Distinguished Alumni
2007 Honorees
Dr. Sara Ann Johnson
Class of 1891
In honor of her pioneer spirit, humanitarian and public service achievements.
Fredrick R. Kappel
Class of 1919
In honor of his business and public service achievements.
Paul P. Overgaard
Class of 1947
In honor of his public service and community impact.
Dr. Bryant Pickering
Class of 1947
In honor of his professional and humanitarian achievements and his continued support of education.
Dr. Donald Draayer
Class of 1953
In honor of his public service and humanitarian achievements.
Jerrol Tostrud
Class of 1956
In honor of his business and economic achievements.
D.R. (Sid) Verdoorn
Class of 1957
In honor of his business and economic achievements.
Geraldine Vogt
Class of 1963
In honor of her community, economic and humanitarian impact.
2008 Honorees
Mary King
Class of 1910
In honor of her devoted service to Naeve School of Nursing and Naeve Hospital which touched so many lives.
Harold William Atkins
Class of 1938
In honor of his innovative work and significant contribution to the improvement of safety in aviation.
Dr. Earl Thompson
Class of 1945
In honor of his humanitarian efforts to improve the lives of people in Nepal and other developing nations.
Virginia Gaasedelen Olson
Class of 1954
In honor of her success and dedicated service to her community.
Steven Leuthold
Class of 1956
In honor of his successful business career and his many philanthropic endeavors.
O. Dale Larson
Class of 1956
In honor of his success in business and his generous commitment to his community.
2009 Honorees
Thomas Nee
Class of 1938
In honor of his life-long contribution to the teaching of music and the development of music programs and organizations for the enrichment of the lives of many.
Howard J Christensen
Class of 1941
In honor of his business and economic achievements and his service to his community.
Richard Ackland
Class of 1959
In honor of his business and economic achievements and his service to his community.
Gayle Kvenvold
Class of 1969
In honor of her professional achievements in service and support of issues to benefit the aging.
Major General Thomas K. Andersen
Class of 1976
In honor of his distinguished career in the USAF and his service and devotion to his country.
2010 Honorees
Donald R. Wedge
Class of 1931
In honor of his successful career and his service to his community.
Herbert C. Anderson
Class of 1949
In honor of his exemplary service to his community.
Keith A. Fligge
Class of 1952
In honor of his long career with ALMCO- Queen Products and his sustained business leadership and involvement in community affairs
Dr. Jerry P. Draayer
Class of 1960
In honor of his contributions to science research and education.
Dr. Herbert A. Thompson
Class of 1959
In honor of his successful career in education and research in the area of Microbiology and Immunology.
2011 Honorees
Brigadier General James T. Tuberty
Class of 1946
In honor of his long and distinguished career in the military and his service and devotion to his country.
Dr. Sunny Sundal Hansen
Class of 1947
In honor of her long career as an educator and her contributions to the field of educational psychology.
Ralph I. Olson
Class of 1952
In honor of his forty-five year career at Interstate Power Company and his dedicated service to his community.
Dr. James P. Brill
Class of 1956
In honor of his long and distinguished career in the field of petroleum engineering.
Maestro Charles Schneider
Class of 1956
In honor of his musical talents and distinguished career as a director of notable philharmonic orchestras.
Chris Bredo Berghoff
Class of 1971
In honor of his business contributions in the field of electronic microprocessors and a lifelong commitment to education.
2012 Honorees
Earl D. Jacobsen
Class of 1942
In honor of his thirty-five years of service to students at the Albert Lea High School in the areas of Industrial Arts and Vocational Training.
Dale S. Hanson
Class of 1957
In honor of his remarkable achievements in the world of finance and his endearing commitment to public service in and outside of Albert Lea.
Dr. Lyman K. (Manny) Steil
Class of 1956
In honor of his accomplishments as an author and educator in the fields of Speech Communication, Organizational Psychology and Listening and his commitment to public service.
Barry L Blackhawk
Class of 1957
In honor of his lifelong commitment to teaching and preserving the Ho-Chunk language and culture.
2013 Honorees
Catherine Burns Lush, M.D.
Class of 1933
In honor of her pioneering work as a woman in medicine, serving as a doctor in the U.S. Navy, practicing in Minnesota towns and along the Gunflint Trail.
Arthur R. Ludtke Jr
Class of 1944
In honor of his long-term commitment to the local agricultural industry and his unstinting service and leadership to many Albert Lea organizations and boards.
Elizabeth Peterson Wright J.D.
Class of 1956
In honor of her outstanding successes in various English, legal, and financial careers, all while giving back to her communities’ agencies serving the needy.
Nancy Register Wangen Ph.D
Class of 1953
In honor of her commitment to public education, leading school districts in implementing affirmative action plans, and also designing the Student Transfer Curriculum for Minnesota colleges.
2014 Honorees
Philip S. Tennis
Class of 1946
In honor of his lifelong career in local dairy farming and agricultural interests, his leadership to Minnesota ASCS, and his dedication to his church and his community’s schools and various local committees.
Dr. Judith Watland McIntyre
Class of 1948
In honor of her 40-year career in the research and study of loons, her service to college biology students, and her creative initiatives to establish seminars in support of science and the arts.
Daniel A. DeBoer
Class of 1974
In honor of his success in the community, starting businesses to meet his community’s needs, offering his time and skills to his local church, to the community’s Cornerstone project, and to expand mission work in Jamaica.
Eric J. Nyquist
Class of 1990
In honor of his expertise in business and law, combined to serve the successes of various sports organizations by working with key management leaders of the NFL, the White Sox Enterprises, and NASCAR and NASCAR Media Group.
2015 Honorees
Peter Veldman
Class of 1951
In honor of his lifelong career in education, teaching, coaching, administering his school’s athletic programs, serving athletic associations as well as managing state sports tournaments or serving as a referee.
John M. Morrison
Class of 1955
In honor of his ongoing career in banking and finance, helping people by acquiring and then improving many businesses the success of which has allowed him to finance numerous philanthropic endeavors.
Rebecca C. Barr, Ph.D
Class of 1956
In honor of her unstinting service during her lifetime in the research in how young children learn to read and how to diagnose and work with children with reading problems.
Linda Cruz-Lares
Class of 1974
In honor her lifelong commitment to helping people in Albert Lea, especially those who are trying to get started with new residency in the community who may have challenges with finding resources they need to thrive here.
2016 Honorees
Elmer R. Peterson PhD.
Class of 1946
In honor of his life’s work teaching college students about French literature, art and culture.
James Horgen
Class of 1956
In honor of his ongoing efforts to create and expand his solar power manufacturing to improve many communities in the Mideast.
Bruce A. Peterson
Class of 1968
In honor of his ongoing career in law in which he has given much pro bono work on behalf of low income citizens and the protection of children
Nancy Ophaug Beers
Class of 1970
In honor of her dedication, leadership, and service to people and families suffering from and recovering from statewide and national disasters.
2017 Honorees
Jack Brill
Class of 1955
In honor of his career as a research engineer and his involvement in inventions that have become household names.
Anne W. Kepple, Ph.D.
Class of 1975
Class of In honor of her work in addressing the problem of hunger and promoting food security worldwide.
Bradley K. Arends, J.D.
Class of 1977
In honor of his commitment to the local business and economic communities.
Mary Harrison Johnson
Class of 1978
In honor of her commitment to improving the lives of children with facial and other deformities in developing countries.
2018 Honorees
Florence Hansen/Adair
Class of 1926
In honor of her pioneering leadership and advocacy to achieve the origin of educational programming into public schools for children with varying levels of special needs.
Lowell W. Barr, M.D.
Class of 1951
In honor of his 55 year commitment to providing pediatric care to generations of Albert Lea children and to his life of volunteer service and leadership
Steven Loken
Class of 1968
In honor of his visionary leadership in developing environmentally friendly construction companies and in teaching others to use Green Building practices, in the USA and abroad.
John R. Berthelsen
Class of 1972
In honor of his talents across the printing industry and his sustained business leadership to benefit his employees and community by fostering new interest in graphic arts careers.
2019 Honorees
Thomas P. Ehrhard, Ph.D.
Class of 1976
In honor of his career as a national security professional, professor, and mentor for over four decades, including thirty years in the United States Air Force and later as a Pentagon senior executive and strategy advisor.
Shelly Ibach
Class of 1977
In honor of her commitment to executive leadership, business development and retail expertise.
Daniel Dorman
Class of 1981
In honor of his commitment and passion to Albert Lea and public education.
Sarah Gutknecht
Class of 1981
In honor of her endearing and generous spirit, leadership in the pediatric nursing profession, and her passionate drive to advocate for children.
No Banquet in 2020 Due to Covid
2021 Honorees
Pete Berthelsen
Class of 1980
In honor of his dedication to sound conservation practices and the preservation of the environment
Tom Conlan
Class of 1964
In honor of his remarkable accomplishments in the business world and his dedication to friends and family
Corey Goodnature
Class of 1988
In honor of his service to his country and commitment to the ideals for which it stands
Karin Winegar
Class of 1968
In honor of her distinguished career as a journalist and her lifelong passion for the rights of animals
2022 Honorees
Larry Brandt
Class of 1969
In honor of his outstanding accomplishments in the tire industry world and his service to his community
Jay Johnson
Class of 1979
In honor of his remarkable achievements in the production and marketing of greenhouse grown foods
Stacia Lang
Class of 1982
In honor of her long career as one of Hollywood’s premier specialty costumers
Kathy Nielsen
Class of 1968
In honor of her creations of outstanding and innovative worldwide programs in the growing business of training/coaching