Former NDSU President Ozbun Dies at 88

Former NDSU President Jim Ozbun, who led the university during a period of significant academic and athletic achievement, died Aug. 3 in Bismarck. He was 88.

A funeral service is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, at St. John Lutheran Church in Dickinson, with burial to follow at Fair Hill Cemetery in Flasher. Visitation will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8, at Stevenson Funeral Home in Dickinson.

“I encourage you to reflect on his enduring impact and join me in extending heartfelt condolences to all members of our community who knew and worked with him,” current NDSU President David Cook wrote in an email to campus. “Our NDSU community is grateful for his many significant contributions.”

Ozbun served as NDSU’s president from 1988 to 1995. During his tenure, he helped advance the university’s research mission and was instrumental in key campus developments, including the move of Bison football to the Fargodome and the establishment of the Ellig Sports Complex. His leadership coincided with two NCAA football championships and four women’s basketball national titles. In recognition of his support for athletics, Jim and his wife, Sonja, were named honorary Bison Athletic Hall of Fame members in 2010.

In 2016, the President Jim Ozbun Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship was established through the NDSU Foundation with a $4.5 million endowment, including $1.5 million from the North Dakota Challenge Grant program. The position supports innovative entrepreneurship research and teaching at the university.

Born Sept. 3, 1936, in Carson, North Dakota, Ozbun grew up on a farm in the western part of the state. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from NDSU and a doctorate in soils and plant physiology from North Carolina State University. His academic career included faculty and leadership roles at Cornell University, the University of Minnesota, Kansas State University and Washington State University.

Following his presidency at NDSU, Ozbun retired in 1995 and returned to western North Dakota, where he operated a cattle ranch and raised registered Hereford cattle and Quarter horses. He continued to serve higher education in retirement, including a term as interim president of Dickinson State University in 2015.

Ozbun was a prolific researcher, authoring more than 50 scientific journal articles and advising numerous graduate students. He also consulted internationally in countries such as China, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan and Colombia.

A dedicated community leader, Ozbun held leadership roles in Rotary International, the Boy Scouts of America, Medora Foundation, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Foundation, Partners for Grassland Stewardship, and St. John Lutheran Church. His recognitions included the Paul Harris Fellow from Rotary, the James West Fellowship Award from the Boy Scouts, and multiple honors from the Dickinson Chamber of Commerce.

He is survived by his children, Terry (Patty McCauley) Ozbun and Karen (Phillip) Farrington; grandchildren Hannah Ozbun, Seth (Susan) Farrington, Caleb (Sam) Farrington, Joshua (Sarah) Farrington, Samantha (Anthony) Webb, and Rose (Ben) Ewing.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Sonja; his parents; sister Carley Wright; and brothers Larry and Ronnie.

Memorials may be directed to the St. John Trust Fund, the Jim and Sonja Fine Arts Scholarship at the NDSU Foundation, or the Dickinson State University Heritage Foundation.