Carleton Opgaard (February 18, 1929 – July 6, 2014) was an American college and university administrator and founding president of Vancouver Island University.[1][2]

Carleton Opgaard
President of Tacoma Community College
In office
1983–1990
President of Dakota State University
In office
1978–1983
President of Malaspina University-College
In office
1969–1978
Preceded byPosition established
Personal details
Born
Carleton Myron Opgaard

February 18, 1929
Fort Ransom, North Dakota, U.S.
DiedJuly 6, 2014 (aged 85)
Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
Alma materValley City State University (BA)
University of Wyoming (MA)
University of Washington (PhD)

Early life and education

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Carleton Myron Opgaard was born in Fort Ransom, North Dakota, the son of immigrants from Norway. Opgaard obtained his bachelor's degree from Valley City State University in Valley City, North Dakota in 1952. Thereafter, he received his master's degree from the University of Wyoming in Laramie and his Ph.D. from the University of Washington in Seattle. He attended the University of Oslo in Norway as a Fulbright scholar.

Career

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In his initial administrative assignment, Opgaard was principal of Edmonds Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington.

In 1969, he was the founding president of Malaspina University-College, now called Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. During the centennial of the college, he was the president of Dakota State University (1978–1983) in Madison, South Dakota.[3] He also served as president of Tacoma Community College in Tacoma, Washington, (1983–1990). He later served as interim president of Columbia Basin College and Edmonds College in Washington.[4]

For his service to education, Carleton Opgaard received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Valley City State University.[5]

Death

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Opgaard died on July 6, 2014, in Tacoma, Washington.[6]

Selected works

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  • Waldemar Theodor Ager, Norwegian immigrant author in America (University of Wyoming, 1957)

References

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  1. ^ Dr. Carleton Opgaard (Famous People born in North Dakota) Archived July 18, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "CARLETON OPGAARD's Obituary by News Tribune (Tacoma)". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2014-07-18.
  3. ^ President Carleton Opgaard (Dakota State University)
  4. ^ Past Presidents (Dakota State University) Archived September 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Dr. Carleton M. Opgaard - Class of 1952 (Valley City State University Archived April 8, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Carleton M. Opgaard". Retrieved 2020-06-01.