Olaf Martin Oleson Memorial, Donor of Oleson Park

June 29, 1849 - February 8, 1944 Artist: Clifton E. Adams, 1904-1995 - Fort Dodge, IA Location: Oleson Park Year: 1949 Dimensions: Medium: Concrete Description: From left to right, the top row depicts, “Boy in Norway,” “Youth in Iowa," and “Pharmacist.” From left to right, the bottom row depicts, “Botanist,” “The Greig Mandskor,” and “Scholar.” Mr. Oleson was born in Norway, and came to the United States in his teenage. He arrived in Webster county with cash resources of less than one dollar. He served efficiently in the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth General Assemblies, representing the Twenty-seventh Senatorial District. Among the achievements of his life was a fellowship in the Iowa Academy of Science. In 1939 he gave Iowa State College his valuable collection of two hundred thirty volumes for its scientific library. This collection contained many books then out of print. To the same institution he gave his valuable herbarium, composed of thousands of specimens, which was considered the most complete of Iowa flora. It also contained herbaria of many foreign countries. He was knighted a member of the Knights of St. Olaf by King Haakon of Norway in 1924. He was founder of the Grieg Mandskor of Fort Dodge. He personally directed the choir and composed many songs for it. In 1938, at the dedication of the band shell at Oleson Park in Fort Dodge, he directed the Grieg Mandskor, which he had organized, in a song which he had composed. He believed in working hard, playing for health, and he always looked on the bright side of life and never harbored trouble. Funded by: Website: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/legislator?ga=25&personID=3891