Alum, Football Letterman Dick Knowlton Passes Away

                BOULDER – Richard "Dick" Knowlton, a standout performer on Coach Dal Ward's early University of Colorado football teams and a longtime generous donor to the university and the athletic department, passed away on Friday (Feb. 1) from complications due to Alzheimer's disease. He was 86.

                Knowlton passed away in Vail, where he had resided the last 25 years of his life after returning to his native Austin, Minn., home following college and military service. He graduated from CU in 1954 and was hired by Hormel Foods, which was based in his hometown. Having worked there as a teenager just two blocks from his boyhood home, he eventually worked for over four decades for the food giant, ultimately serving as President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Hormel Foods Corporation and Chairman of the Hormel Foundation.

                He lettered three years at guard for the Buffaloes (1951-53), majoring in geography and economics. In 1989, he was named an honorable mention member of CU's All-Century team, which recognized the first 100 years of the sport in Boulder. He was inducted into the University of Colorado Hall of Honor (1989), along with receiving the University Medal (1993), the Distinguished Business Service Award from CU's Leeds School of Business (1995) and the school's prestigious George Norlin Award (2010).

                After CU's magical football seasons of 1989 and 1990, which included two Big Eight Conference titles and the '90 national championship, school officials led by athletic director Bill Marolt started CU's most significant fundraising campaign at the time to build a new team building for the football program. Marolt turned to Knowlton who made the first major contribution – a $500,000 personal gift – to the $14.3 million project. Named for his college coach, Knowlton's generous gift triggered others and the Dal Ward Athletic Center opened in August 1991.

                "For the university and especially for the athletic department, Dick was a difference maker," said Marolt, CU's athletic director from 1984-96. "He was a great student, a great football player, a great alum and a great leader at everything he did in life. He made a big difference for us with his incredible gift, and I believe that really set the stage for future facility improvements in athletics.

                 "I wanted to name the building after Dal, so I needed to find someone who had a great deal of respect and love playing for Dal, and Dick was that guy," Marolt continued. "I went to him, and he was really excited to climb on board and came through with that first major gift. His commitment paved the way for Coors and StorageTek to follow with significant gifts and we were well on our way to raising all the funds in a short period of time."

                "Dick was instrumental in the success of CU Athletics ever since he was one of our football standouts in the early 1950s," CU athletic director Rick George said. "A very proud and active alum, he chaired our fundraising campaign for the Dal Ward Center and was a big part of the development of that project, which was our first major one in over a decade at the time. Dick will be greatly missed as a former player and will be forever remembered for his many contributions to CU Athletics."

                "Dick Knowlton's leadership through perseverance and pragmatic business thinking was, is and always will be inspiring to me and so many Buffs he touched with such grace and humility," said Mike Bohn, CU's athletic director from 2005-13. "He was really a special breed of leader."

                He met the love of his life, Nancy Van Derbur, while at CU, and they married soon after graduation in late 1954. Knowlton did his military service with the Air Force, serving as an intelligence officer spending for two years based in Spokane, Wash. His sister-in-law, Marilyn Van Derbur, won the 1958 Miss America competition.

                Knowlton was a man of vision, family, community and knew the importance of hard work, honesty and determination to overcome obstacles; he provided mentoring and financial resources for so many deserving students to attend college. He was also an accomplished author, penning Points of Difference: Transforming Hormel which has been used in College Business Leadership classes. He was also a member of numerous boards and was inducted into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame in 2011.

                But his heart was always close to his hometown of Austin; his vision and efforts raised over $87 million in funding for projects to benefit the Austin community.

                He was born on June 9, 1932 in Austin, to Lyle and Rosella (Bothun) Knowlton, who had seven children. He became a star on the Austin High School football team which led to Ward offering him a scholarship to attend CU.

                He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Nancy; five children: Scott (Andrea Biller), Kimberly Heymann, Claudia (Anthony) Knowlton-Chike, David (Teri) Knowlton and Julie (Rich) Wham; 12 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren; a sister Carol Warfield; two brothers Gary and Bob (Joan) Knowlton. Many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lyle and Rosella Knowlton; his sisters Susan Knowlton, Marjorie Anderson, Mary Jane Knowlton and sister-in-law Mary Knowlton.

                Memorials may be designated to the Alzheimer's Association, Eisenhower Medical Center, Vail Health, Mayo Foundation, University of Colorado. On Saturday, Feb. 16, a gathering for family and friends will be held at Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 1091 S. Colorado Blvd. at 11 a.m., followed by a funeral service at 12 p.m. He will be buried at Mt. Lindo Cemetery in Morrison.

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