WSU President Emeritus 1967-1977
Robert “Bob” A. DuFresne, 94, grew up in Brainerd, Minn., and served in the Navy during World War II. He graduated in 1950 from St. Cloud State University with his undergraduate degree and earned his doctorate from the University of North Dakota.
Bob attended many different institutes, most notably the I.C.E.T. Conference of International Education in Nairobi, Kenya the European Parliament Delegation at Federal Union, London; and Congress of the Union of European Federalists in Koln, Germany.
Bob served as president of Winona State University from 1967 to 1977. WSU President Scott R. Olson commented, “Few presidents have had as much impact on WSU as Bob DuFresne, and I’m glad I had a few years to get to know him. There is Winona State ‘Before Bob’ and ‘After Bob.’ It was during his time that the College became a University.
It was during his time that some of our core values – such as scholarship and community engagement – first emerged. And then there are the facilities he brought into being: Memorial Hall, Minné Hall, Maxwell Hall, Sheehan Hall, much of Kryzsko Commons, and the Performing Arts Center. But more than anything, his legacy is the wonderful faculty and staff he hired, who together built the culture we still enjoy today. This is his greatest legacy, and it’s why we will miss him so.”
Prior to coming to WSU, he was the Director of Teacher Education at Kearney State College, associate professor at Mankato State University, and visiting lecturer at Drake University, Troy State University, and Western Washington University, and taught in the Austin, Minn., public schools. Following his tenure as president of WSU, he was a distinguished service professor, taught political science, and was coordinator of the Studies Abroad Program in England at WSU.
Throughout his lifetime, Bob received many honors and awards including the Minnesota State University System Distinguished Service Professor, Distinguished Alumni Award at St. Cloud State University, Outstanding Community Achievement Award in Winona, Who’s Who in America, Danforth Foundation Associate, and Good Will Ambassador to Turkey.
Bob was an accomplished writer with many publications and papers. His biggest publication was “A History of Winona State University,” 1985.
