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A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Richard Green attended Concordia College during the tumult and excitement of the early modern Civil Rights Movement, becoming the college’s first African American graduate in 1961. A chemistry major, Green went on to earn a master’s degree in science at North Dakota State University (1963) and his PhD in the field of inorganic chemistry at the University of Louisville (1969). In 1964, Green married Dorothy Reed and began work at a chemical firm in Louisville. Richard and Dr. Dorothy Green have two adult children, Richard Clayton and Kim Elizabeth and three grandchildren. Richard C. is a graduate of Stanford University and Kim a graduate of Northwestern University. Green returned to Concordia in 1969 as an assistant professor in the department of chemistry. He became the first director of the college’s new Office of Intercultural Affairs in 1971, helping to make Concordia a more welcoming place as Black and Native student enrollments increased under his leadership. Green served on the Board of Regents from 1972 to 1981 and aided Concordia College by acting as a mediator during the Black Student Strike of 1976. Green’s career followed numerous industry, faculty, administrative, and academic leadership posts across the nation, earning him the highest esteem as a respected and sought-out leader in higher education.

Kathryn “Kathy” Benson spent fifty years of her life employed at Concordia College. Through her work at the Kjos Health Center and beyond, she touched the lives of many and supported both students and staff in their physical and mental wellness. Benson was a deeply valued and beloved figure during her time at the college.

Women’s athletics thrive at Concordia, but the varsity programs currently known and loved did not have their beginning until 1972 and have undergone some dramatic changes in management over the decades, from the Women’s Athletic Association (WAA) and the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Women have fought for the chance to have their talents shine on the court, on the field, in the pool, and more, and while this trend towards gender equality is still ongoing, women’s athletics have nonetheless gained great strides.

Florence Kruger served as the head of the Home Economics program for much of her thirty-year career at Concordia College. In those thirty years, she made a name for herself, as well as making a lasting impact on the lives of the students that graduated from the program.

Imogene Baker Dogeagle was an extraordinary Cobber who went on to continue a legacy of excellence following her graduation from Concordia in 1939. During her time at Concordia, she was a very accomplished student, and was involved with many activities on campus. Her most notable accomplishments were achieved during her senior year when she served as the president of the Woman’s Athletics Association, president of the largest women’s dormitory on campus, and was chosen Homecoming Queen. Her election as a homecoming queen was especially momentous, as she was the first indigenous student to attend Concordia, thus making her the first indigenous woman to receive the honor.

Dr. Joan N. Buckley had a long and fulfilling career at Concordia College, honored by the awards she gained during her tenure. One of three female professors at Concordia in 1956 when she began her work for the college, Dr. Buckley made her mark on campus by being the first female faculty member to receive her doctoral degree while employed, married, and raising a child. While this accomplishment was not appreciated at the time, the achievement came to be respected in Concordia’s history.