In Memory
Alger (Al) Olson ’57

1928-2000
Survived by two children, two grandchildren and his wife, Ruth.

Reflections from Ruth Olson, who plans to attend the reunion and her email address is rutholson [at] charter.net.

Ruth and Alger Olson in 1999.

Alger always said Macalester was a great college to attend. He majored in journalism but was also deeply interested in world history. He worked on the Mac Weekly. He also worked with the alumni committee on various activities after he graduated.

After graduation, Alger worked at the Minnesota State Health Department as a health educator. While there, he was able to go back to school on a part-time basis at the University of Minnesota to get his Master’s degree in Public Health. In 1963 he began working at the Minneapolis Health Dept. as Chief of Health Education.

Alger had many interests. He loved to read and was very interested in World War II. (He actually did the research and wrote a book about it, but never got it published). He also had a great interest in the paranormal. While at Macalester, he founded the Mystic Club, which dedicated itself to summoning and observing spirits. The club was mostly tongue-in-cheek but Alger was not mocking the existence of ghosts. There were always rumors that Kirk Hall had its "occupants." In the ’90s, he was a member of Ghost Hunter Society and with that group took a trip to England and visited haunted places. In August 1998, he and his team did a ghost investigation of Old Main and an article was written up in the Mac Weekly. He was also very involved in his hometown of Virginia, Minn., where they were restoring the old historic State Theater. He was on the board and helped to raise money to start renovation work.

Alger died of a massive heart attack November 30, 2000. He has been missed very much by his family.