Historian-in-Residence Passes Away

He was a prolific writer, speaker, teacher, and agriculture innovator.

Dr. Hiram M. Drache, professor emeritus of history and historian-in-residence, passed away Oct. 17.

After graduating from Owatonna High School, Owatonna, Minn., in 1942, Drache enrolled at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn. His educational plans were pre-empted when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps on Nov. 6, 1942, where he served as a lead squadron navigator on B-17s on bombing raids over Germany. After his courageous combat service, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Gustavus Adolphus, a master’s from the University of Minnesota, and later a doctorate from the University of North Dakota.

Drache taught at Concordia from 1952-53 then he and his wife, Ada, returned to the farm they had previously purchased and he worked as assistant to the treasurer at Federated Mutual Insurance Company from 1953 to 1955.

The Draches farmed in Baker, Minn., from 1950 to 1981 and their farming operation received nationwide publicity for its many innovations, including a completely computerized record-keeping system developed in 1966 for their feeding operation. Drache began researching and writing about agriculture and regional history in the mid-1950s.

He credited his wife for her editing of his master’s degree, doctoral papers, and his first 15 books. His doctoral dissertation was published as his first book, “The Day of The Bonanza.” He went on to publish an additional 20 books. In addition, he was a contributing author to numerous additional books and articles.

In August 1955, Drache rejoined the faculty at Concordia, where he taught until 1991. After teaching thousands of students, he retired and became the historian-in-residence, a title he held until his passing.

In the 1960s, he had a radio program, “Tales of Bonanza Land,” on KFGO. He was a presenter at the symposium “Two Centuries of American Agriculture” sponsored by the USDA in Washington, D.C., in 1975. In 1976, he represented North Dakota on NBC’s “Today” show in its series on the bicentennial. In 1981, he conducted a five-week speaking tour in New South Wales, Australia, sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture and three agricultural businesses.

In 1977, he received the Award of Merit from Gamma Sigma Delta, University of Minnesota, and the Distinguished Service Award from Gustavus Adolphus College. In 1978, Cosmopolitan International presented him with the Distinguished Service Award and he received the Flaat Distinguished Service Award from Concordia in 1988. In 2010, the Clay County Heritage award was followed in 2012 by the honorary degree Doctor of Letters from the University of North Dakota for being one of the premier interpreters of agriculture and entrepreneurship in the region. As far as is known, he is one of only three Concordia teaching faculty to be so honored. In 2015, he received the “Senior of the Year” award from Bethany Homes.

He is survived by his wife, Ada; a daughter, Kay (Loren Botner), St. Louis Park; two sons, David (Mary), Roseville, and Paul (Lisa) Greeley, Colo.; seven grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.