{"id":76,"date":"2011-08-01T16:07:41","date_gmt":"2011-08-01T21:07:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/president\/pastpresidents\/foss\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T14:43:33","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T20:43:33","slug":"foss","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/president\/foss\/","title":{"rendered":"Harlan Foss"},"content":{"rendered":"

A native of South Dakota,\u00a0Harlan\u00a0Foss\u00a0(1918-1995) was the only St. Olaf president to come from\u00a0the ranks of its faculty. He and his wife Beatrice Lindaas Foss were\u00a0members of the St. Olaf class of 1940. President Foss also attended\u00a0Luther Theological Seminary and completed his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees\u00a0at Princeton Theological Seminary and Drew University. He served as\u00a0a parish pastor in Milwaukee and was called by President Granskou to\u00a0join the St. Olaf religion department in 1947.<\/p>\n

Before becoming president, Dr. Foss\u00a0provided thirty years of teaching and leadership to the college and\u00a0to the Northfield community. At St. Olaf, he was a long-time chair of\u00a0the religion department, of the social studies division and the history,\u00a0philosophy and religion division, and of the curriculum and educational\u00a0policies committee. In Northfield, he served on the school board for\u00a0seven years, was a member of the community development committee, and\u00a0participated in the Lions and Rotary clubs.<\/p>\n

Rev. David W. Preus, President of the\u00a0American Lutheran Church, officiated at Dr. Foss’s inauguration. His\u00a0presidency was marked by his continuing pastoral care for students,\u00a0with whom he interacted in a variety of ways, including his example\u00a0on “Energy Day” in 1980. During his presidency, the St. Olaf international\u00a0studies program was broadened through a faculty exchange agreement with\u00a0the East China Normal University in Shanghai, the implementation of\u00a0which included a gift of Chinese art to the college. Under President\u00a0Foss, St. Olaf also achieved both the highest level of giving in its\u00a0history and increased recognition as a national liberal arts college.<\/p>\n

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