Carl Laurence Olson

August 1, 1944 - August 23, 2015 Lieutenant Commander (Ret) Carl Laurence Olson passed away on August 23rd following a long battle with multiple myeloma. He was 71. Carl is survived by his daughter, Sarah Olson of Washington, DC, and his four brothers and their wives, Eric Olson and Carol Broede of Sierra Madre, CA; Layton Olson and Annette Robinson of Chicago; Neil Olson and Carol Lindquist of Laguna Beach, CA; and Wayne Olson and Sandy Miller of Hastings on Hudson, NY. Carl was born on August 1st, 1944, in Los Angeles to his parents, Eugene and Aletha Olson. Carl graduated from John Marshall High School in 1962. He graduated with a BA in Economics-Engineering from Pomona College in 1966. He later earned both an MS in Journalism (1968) and an MBA (1969) from Columbia University. Carl spent 8 years in the private sector at NBC. Carl dedicated his life to public service. For 20 years, he served as an Intelligence Specialist in the US Navy, including a 3 year tour in Japan. He earned the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Pistol Sharpshooter, and the Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal. As part of a UN effort, he represented the US in North Korea in 1988. From 1982-1984, Carl served in the US Department of Health and Human Services as an appointee of President Ronald Reagan. He founded and led several non-profit advocacy groups, including The State Department Watch (including TeaParty.org), The Fund For Stockholders' Rights, My Auto Club, and Textbook Trust. Carl served as Professor of Accounting at several universities and was published in many major periodicals, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Economist and the LA Times. Carl's family will always remember the issues he was passionate about and fought to bring attention to - US interest in Wrangell Island, slave labor by US corporations in foreign nations, small shareholders' lack of rights in corporate settings, the Raoul Wallenberg and Miroslav Medved cases, and his home state's failure to implement practical, cost-effective solutions to water shortages and wild fires. A service is planned for December 27th. All are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that you make donations to Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (www.theimmf.org) or any of the causes Carl was passionate about.