Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Northwest School of Agriculture Announces Top Aggie Recipients for 2016


CROOKSTON, Minn. – The Northwest School of Agriculture (NWSA) Alumni Association announces its 2016 Top Aggie recipients. The Northwest School was the predecessor of the University of Minnesota Crookston and all alumni of the Northwest School are invited back for a day of activities celebrating their history on the campus on Saturday, June 25.  

The Top Aggie award is the highest recognition given by the NWSA Alumni Association. Three alumni were selected for the honor by the NWSA Alumni Board: Clayton Engelstad 1948, Fertile, Minn. (posthumously); Barbara (Hylland) Lunsetter 1956, Middle River, Minn.; and Stanley Overgaard 1965, Dalton, Minn. The Top Aggies will be recognized during a luncheon held at noon in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center.

The alumni reunion, first held in 1918, brings back alumni from the Northwest School of Agriculture, a residential high school located on what is now the University of Minnesota Crookston campus. The NWSA opened its doors in 1906 and graduated its first class of 8 students in 1909. The first Top Aggie award was given to Herschel Lysaker, a member of the staff at the Northwest School, in 1970 and it has been awarded annually since that time.

The reunion brings back more than 150 alumni for a day filled with reminiscing and reconnecting with classmates and friends. Following the Top Aggie Luncheon, alumni hold class meetings and take class photos, enjoy bus tours of campus, and a social and barbecue supper close out the day. For more information on the reunion, contact Sue Dwyer at 218-281-8401.