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Dr. Iva May Larsen
DSU’s 2001 Homecoming Parade Marshal

            The 2001 Dakota State University Homecoming Parade Marshal will be Dr. Iva May Larsen, a former business professor at DSU. The Homecoming parade will take place on Egan Avenue starting at 10am on Saturday, October 6, 2001.

Dr. Larsen taught business at Dakota State University for twenty-three years before retiring in 1997. Dr. Larsen remains a vital force at the university during her retirement, spearheading efforts to bring together the Retired Employees Group, once serving as a student teacher supervisor and being the first person to respond when publicity goes out for “Madison Hosts the Legislature Day” in Pierre, helping host the event several times. She is also a member of the university foundation board and an ever-present face at functions, banquets, awards ceremonies, programs, and alumni events on campus.

Traveling is one of Dr. Larsen’s main interests, recently traveling to Washington D.C. in March and to Canada this past summer. She has also planned a trip to China later this month.

Dr. Larsen also shares her love of plants with the faculty and staff at DSU. With the aid of DSU assistant professor of BIS, Lynette Molstad and Delta Mu Delta, each spring Iva presents the university with an array of plants to be placed in front of the DSU signs on the southwest and northwest edges of campus. She has also loaned her larger flowering plants to the Trojan Center and the Kennedy Center to brighten the hallways.

Dr. Larsen graduated from Northern State College in 1949 with a degree enabling her to teach the upper grades in elementary schools. She returned to Northern to earn her Bachelor Degree in Business Education in 1956, and earned a Master’s Degree in Business Education from the University of Northern Colorado in 1959. She received her doctorate in Administration, Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Nebraska—Lincoln in 1989.

In addition to teaching courses at Dakota State, Dr. Larsen was involved in professional and academic associations including Delta Pi Epsilon, Delta Mu Delta, (which she still helps advise), Phi Delta Kappa and Delta Kappa Gamma. She served as the state president of the latter organization for two years and was state president of the South Dakota Business Education Association for two years as well. She was South Dakota Business Education Teacher of the Year in 1986 and is a honorary life member of South Dakota State Phi Beta Lamda.

Her professional experience has included teaching assignments at McLaughlin Public Schools and Winner Public Schools in South Dakota, also having taught at John Evans Junior High in Greeley, Colorado and the University of South Dakota/Springfield. Dr. Larsen worked as a graduate assistant at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln for a year. She has served on various advisory boards and committees, presented workshops and participated at national conferences.

Dr. Larsen’s late husband, Don Larsen, was part of the DSU Music Department faculty. He was a talented musician, having his own band at one time. She and Don had three sons, Tom, Carl, and Chuck. Carl and wife Carrie live in the Twin Cities and have a daughter, Elizabeth and son, Matthew. Tom works at the Cargill Colman Elevator. Chuck is deceased.