Olaf F. Larson

1910 - 2017

Olaf F. Larson

Mt. Dora, FL - Olaf F. Larson, Professor of Rural Sociology, Emeritus, Cornell University, died November 14, 2017 in Mt. Dora, Florida, near Orlando. Prior to moving to Waterman Village in 1997, a Mt. Dora retirement facility, Olaf resided at 204 Homestead Terrace in Ithaca, NY. He was 107 years old. Olaf was born on February 26, 1910 on a small dairy and tobacco farm near Edgerton, WI. He was the only child of Sandberg and Clara Alwin Larson. After attending a one-room country school house and the local high school, he entered the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Olaf received a B.S. degree in 1932 in the College of Agriculture, an M.S. in 1933 in Agricultural Journalism, and a Ph.D. in 1941 with a major in Rural Sociology. He also did graduate work at the University of Minnesota in 1934-1935. Olaf married Clair Lippman in Denver, CO on December 12, 1939. He was preceded in death by Clair on January 9, 2011. He is survived by their two sons, William O. Larson of Bibbiena, Italy, and Richard S. Larson of Orlando, FL, and his wife, Debbie. Olaf was predeceased by William's wife, Barbara. Olaf is also survived by granddaughter Catherine Larson Franceschi, her husband Enrico, and great grandchildren Marco, Giulia and Pietro of Subbiano, Italy; his grandson Timothy W. Larson, wife Eva, and great granddaughter Ella of Tampa, FL; grandson Michael J. Larson, wife Camille, and two great grandchildren, Clara and Asher of Tallahassee, FL; and granddaughter Jacqueline C. Larson of Charlotte, NC.

In 1935, Olaf joined the faculty of the Department of Economics, Sociology, and History at what is now Colorado State's University at Fort Collins. In 1938, he was offered a position with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Division of Farm Population and Rural Life, Bureau of Agriculture Economics. He began his duties as regional leader for the Division in Amarillo, TX. In 1939, he was transferred to Washington, D.C., to lead the Division research on low-income farm families and rural rehabilitation. During 1943-1944, he look leave, due to the death of his father in a farm accident, to operate the family farm in Wisconsin. In 1945, he was transferred to a new regional office for the Northwest in Portland, OR.

Olaf joined the faculty of the Department of Rural Sociology, Cornell in September, 1946 as an Associate Professor. He was promoted to Professor in 1949 and served as Department Chair during 1957-1966. He also served as the first Director for the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development during 1972-1975. He retired as Professor Emeritus in 1975 but continued research and writing projects for another 40 years. During his career, Olaf was twice named a Fulbright Research Scholar, conducting research activities in Norway, 1951-1952 and Italy, 1961-1962. He also lectured at the Pennsylvania State University, the University of Wisconsin, Queens University in Canada and at the University of Reading, England. Olaf also served as President of the Rural Sociological Society, 1957-1958 and was active with the International Rural Sociological Association. In 1967-1968, he was a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Science at Stanford University. In 1985, he received the Distinguished Rural Sociologist award from the Rural Sociological Society. Olaf was active in the greater Ithaca community. He served as President of the Family and Children's Service of Ithaca in 1955-1956 and was Chair of the Ithaca School Board Nominating Committee in 1953-1955. For many years, he was active in the First Congregational Church of Ithaca. He authored or co-authored more than 200 professional journal papers and reports. Books with Julie N. Zimmerman, Ph.D '97, include "Sociology in Government," a study of the early years of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and "Opening Windows into Hidden Lives," a history of farm women and country life in the first half of the twentieth century. His final book, "When Horses Pulled the Plow," was published when Olaf was 101. In this family favorite, Olaf discussed his recollections of growing up on a small Wisconsin farm prior to the advent of running water and electricity and riding his pony to the one-room school house.

Memorial contributions may be made to Cornell University for the Robert A. Polson and Olaf F. Larson Fund for Excellence, to Cornell University for the Olaf F. Larson Endowment Fund in the Albert R. Mann Library, or to the Family and Children's Service of Ithaca, 204 North Cayuga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850. Olaf will be interred in East Lawn Cemetery, Ithaca, in late spring 2018.