Jon Wefald
Encyclopedia
Jon Michael Wefald is an American educator and served as the twelfth President of Kansas State University
.
. After high school, he attended Pacific Lutheran University
where he earned a B.A. in history
in 1959. Wefald then earned his M.A. in history and political science
from Washington State University
in 1961, and Ph.D. in history from the University of Michigan
in 1965.
, taking his first faculty position at Gustavus Adolphus College
, where he taught history for five years. From 1971 to 1977, he served as Minnesota's Commissioner of Agriculture, and guest lectured. In 1977, he became President of Southwest State University
in Marshall, Minnesota
. In 1982, he became a Chancellor of the six state university system of Minnesota.
determined that during Wefald's tenure a total of 13 undocumented payments had been made to former head football Coach Bill Snyder, former athletic director Tim Weiser and Bob Krause, a former vice president and athletic director at the university. Combined, these payments amounted to $845,000. Additionally, a plan was uncovered during the audit to "funnel more than $3 million in deferred compensation to former football coach Ron Prince
." On May 20, 2009, Kansas State University and its athletic corporation filed suit to have a secret agreement between Prince and Krause declared invalid. Prince filed a lawsuit against the university which included the claim that Wefald and other high-ranking university officials had "actual or constructive knowledge" of the transaction.
Wefald denied any knowledge of this secret transaction, attributed the discrepancies to Krause, and immediately called for Krause to resign as director of economic development for the K-State Olathe Innovation Campus, which he did effective on May 20, 2009.
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
.
Biography
Wefald was born in Minneapolis and moved, at age six, with his family to Minot, North DakotaMinot, North Dakota
Minot is a city located in north central North Dakota in the United States. It is most widely known for the Air Force base located approximately 15 miles north of the city. With a population of 40,888 at the 2010 census, Minot is the fourth largest city in the state...
. After high school, he attended Pacific Lutheran University
Pacific Lutheran University
Pacific Lutheran University is located in Parkland, a suburb of Tacoma, Washington. In September 2009, PLU had a student population of 3,582 and approximately 280 full-time faculty...
where he earned a B.A. in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
in 1959. Wefald then earned his M.A. in history and political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
in 1961, and Ph.D. in history from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1965.
Early career
In 1965, Wefald returned to MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, taking his first faculty position at Gustavus Adolphus College
Gustavus Adolphus College
Gustavus Adolphus College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in St. Peter, Minnesota, United States. A coeducational, four-year, residential institution, it was founded in 1862 by Swedish Americans. To this day the school is firmly...
, where he taught history for five years. From 1971 to 1977, he served as Minnesota's Commissioner of Agriculture, and guest lectured. In 1977, he became President of Southwest State University
Southwest Minnesota State University
Southwest Minnesota State University is a public, four-year university that is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. It is located in Marshall, Minnesota, United States, a city of 13,000 people. The school has a full-time enrollment of approximately 3,500 students and...
in Marshall, Minnesota
Marshall, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,735 people, 4,914 households, and 2,914 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,537.0 people per square mile . There were 5,182 housing units at an average density of 625.4 per square mile...
. In 1982, he became a Chancellor of the six state university system of Minnesota.
Kansas State University
In July 1986, Wefald began his service as president of Kansas State University. Wefald held the second-longest term of any Kansas State President, trailing only the 25-year tenure of James McCain. During his tenure at K-State, over 2000000 square feet (185,806.1 m²) of new buildings were built, private giving increased from $6 million a year to nearly $100 million a year, research funding increased from $18 million to $110 million a year, enrollment increased from 17,000 to 23,000, and, finally, K-State students won 125 Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater, and Udall Scholarships from 1986 to 2008--more than any university in America.Post-retirement
Wefald announced on May 12, 2008 that he would retire at the end of the 2008-2009 academic year. Subsequently a routine audit performed by the Kansas Board of RegentsKansas Board of Regents
The Kansas Board of Regents is a body consisting of nine members which governs six state universities in the U.S. state of Kansas. In addition to these six universities, it also supervises and coordinates nineteen community colleges, five technical colleges, six technical schools and a municipal...
determined that during Wefald's tenure a total of 13 undocumented payments had been made to former head football Coach Bill Snyder, former athletic director Tim Weiser and Bob Krause, a former vice president and athletic director at the university. Combined, these payments amounted to $845,000. Additionally, a plan was uncovered during the audit to "funnel more than $3 million in deferred compensation to former football coach Ron Prince
Ron Prince
Ron Prince is an American football coach who currently is the assistant offensive line coach with the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL. From 2006 through 2008, Prince was the head football coach at Kansas State University. He was one of six African-American head coaches in the NCAA Division I-Bowl...
." On May 20, 2009, Kansas State University and its athletic corporation filed suit to have a secret agreement between Prince and Krause declared invalid. Prince filed a lawsuit against the university which included the claim that Wefald and other high-ranking university officials had "actual or constructive knowledge" of the transaction.
Wefald denied any knowledge of this secret transaction, attributed the discrepancies to Krause, and immediately called for Krause to resign as director of economic development for the K-State Olathe Innovation Campus, which he did effective on May 20, 2009.
Honors
- In 2002, Jon Wefald was honored by inclusion in the Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame at the Norsk HøstfestNorsk HøstfestNorsk Høstfest is an annual festival held each Fall in Minot, North Dakota. It is North America's largest Scandinavian festival. The event is conducted in the All Seasons Arena on the grounds of the North Dakota State Fair in Minot, North Dakota...
. - In 2002, Jon Wefald was honored as Distinguished Kansan by the Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas.
- In 2009, Jon Wefald was named Kansan of the Year by the Kansas Society of Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
- In 2009, officials at Fort LeavenworthFort LeavenworthFort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
honored Jon Wefald with the Department of the Army's Outstanding Civilian Service Medal.