K. Roald Bergethon
K. Roald Bergethon | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 18, 1918 Tromso Norway |
| Died | December 17, 2004 (aged 86) |
| Citizenship | American |
| Education | DePauw University, B.A. Cornell University, M.A., Ph.D. |
| Occupations | College president and academic |
| Years active | 1945 to 1988 |
| Employer(s) | Brown University Lafayette College New England College |
K. Roald Bergethon (June 18, 1918 – December 17, 2004) was a Norwegian-American academic administrator. He was president of the Lafayette College for twenty years. He was also president of New England College and a dean of the college at Brown University.
Early life
Bergethon was born on June 18, 1918 in Tromso, Norway.[1] His parents were Petra Ruud-Olsen and Maximillian Bergethon, Baptist minister.[2][3] When he was eight years old in 1926, he came to the United States and went to school in New York City.[1][2] He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1930.[1] In 1932, he returned to Norway to attend high school.[2]
Bergethon returned to the United States when he was sixteen years old and enrolled in DePauw University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree.[2] Bergethon the attended Cornell University, graduating with a Master of Arts and an Ph.D.[2]
During World War II, Bergethon oversaw the construction of military installations.[2] In 1943, he received the Meritorious Civilian Service Award.[2][3]
Career
In 1945, Bergethon became an instructor at Brown University.[2] He was promoted to assistant professor of German in 1947 and associate professor in 1953.[2] Bergethon was the author of Grammar for Reading German, published in 1950, with revised editions in 1963 and 1974.[3] He became acting dean of the college at Brown University in 1956, leaving in 1958 when he became president of Lafayette College.[2]
At Lafayette College, Bergethon oversaw the transition from all-male to coed and the admission of the first African American student.[1] During his tenure, the college's endowment grew from $20 million to $50 million.[1] He retired as president emeritus in 1978.[3]
Bergethon was the interim president and president of New England College from 1981 to 1985.[1][3] He was interim president of Bloomfield College from 1986 to 1987 and of Wells College from 1987 to 1988.[1][3] He was president of the Presbyterian College Union, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, and the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Universities.[3][1]
Personal life
Bergethon married Katherine Lind.[2] They had two sons.[3]
Bergethon was a member of Beta Theta Pi and an honorary member of Alpha Phi Omega.[3][4] He was a board member of the Delaware Valley Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation, the Greater Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Planning Council, the Lehigh-Delaware Development Council, the Northampton County Community Council, the United Fund of Easton, and WLVT-TV.[3][1]
Bergethon died in Easton Hospital on December 17, 2004, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.[3][1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Former President K. Roald Bergethon Dies". Lafayette College. 2004-12-17. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Times, Special to The New York (1958-05-04). "Brown Dean Gets Lafayette Office; Dr. Bergethon Takes Post as President of College in Next Academic Year". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "K. Bergethon Obituary - PA". The Morning Call. 2004-12-18. Retrieved 2026-08-13.
- ↑ "Service to Freshmen". Torch & Trefoil. vol. 34, no. 8. (December 1959): p. 7.