work and raised money for charitable organizations and social welfare campaigns. Year after year, the club has worked and given generously to such things as the Red Cross, Easter Seals, CARE, SPAN, Save the Children Federation, Christmas Seals, and the like. Although National Headquarters urged the local clubs not to give as a whole, individual works and donations are still give.

Jerald Anderson was a DFL Minnesota state senator from District 19. He born in Sunrise, Minnesota in 1934. He graduated from North Branch High School, studied dentistry at the University of Minnesota. Anderson later served in the United States Army Dental Corps from 1959-1961. Jerald married Patsy Ann Young in 1957, and had three sons: Jeffrey, Brent, and Patrick. He won the 1970 election to the Minnesota state Senate and served on the Education, Finance, and Judiciary Committees.

The A.W.S. dates back to 1925 when Dean of Women, Beth Porter Garvey, organized the Women's Council to act as a medium between administration and the women of the college. The Women's Council joined with the Men's Council to form the Student Council during the 1931-1932 school year. In June 1932 a new organization, the Women's Self-Government Association (W.S.G.A.) was formed. Its purpose was to create a sense of unity and fellowship amongst women. The A.W.S. also promoted high standards of college life regarding studying, living quarters, dress, social activities, etc. They changed their name to "Associated Women Students" in 1947.  The A.W.S. is listed in the 1972-1973 student handbook as a student governing agency, but is no longer listed in the 1973-1974 student handbook.

The Association of Central Minnesota Teachers of History was established in 1971. Dr. Calvin Gower, Dr. Marjorie Morse, and Dr. Edward Pluth and faculty members of St. Cloud State University helped to organize the group. The Association had two purposes: to establish a stronger bond between the teachers of history in Central Minnesota and to strengthen the position of history in the programs of the schools of Central Minnesota. The organization dissolved in 1980.

The office of Sports Information was established in 1965. Its purpose is to publicize St. Cloud State intercollegiate athletics, creating schedules, press releases, media guides, and other promotional material for each sport.

Those who have served as head of this office are:

1965-1975: Bob Peterson

1975-1976: William Lynch (acting)

1976-1978: William Lynch

1978-1979: Robert Olson (acting)

1979-1982: Robert Olson

1982-1983: Michael Schroeder (acting)

1983-1984: Michael Schroeder

1984-1985: Anne Abicht (acting)

1985-2015: Anne Abicht

2015-2021: Tom Nelson

2021-2022+: Andrew Melroe

The unit was renamed Athletic Media Relations from Sports Information in ca. 1996.

Atwood Memorial Center opened in the fall of 1966 as the social hub for St. Cloud State students as well as serving the campus community. Atwood has gone under many physical and administrative changes since 1966, but the mission remains the same - serve the student.

As St. Cloud State grew into a university, especially after World War II and the coming of age of the early Baby Boomer, calls for a student union increased. After a 1956 study authored by St. Cloud State regarding a campus student union, the process began to make it a reality. By 1961, efforts were underway to create a "living room for campus", including a student survey. In that survey, 80% of student polled were willing to be assessed a fees to support a student union.

Fundraising commenced to support the construction of a $1.5 million student union with students, friends and alumni, and the state to each pay a third of the cost. Ultimately, the state refused to pay for their third and unclear how the funds were raised.

Named for the Atwood family due to their financial support for the construction, and the fact that they building stood on the spot where their family home sat, Atwood opened its doors in September 1964. Over the next 40 years, the building expanded its physical footprint (1972, 1992, 2004) and remodeled countless times to support the changing tastes and needs of St. Cloud State students thus still being the "living Room for campus."

Atwood Memorial Center Directors:

Roger Wehrle: 6/1966-4/1971

Warren Reinecke: 7/1971-6/1972

Pat Krueger: 6/1972-6/1973 (acting)

Gary Bartlett: 7/1973-12/1981

Michael Hayman: 1/1982-6/1982 (acting)

Joseph Basil: 7/1982-7/1986

Joe Opatz: 8/1986-2/1995

Karla Myres: 1/1993-5/1993 (acting)

Margaret Vos: 2/1995-4/1998 (interim)

Margaret Vos: 4/1998-6/2013

Ed Bouffard: 7/2001-6/2002, 7/2006-6/2008 (interim)

Jessica Ostman: 7/2013-4/2014 (interim)

Anne Buttke: 4/2014-12/2014

Matt Trombley: 1/2014-10/2016 (interim)

Mitch Karstens: 11/2016-7/2018

Jessica Ostman: 9/2018-1/2020 (interim)

Clare Rahm: 1/2020-1/2021 (interim)

Matt Trombley: 1/2021+

In October 1915, the Avon Literary Society was organized to study the works of Shakespeare. Its name was derived from the river Avon on which Stratford, the town where Shakespeare lived, is located. The purpose of the Avon Literary Society was the literary advancement of its members, to give members practice using parliamentary rules, and to assist its members in becoming more useful to the school and society. The society is not listed in the Talahi yearbook after the 1937-1938 school year. The last mention is from the January 31, 1947 issue of the Chronicle that notes the Avon Literary Society had disbanded.

Maurine Gray Bailey was born on April 24, 1903, to Henry and Minnie Bailey in Prairie Du Chen, Wisconsin. By 1920 the family had moved to Foley, Minnesota. Bailey then arrived the St. Cloud Teachers College in June 1921 and graduated in June 1923. After graduating she married Clyde Everett Shattuck on November 27, 1924 and had one daughter named Marie (1927-?) and two sons named Malcolm (1929-1967) and Hallan (1938-?). Clyde passed away in 1955 at the age of 62 and Maurine married Arthur Kohl in 1967. Maurine Gray Shattuck-Kohl died February 5, 1974 at the age of 70 and buried at Acacia Cemetery in Clearwater, MN.

Retired SCSU Music faculty member

LR&TS staff member

Douglas A. Birk was born on April 26, 1943, in Evanston, Illinois. His parents were Delbert and Esther Birk. In 1950 the Birk family relocated to Pine River, Minnesota, to manage the Camp-Show-Me resort on the bank of Norway Lake. Doug showed an interest in local history and archaeology at a young age including Native American mounds, remains from the early days of Minnesota’s logging era, and the travel routes used by fur traders and early explorers, topics which would hold his professional interest throughout his career.

Birk enrolled at Brainerd Junior College in 1961 then transferred to the University of Minnesota the following year. There Birk revived his interest in archaeology under the mentorship of Professor Elden Johnson and graduated with a B.A. in Anthropology in 1966. Shortly after graduation Birk was drafted and spent the next four years in Army Intelligence, including 24 months in Vietnam. At the end of his enlistment Birk reconnected with Johnson to seek employment as an archaeologist and secured a position as a staff archaeologist with the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS) in 1970.

Birk worked at this position for the next eleven years, gaining experience at archaeological projects statewide. During his time with the MHS Birk began to specialize in the archaeology of the fur trade and Minnesota’s French and British colonial period, developing a reputation for meticulous historical research. An accomplished diver, Birk also pioneered new methods for underwater photography and excavation. He also involved himself in the development of the profession in Minnesota, serving as Secretary-Treasurer of the Council for Minnesota Archaeology (CMA) from 1973 to 1975. He would go on to hold the Vice-Presidency of this organization from 1982 to 1984.

Birk enrolled in the Anthropology M.A. program at the University of Minnesota in 1977 but dropped out the following year. He would return to the same program in 1995 and received his degree after a successful thesis defense in 1999.

Budget cuts in 1981 eliminated Birk’s position and he switched to independent contract work under the name of Northland Archaeological Services. Birk continued to accept Northland contracts until 1987, but in 1982 his focus shifted to a new venture he formed with a small group of colleagues: a nonprofit organization for archaeological contract work, outreach, and education called the Institute for Minnesota Archaeology (IMA).

Birk’s main interest in founding the IMA was to gain institutional support for a project area that would dominate the rest of his career: a tract of land north of Little Falls containing the site of an 18th-century fur trading fort. In 1982 the newly formed IMA conducted a short survey at the site which received the site number 21MO20. The Minnesota Parks Foundation purchased the surrounding property the following year, ensuring its preservation.

The IMA expanded over the following years and undertook projects throughout Minnesota. Birk gained publicity for the organization by locating the site of Zebulon Pike’s 1805 wintering fort south of Little Falls in 1984, but his attention repeatedly returned to the area surrounding 21MO20. In 1987 the IMA purchased the land from Minnesota Parks and began managing it as the Little Elk Heritage Preserve (LEHP). Under Birk’s direction the LEHP was conceived as a Public Archaeology space combining active excavations with educational programs and tourist activities.

Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s Birk pursued development of the LEHP in parallel with multiple research projects. Continuing research areas included the French colonial period; portage routes; and fur trade era artifacts and people, especially the Northwest Company trader John Sayer. New research projects included a history of the town of Little Falls, a study of Protestant missions in Minnesota, and the historic communities of Old Crow Wing and Chengwatana.

This period of great productivity for Birk ended in 2002 when a sudden financial crisis forced the IMA into bankruptcy. In the ensuing rush to preserve the IMA’s collections and records Birk acquired most of the artifacts and administrative records relating to 21MO20 and the LEHP, adding to his personal research collection. The LEHP returned to state ownership in 2003, its archaeological resources protected by a preservation covenant.

Following the end of the IMA, Birk returned to contract work for most of his income including projects for Minnesota Power and the Grand Portage National Monument. He also served on the State Review Board for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) from 2000 to at least 2009 and coordinated with multiple local historical societies, including Heritage Group North’s successful attempt to preserve the Pine River Depot.

In his later years Birk focused on writing and publishing the results of decades of research in his areas of expertise. Following his unexpected death on March 8, 2017, Birk left manuscripts in various stages of completion on northern Minnesota railroads, Old Crow Wing, John Sayer, and the Protestant mission movement, among others. At the time of his death Birk lived in Pine River, Minnesota, with his life partner Lynda Weiss. Birk had no children and was survived by Weiss and his brother, Delbert Birk.

John C. Boehm, M. D., was born in Vienna, Austria on June 12, 1860. His family moved to America in 1867 near Black Earth, Wisconsin. In 1885 he entered the St. Cloud State Normal School, graduating in 1887. Afterwards, he moved to Euclid, Minnesota to teach. He later attended the University of Minnesota to become a physician and graduated in 1893. In July 1894, he began his professional practice in St. Cloud, MN. He married Mittie A. Adamson on November 28, 1896. He was an active member of the community, including serving on the St. Cloud Board of Education and the Stearns-Benton County Medical Society.

Boehm died in June 1931.

SCSU class of 1967

St. Cloud State acting president from 1943 to 1947 as well as History faculty member.

Virginia was born on October 5, 1921 to Dudley and Merl Brainard. She was the oldest of five children that included Constance (1924-2000), Eleanor (1926-2001), Charles (1929- ), and Edward (Ned) (1931- ). Dudley was a faculty member and, later, St. Cloud State president from 1943 to 1947.

After one year at St. Cloud State Teachers College, Virginia attended Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. She graduated in 1943.

After graduation in 1943, Virginia worked at the Clinton Daily Herald. She eventually made her way to the Minneapolis Tribune. From 1962 to 1989 she served as executive director of the Ramsey County Historical Society in St. Paul. Here she founded the Society’s quarterly magazine, Ramsey County History, in 1964. She was author of many magazine articles and fifteen books in the field of state and local history.

On April 22, 1950, Virginia married Richard Kunz in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They had two children: Susan and David. Richard passed away in 1978. Virginia died on January 7, 2005 at the age of 84.

Andrew A. Brown was born in Norway in 1841. Brown served in the U.S. Civil War from 1861 to 1863, achieving the rank of Captain. He married his wife Christine and had five children: Anna, Fenna, Ida, Flora, Albert. Andrew served in the Minnesota state Senate for District 39 from 1879 to 1881. He and his family resided in Alexandria, Minnesota until 1909, when they moved to the State of Washington. Andrew died in 1912 and his wife in 1938.

Dr. Julius C. Buscher, M.D. was born in Germany in 1891 and served as a medical officer in the German Army in World War I. Dr. Buscher studied medicine at the Universities of Kiel and Heidelberg in Germany. He was the author of several medical publication and other writings. He came to the United States in 1924 and in 1925 his wife Elsbeth joined him from Germany. Dr. Buscher practiced medicine in Minneapolis and Albany before moving to St. Cloud in 1929. He worked at the St. Cloud Hospital until 1949, when he joined the Veterans Hospital staff. He retired on November 30, 1964.

Dr. Buscher was a member of St. Augustine Catholic Church, St. Mary’s Physician Guild, and the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons and Minnesota Psychiatric Society. He was also affiliated with the American, Minnesota, and Stearns-Benton Medical Associations. Julius Buscher died at his home on August 8, 1965. He was survived by his wife, an adopted son Walter, and two grandsons.

The purpose of the Camera Kraft Club was to teach the fundamentals of photography and to develop an appreciation of nature and art. The first mention of the club was in the 1923 Talahi yearbook while the last mention was in the 1954 Talahi yearbook.

When the Third State Normal School opened in September 1869, a campus laboratory (or model) school opened as well. It contained 70 children. The primary mission of St. Cloud State was to train young men and women to teach in Minnesota public schools. Here students watched St. Cloud State's faculty, as master teachers, teach children typically from kindergarten to eighth grade. The students were often children of St. Cloud State employees who lived nearby.

With the close of World War II in 1945, St. Cloud State began to offer education beyond teacher training. By 1975, St. Cloud State became a university with teacher training as part of its overall curriculum - and that teaching continues today.

In May 1983, the campus laboratory school closed. It was the last Minnesota State University campus laboratory school. Many in the community and on campus objected to the closing.

As part of the Department of Economics, the Center for Economic Education was established in 1964 to assist K-12 teachers by providing high-quality curriculum materials and workshops. As of 2023, the Center still exists.

In February 1963, the Department of Business Education and Office Administration orgainzed and hosted the Winter Institute. In 1968, the Center for Economic Education was responsible for planning and hosting the Winter Institute.

The Winter Institute was last held in February 2020.

Student organizations have long played a role on the campus of St. Cloud State University. The University Archives has Student Activity Council (SAC) minutes going back to the 1950s. The purpose of the SAC was to budget and provide to organizations which enhanced the cultural, recreational, and/or intellectual life at the University. SAC also prepared policies for the organizations to follow and abide by. It was followed by the Center for Student Organizations and Leadership Development.

The Center for Student Organizations and Leadership Development (CSOLD) was developed in 2004/2005 as a resource for student organizations, leadership programs, fraternities and sororities, and service and service-learning opportunities.

The mission of the Center for Student Organizations and Leadership Development (CSOLD) was to inspire, challenge, and connect students through organization involvement, service, and leadership exploration. The office was a resource to students in the following areas: student organizations, leadership programs, fraternities and sororities, and service and service-learning opportunities.

CSOLD had been a resource to over 250 student organizations in a variety of categories including academics, sports clubs, religious and spiritual, and political and social concerns. CSOLD coordinated events for student organizations, including officer and advisor training and the annual Mainstreet student organization fair.

CSOLD programs included leadership exploration, education, training, and development experiences in many different formats. Leadership programs included Workshops on Demand, the Excellence in Leadership Award program, and “What Color is Your Personality”™ workshops..

Fraternities and Sororities were supported through the CSOLD office. The learning community was an experience that challenged each fraternity and sorority member to commit him/herself to living to a higher standard. Members of fraternities and sororities could be found doing community service in neighborhoods near St. Cloud State University, volunteering at local events or organizing philanthropic activities to benefit local/national causes, research, and social issues.

On July 11, 2011, CSOLD and the University Programming Office (UPB) merged to become the Department of Campus Development.

The Central Minnesota Historical Assembly was a free association of historical societies, in the Central Minnesota area, joined together in a interest for mutual aid and assistance. Counties included: Aitkin, Benton, Big Stone, Crow Wing, Douglas, Grant, Isanti, Kandiyohi, Kanabec, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Otter Tail, Pine, Pope, Renville, Sherburne, Stearns, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Wadena, Wright, and Yellow Medicine.

The association's goals were to establish working relationships between members and to establish rapid exchange of information and channels of communication between members. The association met about once a year to discuss business, hear reports, and to assist members in their local programs.

During the 1980/90s, participation in the association began to wane and attempts to revitalize the program were unsuccessful. The association was officially disbanded in 1996.

Chi Sigma Chi was an honorary fraternity for industrial arts majors and minors. The fraternity organized on campus in the winter of 1948. The purpose of the fraternity was to develop professional spirit, fellowship, and a better understanding of the opportunities and problems of industrial arts teachers in an industrial democracy. One of the notable activities the club sponsored was evening industrial hobby classes for adults. The last mention of Chi Sigma Chi was September 1978 in the Chronicle.

There are mentions of "Chi Sigma Chi" in the Chronicle prior to 1948, however the Chronicle notes this version of Chi Sigma Chi is "completely divorced" from its name sake.

The student-run Chronicle has been published continuously since 1924 at St. Cloud State.

John T. Clawson, Minnesota state legislator from District 19A  (1975-1980) and District 19B (1981-1984), was born August 7, 1945 in St. Paul, Minnesota. His family, of Danish lineage from the Lincoln Co-Tyler area, moved around Minnesota until settling in Bloomington, Minnesota. His great-grandfather, J. T. Clawson, was elected Superintendent of Schools in Lincoln Co. around the turn of the century. His paternal grandfather was appointed as the Minnesota House of Representatives Sergeant at Arms in the mid 1950's by Senator Joseph Vonheim of Tyler, Minnesota.

After finishing at Bloomington High School in 1963, Clawson attended Augsburg College in Minneapolis, majoring in Latin and Greek. He graduated in 1967, and began attending Northwestern Theological Seminary in St. Paul. Upon graduation in 1971, Clawson accepted a "two-point" parish in Harris, Minnesota, which included the First Lutheran of Harris and Calvary Lutheran in Stanchfield, and served in this capacity until 1974. In 1974 he was also hired as pastoral consultant to Hazelden, a rehabilitation center in Center City, Minnesota.

Clawson's interest in politics had its roots in his early appreciation of history and world affairs, as well as college activism at the seminary in the late 1960's. Labelling himself both Conservative and Republican, he attended his first Republican Caucus in 1972. Upon sensing the local party to be more "reactionary ideologues" than they were politically conservative, Clawson caucused with the DFL party in 1974. Clawson endorsed and won the 1974 state representative race over incumbent Republican Mike Olmstead with a 52% of the vote. In the Minnesota House he was appointed to the Judiciary, Local and Urban Affairs, and the Health and Welfare Committees. One of the major pieces of legislation he co-authored involved the reorganization of the Minnesota court system. Clawson won as the incumbent in 1976, and became involved in the House Orientation Committee and in creating the Department of Economic Security. Clawson was re-elected in 1978, 1980, and 1982.

Clawson was married to Susan Luetje from Red Wing in 1968. They had two daughters together, Jennifer and Amanda. He was remarried around 1987 to Christine Halvorson, and then again around 1999 to Annette Roth.

Ida Kay Compton was born on June 14, 1917 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. While a graduate student at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts in 1947, she met Sinclair Lewis.  Lewis had recently moved to Williamstown from Duluth, Minnesota.

Compton, who was known as Ida Kay, wrote a book review on Lewis' 1947 novel, Kingsblood Royal, and was summoned by Lewis to his farm, Thorvale.  Here began a friendship that lasted until Lewis' death in 1951.

Ida married Williams College chemistry faulty member Charles Compton in 1953.

Her career included stints at the University of Chicago Press and Time, Inc.

Ida passed away on September 22, 1985 in Bradenton, Florida.

Born on August 31, 1933, Kenneth Cox graduated from East Stroudsburg University in 1955 with a B.S. degree in health and physical education. He later received his Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction. Cox served in the U.S. military from 1955 to 1956. In 1956 Summer games in Melbourne, Australia, he was part of the U.S. Olympic wrestling team.

Cox coached wrestling for 25 years, four of which were spent at St. Cloud State. Ken Cox coached the SCSU wrestling team from 1963 through 1967. During his St. Cloud State career, Cox coached the Olympic-bound Hazewinkel twins, Dave and Jim, accompanying them to their 1964 Olympic Trial in New York City. Cox saw the completion of Halenbeck Hall in 1965 and hosted the NAIA championships there in 1966. Throughout his entire coaching career, Cox coached 16 NAIA All-Americans, three Olympians, eight national champions, and numerous NCAA All-Americans. He passed away on February 5, 2022 at the age of 88.