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Loring Knecht, long-time St. Olaf French professor,international studies pioneer, dies at 79

mjc
January 17, 2001

NORTHFIELD, Minn. ? Loring Dahl Knecht, long-time professor of French at St. Olaf College and a pioneer of college?s highly regarded international studies program, died on Tuesday, Jan. 16, in Three Links Care Center, Northfield, Minn., following a battle with liver cancer. He was 79.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 11 a.m. in St. Johns Lutheran Church, 500 West Third Street, Northfield, the Rev. Les Svendson presiding.

Loring Knecht taught for 36 years at St. Olaf, serving as Romance Languages Department chair for 28 of those years. He was instrumental in organizing the first foreign study programs in French and Spanish, leading groups of St. Olaf students to France for study beginning in 1965. He also helped to organize the Upper Midwest Association for Intercultural Education, which provided Interim study abroad programs for students. As the result of work by him and other pioneering professors, St. Olaf sends a higher percentage of students to study abroad than any other U.S. college or university.

His efforts to help create one of the nation?s first international studies programs were among his proudest accomplishments, according to his son, Leif Knecht of Northfield. "He felt it was essential for colleges to teach young people to take a broad view of the world," Leif Knecht said.

Loring Knecht was born on Sept. 19, 1921, in Wimbledon, N.D., to Jacob and Edna Dahl Knecht. He graduated from high school in Bismarck, N.D., and attended St. Olaf College, working at WCAL Radio during the station?s early years. His decision to study French was strongly influenced by the fact that his parents were Swiss and Norwegian. At that time St. Olaf students who were more than 50 percent Norwegian were required to study Norwegian. "Since I was just 50 percent, I decided to try French," he told a newspaper interviewer many years later.

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But his education was interrupted by World War II. After working at the Boeing Aircraft factory in Seattle, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving from July 1943 to March 1946 in the Army Intelligence Corps in England, France and Belgium as a staff sergeant. After his discharge from the Army, he returned to St. Olaf to continue his studies, graduating in 1947 with majors in French and art, and as a member of Blue Key and Phi Beta Kappa. He went on to study for a year at the Sorbonne in Paris, France, under the auspices of the French Bureau de Relation Culturelles, and for a year at the University of Paris as one of the first Fulbright Scholars. He earned a master?s and Ph.D. in French language and literature from the University of Wisconsin, starting his teaching career at St. Olaf College in 1950.

On July 11, 1950, he married Suzanne Marie Toan in Paris, France. The couple settled in Northfield, both teaching French at St. Olaf. They raised two children and founded and jointly operated Knight Tours, which offered guided tours to Europe. They were divorced in 1997.

He retired from teaching in 1986 as professor emeritus of romance languages, moving to the southern coast of France until 1995, when he relocated to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In 1997 he returned to Northfield, living at 409 N Lincoln St.

On Oct. 22, 2000, he married Virginia Gangsei in Northfield.

He earned numerous scholarships and awards during his career at St. Olaf, and his research was published in many academic journals. He was especially interested in African literature written in the French language. Though he was a French teacher, he loved the art and architecture of Europe, and made many trips to the continent.

He is survived by his wife, Virginia; a son, Leif (Deb) Knecht of Northfield; a daughter, Genevieve (Art) Williams of Marietta, GA; two grandchildren, Spencer and Claire Williams; four step-grandchildren, Jared Pittman, Stephanie Jensen and Matt and Jim Williams; two step-great grandchildren; and five children of Virginia Gangsei Knecht and their families.

He also is survived by a sister, Shirley (Ed) Bersagel of Lakeville, Minn.; a brother, Don (Mary) Knecht of Minneapolis; brothers-in-law Orlando Andvik of Mesa, Ariz., and Earl Lee of Moorhead, Minn.; 14 nieces and nephews; and other extended family members.

He was preceded in death by his parents and by two sisters, Dorothy Andvik and Jean Lee.

Contact Michael Cooper at 507-786-3315 or cooperm@stolaf.edu.