Yngve Ramstad

RAMSTAD, YNGVE, a longtime University of Rhode Island economics professor and former department chair, died July 5, 2008, of complications from ALS. He was 67.

The Rhode Island chapter of the ALS Association honored Yngve with its Brian Dickinson Courage Award on June 12. Although Yngve was unable to attend, more than three dozen colleagues and friends, including two from his high school years, were present. His daughter, Kathryn Ramstad-Albert, accepted the award on his behalf.

Yngve was born March 20, 1941, in Norway, the oldest child of Egil and Petrine Ramstad. The family moved to the United States in 1949 when Egil accepted a professorship at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. After high school, where he was an accomplished musician and multi-sport athlete, Yngve earned a bachelor's degree in industrial management from Purdue University. He worked at Gary (Ind.) Steel Works for four years and served two years in the U.S. Army before beginning graduate school at Washington State University, where he earned a master's degree in economics. He received his Ph.D. in economics in 1981 from the University of California at Berkeley and joined the URI faculty in 1982. In 1984, Yngve married Alexa Albert, a URI professor of sociology. She died May 2, 2007.

Of his teaching, Yngve once wrote: 'My challenge has always been to keep students engaged long enough to overcome their sense of frustration and to discover . . . that they are interested in understanding more about . . . the 'worldly philosophy' known as economics.'

A self-effacing gentleman, he once explained: 'Having been brought up in a Lutheran household, I find it unbecoming for one to engage in self-praise and am uneasy doing so.' His academic colleagues, however, effusively praised his scholarship, especially that on John R. Commons. His book chapters, articles and conference presentations about that renowned authority on labor relations received international acclaim. In January 2009, Yngve's work on Commons will be the topic of a panel at the annual meeting of the Association for Evolutionary Economics, which he once chaired.

Yngve, believing that 'it is extremely important for faculty to participate as good citizens in matters of self-government,' served URI in a variety of capacities, including several terms on the Faculty Senate and two years as vice-chair; the Teaching Effectiveness Committee; a General Education Task Force; and the Executive Board of the faculty union.

But it was his several terms on the Athletics Advisory Board, which he chaired from 2003-2006, and his work as NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative that Yngve most enjoyed. He made it a point to attend athletic events of all sorts and to get to know URI student-athletes, whose 'unbelievable work ethic, self-discipline and strong competitive urge' he frequently acknowledged.

In October 2007, many of those student-athletes, along with their coaches, joined other URI students, faculty, staff and friends in a Walk Around the Quad to honor Yngve and raise money (more than $10,000) for the ALS Association. Also participating in the walk was the URI Traditional Jazz Band, one of several groups Yngve performed with after returning to trombone-playing in the late 1990s. He joined the Wakefield Civic Band in 1998 and ROMPS (Retired Old Men Playing Swing) in 2001, and played with both until his illness. From 2001-2004, he also was a member of the Dixie Gents.

In addition to his daughter, Yngve is survived by two sons, David Ramstad and Eric Ramstad, of Berkeley, Calif; his mother and brother, Tore, of Sun Prairie, Wis.; his sister, Liv May Ramstad, of Columbus, Ohio; his sister-and brother-in-law, Lois and Marty Stanczak, of Ocean City, N.J.; four nephews, John Stanczak and Thomas, David and Kevin Drinan; and a niece, Jill Halbruner.

A celebration of Yngve's life will be held on Friday, August 1, 2008 at 3 P.M. in the U.R.I. University Club, 95 Upper College Road, Kingston, RI 02881. Donations in his name can be made to the ALS Association - Rhode Island Chapter, 2915 Post Rd., Warwick, RI 02886.