Sigurd F. Olson

From BWCAWiki

Sigurd F. Olson (April 4, 1899 - January 13, 1982) was born in Humboldt Park in Chicago, Illinois. He was an American author, environmentalist, and advocate for the protection of wilderness. Sigurd worked as the chair of the Science Deparment at Ely Junior College. Sigurd Olson lived most of his life here, writing about the natural history, ecology, and outdoor life in and around the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. In 1974, Sigurd earned the John Burroughs Medal, the highest honor in nature writing.

1 Early life
2 Conservation
3 Northland College
4 Books
5 References
6 External links

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Early life

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Sigurd Olson grew up in northern Wisconsin where he developed his life-long interest in the outdoors. In June of 1921, Sigurd took his first canoe trip where he fell in love with the wilderness. After marrying Elizabeth Dorothy Uhrenholdt, the two spent their honeymoon on another canoe trip in the Boundary Waters. After studying agriculture, botany, geology, and ecology at Northland College, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Illinois, he moved to Ely, Minnesota to teach at Ely Junior College, working as a canoe guide during the summer months.

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Conservation

Olson was influential in the protection of the Boundary Waters and helped draft the Wilderness Act of 1964, becoming president of the Wilderness Society from 1963 to 1971. He also helped establish Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota and Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He also played key roles in establishing Point Reyes National Seashore in California. Sigurd also was a consultant to the Secretary of the Interior Steward Udall on wilderness and national park issues.

Full wilderness status was granted to the [[Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness by Jimmy Carter in 1978, four years before Sigurd died.

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Northland College

On August 27, 1971, a little over a year after the celebration of the first Earth Day, Northland College hosted its first environmental conference. Among those invited to address the two-day conference were Senator Gaylord Nelson and Sigurd Olson. The conference became "the instrument of origin of the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute," as Robert Matteson, the founder of the Institute, wrote. With energy to move in a new and exciting direction, and guided by the philosophies of Sigurd Olson, the Institute opened its doors in spring of 1972, embarking on more than 30 years of serving Northland College and the Lake Superior region.

Sigurd Olson died in 1982 of a heart attack. He was snowshoeing near his home in Ely. After over 50 years of hard work, Sigurd reached his goal.

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Books

The Singing Wilderness (1956)
Listening Point (1958)
The Lonely Land (1961)
Runes of the North (1963)
Open Horizons (1969)
The Hidden Forest (1969)
Wilderness Days (1972)
Reflections From the North Country (1976)
Of Time and Place (1982)
Songs of the North. Howard Frank Mosher, ed. (1987)
The Collected Works of Sigurd F. Olson: The Early Writings, 1921-1934. Mike Link, ed. (1988)
The Collected Works of Sigurd F. Olson: The College Years, 1935-1944. Mike Link, ed. (1990)
The Meaning of Wilderness: Essential Articles and Speeches. Edited and with an Introduction by David Backes. (2001)
Spirit of the North: The Quotable Sigurd F. Olson. Edited and with an Introduction by David Backes. (2004)