Dr. Lee Norman Receives the Legion of Merit Award

Dr. Lee Norman received the Legion of Merit award on July 21, 2023, from the United States Armed Forces after serving his country for nearly 50 years both domestically and internationally.

Norman graduated from Bemidji State University in 1974 and joined the Air Force the same year. Now, half a century later, he has received the Legion of Merit, an award given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. It is one of just two military awards worn around the neck, the other being the Medal of Honor.

“It was kind of a fitting end to my military career. It spans six different decades,” Norman said. “I went in in the 1970s and finally got out in the 2020s. Six decades, a lot of people can’t say that.”

Norman also enlisted in the Army at age 61 and met the same standards at boot camp as others who were younger than his children. He stayed with the Army until age 70 and exited the military at the end of last year.

He received the Legion of Merit award at the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Mo., authoring a fitting end to a lifetime of service.

“It’s quite rewarding. Both foreign and domestic service is a real treat,” Norman said. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat. It was in my DNA to do that. I’m just real glad I had the opportunity.”

Norman was also recently hired as the senior medical director at Optum, a startup that connects health system providers with industries such as insurance and tech so that people can receive more holistic and personalized medical care.

Dr. Will Antell Recognized as a Champion of Education

Dr. Will Antell, a champion of American Indian education policies, was awarded with the Human Rights Award on July 18, 2023 by the Stillwater Human Rights Commission. Minnesota governor Tim Walz also declared July 18, 2023, “Dr. Will Antell Day” in the state of Minnesota.

The award is given annually to recognize those in the city who work to build an environment that promotes fair and equal treatment for everyone. Antell, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, served Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter on the National Advisory Council on Indian Education; was a founder and president of the National Indian Education Association; served as assistant commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Education for nine years; served on the Minnesota State Board of Trustees from 2000-05; and served on the BSU Alumni & Foundation’s board of directors for six years. He also received Bemidji State’s Outstanding Alumni Award in 1984.

Antell is widely regarded as an authority on Indian education and desegregation, and he has helped guide policy for American Indian education at the state and federal levels. In 1972, he helped write the landmark Indian Education Act, which allowed American Indians to decide their own education for the first time. He is also a former teacher, coach and football referee in Stillwater.

“Will Antell has dedicated his life to breaking down barriers and fighting to improve the lives of marginalized people,” BSU President John L. Hoffman said. “It would be impossible to sum up his remarkable life and achievements in a few short words. He has championed the expansion of educational opportunities at all levels, from his career as a middle school coach and athletic director to his work founding doctoral programs in American Indian leadership. The efforts we are making at Bemidji State University toward equity, inclusion and holistic student success are only possible because of the foundational work done by Will Antell. I’m deeply appreciative of all that Will has done and for welcoming me into the Beaver community.”

Rich Siegert

Rich Siegert won the Charlie Naylor Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce’s 18th annual Awards of Excellence on May 24, 2023. Siegert, who owns the Hampton Inn and Suites and Double Tree hotels, was instrumental in the development of Bemidji’s South Shore. He and his wife, Joyce (Thompson) Siegert ’68, live in Bemidji.

Bensen Bids Farewell to Bemidji

Jim Bensen and Nancy Bensen ’59 bid farewell to the Bemidji community in August and, fittingly, their send-off reception embodied the trademark enthusiasm of Bemidji State University’s former president.

In a spirited celebration of the Bensens’ immeasurable accomplishments, impact and stewardship, BSU and the Bemidji community bid farewell to the distinguished couple at the David Park House. The Bensens moved their permanent residence to Wisconsin later that month, making the event a chance for all to bask in the contagious Bensen zeal one last time.

“We’ve had a tremendous journey in life,” said Jim Bensen, who served as Bemidji State’s eighth permanent president from 1994-2001. “Absolutely spectacular. And it’s been really, really fun.”

It was an apt showcase in recognition of decades of work. Jim Bensen has been an architect of growth and Bemidji’s quintessential visionary both during and after his presidency.

Originally from Erskine, he first came to Bemidji State College as a student and graduated in 1959 with bachelor’s degrees in industrial education and physical education. In 1994, Bensen was unanimously voted in as the school’s new president — becoming the first (and still only) BSU graduate to serve in that role — and tirelessly championed economic growth at the university and in the community.

In addition to investing in the progress of the college through advocacy and philanthropy, Bensen has been heavily involved in the community’s development as a member of Greater Bemidji for 25 years, as a Rotarian for 45 years and through many other cutting-edge civic organizations and causes.

Best of all, he married his high school and college sweetheart in 1958. Nancy was a 2003 outstanding alumni honoree at Bemidji State and a charter member of the BSU Alumni & Foundation’s Legacy Society. She has both served on and established volunteer organizations to better the lives of those in the community, as well.

Likely no one in Bemidji is more future-oriented than Jim Bensen. While others draw from the past, Bensen’s focus is light-years ahead.

“What Jim has lifted up throughout his career is transforming us with the future,” BSU President John L. Hoffman said in his speech. “That’s the responsibility you leave to us as you move on. I’m so proud to say that we have a building here at Bemidji State, just down the way, named after you and after our commitment to the future.”