Established on 10.26.1987 by the Estate of Alice Flaten Olsen †
Alice Flaten Olsen was born on August 23, 1898, in Moorhead, MN, where she grew up and attended school. She graduated from the classical course from Concordia College in 1918 and received a BS from North Dakota Agricultural College in 1923. Alice worked as a county home extension agent and was on the faculty at both Concordia College from 1928 to 1939 and at North Dakota State University. She married Edgar I. Olsen on August 8, 1927, in Detroit Lakes, MN. They had one son, Mark, and many grandchildren.
While on staff in Concordia's Home Economics Department, Alice was involved with the Women's League from 1929 to 1936 and served as an advisor for Lambda Delta Sigma during the 1938 - 1939 academic year. Through her active involvement in both the Home Economics Department and the Concordia Women’s League, Alice played an instrumental role in the college surviving the Great Depression. She and her colleagues in the department regularly scheduled bake sales and other events that the students in her department would host. These events earned much-needed revenue for Concordia during a time when students struggled to pay their increasing tuition and supplies fees.
Alice's work with the Women’s League was also crucial to student retention. During the Great Depression tuition increased dramatically. For the previous decade, semester charges had averaged around $185. In the 1930s, however, semester fees rose to over $200. While this may not seem like an incredible increase in cost, for students at the time it was immense. Including costs of books, and room and board, the cost of attending Concordia rose to around $400 per semester. The Women’s League began offering awards, scholarships, and loans to students who needed the money to stay enrolled. Being able to keep the enrollment numbers stable allowed for continual revenue which helped Concordia pull through the economic crisis of the 1930s.
Continuing this dedication to keeping tuition costs affordable for students, Alice established the Alice Flaten Olsen Memorial Scholarship with a gift from her estate.
The Alice Flaten Olsen Memorial Scholarship is awarded by the Office of Financial Aid to one or more students of any class majoring in home economics. Selection is further based upon financial need and scholastic achievement.