Local schools, ICCC leader Samuelson passes away at 94

 

Friday, May 22, 2015

By DANA LARSEN / Pilot-Tribune Editor

As a leader in education in Storm Lake for over 30 years, Mel

Samuelson saw issues come and crises go.

His famous words were, "You know, there will be school

tomorrow" - his way of assuring that no matter the troubles,

that tomorrow was always a new day, that every challenge

would be met, and that schools had better be ready when their

students arrive at the door.

Samuelson, former longtime Superintendent of Schools for Storm Lake, and a driving

force behind the establishment of the Storm Lake Iowa Central Community College

Center, passed away Tuesday at 94, at his home. Memorial services will be Saturday at 11

a.m. at St. Mary's Church in Storm Lake. Visitation is Friday 6-8 p.m. at Fratzke &

Jensen funeral home.

In 2004, the ICCC building in Storm Lake was named in honor of Samuelson, though the

humble Storm Laker asked that his name not be placed on the outside of the center. A

plaque was erected in a hallway instead.

Samuelson served as a trustee and chairman of the board for Iowa Central, and led the

effort to form the League of Schools program in the region.
 

"A lot of people got some great career and skills education thanks to the efforts of Mel,"

Storm Lake ICCC Center Director Dan Anderson told the Pilot-Tribune Wednesday.

"He was a strategic thinker, a collaborator, a person who was somehow able to get many

entities all going the same direction at the same time. He was a great mentor as well."

Always quick to deflect credit, Samuelson had said he was shocked by the naming of the

center. "I really wonder whether I've done enough to deserve an honor like this one...

and there were lots of people who were involved in setting up the League of Schools and

working with Iowa Central here."

"Mel played a huge role in establishing one of the premier education centers, and the

League of School where different rural high schools can come together for the common

good of their students. Nothing in this state has ever really replicated what he achieved

in the Storm Lake area," ICCC officials said at the time.

"Somehow, he overcame all the turf issues to build a program that remains a model for

the whole midwest if not the nation in innovative college services for rural schools."

Samuelson started his career as a classroom teacher in Alta. He moved to Linn Grove to

accept his first administration position as superintendent of that district, then later

returned to his roots as Alta's superintendent. When an opportunity opened in Storm

Lake, he became assistant superintendent for the district, and soon, was named

superintendent. He logged 19 years in the school administration building before retiring

in 1986 as one of the best-remembered education leaders in the community's history.

Just months later, he became involved with Iowa Central Community College, and was

 

 

 

 elected to the Board of Trustees within a year of his school retirement, when asked to fill

a vacant seat. He served approximately 13 years on the board, including five years as

chairman.

"I found my experience with Iowa Central to be very interesting and very worthwhile," he

reflected shortly after retiring. "I think we were one of the first in the state to use a

community college in the public schools. It did a good job of taking care of the needs of

people who weren't in a position to go to a four-year college at the time. The college has

really evolved, and it is now instrumental in providing college credit classes within the

high school which students can transfer to other colleges and universities in the state,

and in so many aspects of community adult and vocational education."

In his retirement, Samuelson remained active, working with the Lutheran Brotherhood

(now Thrivent) in many good community causes, serving with the local chapter of the

American Red Cross, serving on the Methodist Manor Care Review Committee, church

efforts, Kiwanis Club and other community programs.

Since his early days as an educator, both the face of education and the young people it

serves have changed, he notes. "I started out teaching things like typing and shorthand,

and those courses don't even exist anymore as we've adapted to the computer age. And

the students back then didn't run into a lot of the things that they have to deal with

today."

If he were here, he would remind is that there will indeed be school tomorrow. And in

one will be a golden plaque honoring a man who reminded us to keep it in perspective.