Dr. Paul J. Dovre

Lauded for his visionary leadership, community building on campus, faculty development, and fund raising successes, Dr. Paul J. Dovre is as beloved as he is respected for his years as President of Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, a position which he held from 1975 to 1999. His accomplishments are myriad and have earned him numerous honors and awards. A Knight First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav and a recipient of The American-Norway Heritage Fund Award, he was also the first recipient of the Norwegian Ambassador’s Award. In 1986, an Exxon Education Foundation Study named him one of the 100 most effective college/university presidents in the country.

Born in Minneota, MN, Dr. Dovre graduated from Concordia College in 1958. He earned his Ph.D. at Northwestern University in 1963 and returned to Concordia as a professor that year. By 1967, he was Associate Dean of the College and in 1971 he became Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College. He was named Concordia’s 8th President in 1975.

As Concordia’s President, Dr. Dovre encouraged several important developments in the life of college. Known for his nuanced understanding of the relationship between faith and learning, Dr. Dovre initiated important programs to encourage faculty, students, and the community at large to explore this theme. He oversaw the development of the Center for Faith and Learning and championed Concordia’s Annual Faith, Reason, and World Affairs symposium. Beyond Concordia’s campus, he has been instrumental in the success of the annual Vocation of a Lutheran College Conference, where educators at institutions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America gather to discuss the meaning of a Lutheran education. In all of his efforts, he has striven to enhance Concordia’s identity as a Lutheran college and to promote Lutheran higher education as a whole.

Over his long career, Dr. Dovre has shared his formidable talents with others far beyond Concordia’s campus. He played leadership roles in numerous academic organizations, including the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Council for Independent Colleges, and the Lutheran Educational Conference of North America. In the Fargo-Moorhead region, Dr. Dovre also participated actively in several community organizations, including the United Way and the Rotary Club. And every Christmas season, he can be found ringing a bell for the Salvation Army.

Many expected Dr. Dovre to retire in 2000, at the “milestone” of 25 years. But to Dr. Dovre, round numbers hold no particular meaning. Faith, learning, and service are his guides, and in retirement, his commitment to these values continues. He spent Fall, 1999 at Harvard University’s Kennedy School studying the influences that shape church related high education and remains active in developing leadership for Lutheran institutions.