In 1972, a new building for the College of Home Economics became a reality largely through the determination of College's Dean, Katherine Kilbourne Burgum. Using her clout and reputation she repeatedly informed state legislators of the need for a new building. The increased enrollment of students in the College's six academic programs caused the Home Economics building to become cramped. The enrollment swelled to 1,048 by 1972 leading to the rallying cry "Ten forty-eight and growing." The problem was the State Legislature did not have a new home economics building on its construction list. Burgum's persistence resulted in the State Legislature appropriating $1,500,000 in 1973 for the construction of a new home economics building.
The funds from the Legislature were not enough to cover the building's construction costs. The Memorial Union Student Fund committed $100,000 in student-collected fees for the art gallery; the Development Foundation's SU'75 Fund committed $760,000; the Kresge Foundation gave a gift of $100,000 and the National Women's Committee, with help of 242 alumnae, gave $150,000. The alumnae who donated $60 or more have their names inscribed on bricks, which were placed in the memorial brick wall located on the Center's north side. All totaled, the outside funds reached $1,100,000.
The completed Center opened for classes on September 5, 1975. It was 62,000 square feet; was connected to the Home Economics Building (now called E. Morrow Lebedeff Hall) and the Memorial Union; and contained the 4-H Conference Center.
In 1998, the Family Life Center was renamed the Katherine Killbourne Burgum Family Life Center in honor of Katherine Kilbourne Burgum, retired Dean of the College of Home Economics. Katherine Kilbourne was born on February 26, 1915 in the small town of Minneapolis, Kansas. She was the youngest of five children and the only female. Her father, Dr. B. K. Kilbourne, was a physician in Minneapolis. When she was four the family moved to Topeka, Kansas where her father had taken the position as director of the venereal disease section of the Kansas State Board of Health. In 1923 the family moved to Fargo, when her father was offered the choice of becoming the medical officer for one of five public health demonstration project sites in U.S. cities.
The Fargo environment proved to be rich and dynamic for Katherine, where she was involved in most school activities. She graduated from Fargo Central High School in 1933 and enrolled in North Dakota Agricultural College (now North Dakota State University), where she graduated with a degree in home economics in 1937. She was very active in college, including editing the Bison yearbook, president of Gamma Phi Beta sorority, membership in Senior Staff, commissioner of finance, member of Phi Upsilon Omicron, Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities, and chosen as an outstanding senior in her graduating class. In 1936 her father accepted a position as the State Epidemiologist for Montana and the family moved to Helena.
Upon graduating, Katherine had an opportunity to take a teaching job in Beach, North Dakota, a few of miles from the North Dakota/Montana line. Instead, Katherine opted for teaching junior and senior high school home economics and art in Sayville, New York. (Sayville is on Long Island, and about fifty-five miles east of New York City.) While teaching at Sayville, she commuted into New York City and completed her master's degree from Columbia University in 1939. Upon completion of her degree, she took a job as an instructor in foods and home economics at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. While at Wayne State she co-authored three books in the Wayne University Studies in Air Transport series: Air Cargo Potential for Sea Foods (1945), Consumer Acceptance of Kitchen Serviced Vegetables (1946) and Markets for Airborne Seafoods. Air Cargo Potential for Sea Foods won the Aviation Writers Prize for outstanding contribution to commercial aviation. She was promoted to Assistant Professor and remained at Wayne State until 1947.
While attending North Dakota Agricultural College, she met and dated Joe Burgum, from Arthur, North Dakota, a pre-law student in the College of Arts and Sciences. He was stationed in Chicago with the Navy during World War II and often came to visit her in Detroit on weekends. Katherine and Joseph married on April 8, 1944. In 1947 the couple returned to Arthur, North Dakota, since Joe had become the manager and secretary-treasurer for the elevator operation. Together they managed their farms near Arthur and at Williston.
Katherine's return to North Dakota allowed her to renew and to maintain close ties to her alma mater, North Dakota State University. She was active in Alumni Association and served as a member of the Alumni Board. She was a member of the Cass-Clay Alumni and Former Students Association and served as vice-president in 1960. She was a member the Gamma Phi Beta House Board and president of the House Corporation Board. In 1964 she was inducted into Mortar Board. She was also a founding member of the NDSU Development Foundation, as well as its president. In 1971 she received the Alumni Achievement Award.
Towards the end of 1970, President L.D. Loftsgard of NDSU, asked Katherine to represent the Alumni Association on the search committee for a new Dean of the College of Home Economics. Katherine continued to serve on the committee, and when the committee starting reviewing candidates for the position, her name was suggested as a candidate. Although she was pleased to be considered, she politely declined. As the search dragged on, in early 1971, President Loftsgard went out to Arthur and asked her to reconsider being Dean. She accepted the position of acting Dean in January 1972.
Dean Burgum officially retired from NDSU in February 1980, but retirement was simply redirection for her. The Spectrum, the college newspaper, in it's April Fool's spoof, on April 1, 1980 featured an article titled "Ex-home ec dean remains in retirement" and went on to list, the majority being fictitious, twelve organizations she was now involved in. Retirement meant that she could now devote her energies to different endeavors. She was still involved with ownership of farms in Arthur and Williston, membership on the Board of Directors of Arthur Farmers Elevator, membership on the Board of Directors of Western States Life Insurance Company, secretary of Board of Governors of The Neuro-Psychiatric Institute, consultant to the American Home Economics Association Foundation, and Board member of the NDSU Development Foundation. She has also served on the Board of Directors of St. Luke's Foundation, Board of Directors of the Red River Zoological Society, and Board of Directors of Great Plains Software. She was the Chairman of the Kick-Off Celebration for North Dakota's Centennial Celebration in 1989.
As to honors and accolades, they are numerous and the following is just a partial list: Alumni Achievement Award - 1971, Mortar Board, NDSU Chapter "Outstanding Educator" Award - 1973, Honorary Life Membership, Future Home Makers of America - 1974, Outstanding Alumni Business Award, ND Business Foundation - 1975, Phi Kappa Phi - 1975, "Women Helping Women Award, " Fargo Soroptomist Club - 1976, "Woman of the Year Award," YWCA Education category - 1976, Who's Who in America - 1977, Who's Who in American Women - 1977, Who's Who in American Politics - 1977, Blue Key Doctor of Service Award - 1978, President's Medallion - 1980, Honored Alum Award - 1981, and the Athena Award, Chamber of Commerce of Fargo-Moorhead - 1998.
Architectural Information
The building was designed by Warren Tvenge and the architectural firm was Mutchler, Twichell & Lynch.
   |
univarchives@www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu
University Archives, 701-231-8914 Published by the University Archives, NDSU Last Updated: 8/27/04 |