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October 11, 2004 Howard Olson 2004 NDSU Harvest Bowl Agribusiness Award Recipient The 31st annual Harvest Bowl program at North Dakota State University will be held Oct. 29 - 30. Howard Olson, Fargo, N.D., has been selected to receive the 2004 Agri-business Award. Also honored will be outstanding agriculturists from across North Dakota and western Minnesota. Scholarships will be awarded to outstanding male and female NDSU athletes. Olson has dedicated his life to the improvement of agriculture not only within North Dakota, but throughout the nation. During his career, Olson furthered agricultural research in his positions with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the USDA research station at Mandan and the North Dakota Research Extension Centers in Williston and Carrington. Born on a family farm in Ransom County near Sheldon, Olson attended NDSU, at that time North Dakota Agriculture College, but left in 1942 to enlist in the Navy. Commissioned as an ensign, he concluded his naval service in 1946 as assistant navigator on the USS Fargo. Olson returned to NDAC and graduated in 1948 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering. Olson worked for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in Minot from 1949 to 1951 as an agricultural engineer before transferring to the Agricultural Research Center in Mandan, as an irrigation research engineer. In fall1951, he accepted the superintendent position at the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station in Williston. In the late 1950s, planning began for an experimental irrigation research facility in east central North Dakota. Olson was part of the team that selected the new site at Carrington and he subsequently transferred from Williston to Carrington in June1960. Olson developed the Carrington Station from a piece of barren prairie to an irrigation showplace. With Olson’s expertise and initiative, it became a center of innovative research for irrigation, horticulture and tree plantings, and it served as a model of farmstead planning. Under his leadership, many new irrigation technologies were tested and proven effective at the station. Solar technology was utilized and found to be successful and cost effective when drying wet hay. Efficient utilization of animals as part of the state’s agricultural industry was another area of interest for Olson. This led to the addition of a beef production unit. The first Research Extension Center in North Dakota was built at Carrington. This successful venture quickly became the model for similar projects across the state. Townspeople and farm families were always welcome at the station and knew they could gain reliable advice and information on a wide variety of topics. Throughout his career, Olson has been the recipient of many awards, including the NDSU Honored Alumnus Award (1979), Agriculturist of the Year from the NDSU chapter of Alpha Zeta, the Garrison Conservancy District’s Mr. Irrigation Award (1986), the NDSU John Lee Coulter Award for Outstanding Achievement in Agribusiness (1987), and an Honorary Doctorate of Science from NDSU (1989). Family is very important to Olson, as each member contributed to his success. Barbara, his wife, completed her degree in education at NDSU and taught in New Rockford. Their three children, Cynthia, Priscilla and Paul, are all NDSU graduates. Olson’s contributions reach beyond the field of agriculture. He and Barbara have been involved for many years with church activities, the Kiwanis Club and the Carrington School Board. Since retirement in December 1986, they have continued their involvement with NDSU. In 1987 and 1989, the Olsons attended North Dakota legislative sessions on behalf of NDSU presidents Loftsgard and Ozbun. After decades of service, the Olson family still calls NDSU home. The Harvest Bowl festivities begin on Friday, Oct. 29, at the Ramada Plaza Suites and Convention Center in Fargo with a dinner, ceremony, games and a dance. On Saturday, Oct. 30, honorees will participate in educational sessions on the campus of NDSU and the dedication of the historical daylily garden on campus. In the afternoon, honorees will attend the Harvest Bowl football game, which pits NDSU against Northwestern State University of Louisiana. For more information on Harvest Bowl activities, call the NDSU alumni office at (800) 279-8971 or e-mail marilyn@ndsualumni.com. ### Source:
Marilyn Doeden, (701) 231-6808, marilyn@ndsualumni.com |
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