John D. Odegard inducted into National Aviation Hall of Fame

Namesake behind UND’s aerospace college joins distinguished list of 270 inductees

Last week, one of the most prominent aviators in North Dakota’s history took his place in the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

John D. Odegard – namesake of UND’s renowned college of aerospace sciences – was inducted posthumously at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, September 24. Odegard is the second North Dakota aviator to be enshrined in the NAHF, located in Dayton, Ohio – a city dubbed “the birthplace of aviation” – joining UND alumnus Carl Ben Eilson.

With his induction, Odegard joins a list of 270 aviation luminaries, including the Wright Brothers, Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, and Neil Armstrong.

A native of Minot, Odegard founded the college in 1968, starting with a fleet of just two aircraft. It has grown to become UND’s second-largest degree-granting college, with over 2,000 students, 500 faculty and staff members and one of the largest fleets of civilian aircraft in North America.

In 2015, Odegard received the Theodore Roosevelt Roughrider Award, the state’s highest civilian honor. He is also the subject of a 2007 book titled “Flight of the Odegard,” authored by Patrick McGuire.

Among the UND dignitaries attending Odegard’s induction ceremony last week were Robert Kraus, dean of the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, along with his predecessors Paul Lindseth and Bruce Smith. Kraus praised Odegard’s visionary spirit in founding and growing the college.

“John Odegard’s vision and determination built the foundation for what UND Aerospace is today—a world-renowned leader in aviation and aerospace education,” Kraus said. “His enshrinement into the National Aviation Hall of Fame is a fitting tribute to his extraordinary legacy and the generations he continues to inspire.  It was an honor to represent the school at the ceremony and to see so many supporters in attendance.”

Members of Odegard’s family – including his daughter Stephanie Odegard LaDue, son John Odegard Jr. and wife Diane Odegard – accepted the award on his behalf. Diane reflected on her husband’s contributions to the University and state.

“Last week we celebrated John, in a way he would have liked; remembering his vision, his university and his state,” she said.

Also representing UND at Odegard’s induction were DeAnna Carlson Zink, CEO of the UND Alumni Association & Foundation, Chuck Pineo CEO of the UND Aerospace Foundation and Dana Sande, vice president of business development at the Aerospace Foundation. Both entities served as sponsors of the event, with the Alumni Foundation establishing the John D. Odegard Hall of Fame Endowment Fund to honor Odegard’s legacy.

According to Lars Dyrud, the Alumni Foundation’s director of development for the Odegard School, the fund has already received around $30,000 of its $50,000 goal. Persons interested in contributing to the fund may do so by contacting Dyrud, or donating at the school’s Alumni Association & Foundation webpage.