Founders' Excellence Awards
Spring 2003

Norm Gorder | John B. Kuhr | Karen Watkins Myers | Ken L. Myers

MSU-Northern Founders' Excellence Awards were presented to four individuals who have received outstanding recognition within their own professional fields or contributed to the growth and development of the campus. Norman A. Gorder, John B. Kuhr, Karen Myers, and Ken L. Myers were honored during the Founders' Excellence Dinner Friday, May 9th, 2003 in the Student Union Building Dining Room. The "Golden Grads," 50-Year Reunion Class of 1953, were also recognized at this event.

A 1939 Northern Montana College alum and life long Havre resident, Norm A. Gorder has devoted his retirement years to the volunteering that is so close to his heart, but his spirit of giving back to his community began long before his retirement. He worked from 1940-1989 for the Heltne Oil Company as General Manager of Operations and during that time, he attended over 200 workshops and business management seminars receiving numerous awards for performance and service from Exxon Corporation.

Gorder's service to the community of Havre is exemplary and he is widely appreciated for his unselfish gift of support and time to so many organizations, serving in officer positions in many. Still an active volunteer, he has given much volunteer service to the North Montana Health Care Information Desk, North Montana Healthcare Foundation Board, Havre Area Chamber of Commerce office, MSU-Northern Foundation Board for the past 8 years, and is a charter member of the newly formed Havre Public Schools Foundation. He also was a twelve-year member of Toastmaster International and is a member of First Lutheran Church, serving on various boards and assisting with their monthly newsletter.

Among his other interests, he is an avid bridge player and has been a certified director of the American Contract Bridge League and a Sanctioned Bridge Club Director for twenty five years and a certified American Contract Bridge teacher for twenty years. Gorder is also a lifetime member of the Lions International and was a charter member of the Havre Lions Club, serving as Director, President, and Program Chairman for fourteen years. He is a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the Disabled Veterans of America. He was a medical technician with the military in World War II, serving in North Africa, India, Bangladesh and in the Himalayas on the border of Nepal and Tibet. He has served on the United Way Board for fifteen years and was a director of the Havre Chamber of Commerce from 1981-1982. He was on the R.S.V.P. Council and was a Business Counselor and Coordinator with S.B.A. sponsored Score Chapter since 1989, serving as co-chair for seven years for the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) from 1989-1996

Norm Gorder and his wife Marge have raised a family of five daughters and one son, in the community of Havre. Five of his children are graduates of MSU-Northern.

A Havre native, John B. Kuhr was the youngest of the five children of Max and Marian Broadwater Kuhr, early Havre community leaders and supporters of Northern. He enrolled at Northern Montana College in 1949, was elected president of the freshmen class, and was an honor student. A mainstay of the basketball team, he was awarded a basketball scholarship to the University of Utah after being named MVP of the Regional Junior College Tournament in Provo, Utah. After earning his undergraduate degree there, he enrolled in the University of Michigan in pursuit of his Juris Doctorate, which he earned in 1956. That year he was admitted to practice law in Montana before the Montana Supreme and Districts Court and the U.S. District Court. He then began a lifelong career with Bosch, Kuhr, Dugdale, Martin and Kaze, Attorneys at Law. 1956 was a busy year as he also served as a 1st Lieutenant in the Marine Corps from 1956-1959 receiving an Honorable Discharge on July 27th, 1960. While stationed in the Washington, D.C. area, he met and later married Martha Ann Good who was also stationed there with the Air Force. Their four children are all engaged in the healthcare profession, as was their mother. Martha passed away in 1992.

As chairman of the Human Rights Commission during Governor Stan Stephens's administration from 1989-1993, he received recognition for his voluntary service overseeing crucial human rights issues and the improvements in the processing of Human Rights matters. Kuhr was also a member of the Montana State Reapportionment Committee, the Gender Fairness Task Force, the Montana Judicial Nomination Commission and served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Blue Cross/Blue Shield from 1983-1986. He was a trustee for Northern Montana Hospital from 1971-1976 and served as President of the Board from 1972-1978. He was Advisory Director of Norwest Bank Havre from 1985-1995 and Capital Savings Bank Havre from 1982-1984, and served as a director of the Havre Federal Savings and Loan Association from 1980-1982. He also served on the boards of the Havre Chamber of Commerce and the Havre Salvation Army. Kuhr authored the constitution and by laws of the MSU-Northern Foundation.

Kuhr is now partially retired in the Flathead Valley and is married to the Reverend Caroline S. (Keil) Kuhr who is an Episcopal Priest. Now living in Kalispell, he is able to enjoy his favorite winter activity of downhill skiing. Since 2000, his community service has been directed to the Flathead Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, where he is an Advisory Board Member and works with deliveries of the Meals on Wheels and Senior Food Commodities. He and his family established the Marian Kuhr Memorial in front of Cowan Hall and the Kurh Pond in memory of their father, Max Kuhr.

Karen Watkins Myers has dedicated a large portion of her working life to education. A Havre native and 1969 graduate of Havre High School, she began her teaching career there in 1974 in the business department after graduating from Northern Montana College with Bachelor of Science degrees in Business Education and Math. During her teaching years at Havre High School, she was heavily involved in Office Education Association, a national organization that incorporates hands on education and training for tomorrow's leaders. Myers served on the national advisory board for OEA for four years and was involved in the planning sessions to perfect the state and national testing programs. In 1981, she received a Master's Degree in Vocational Education and for the next five years her teaching continued in the Havre Adult Education program where she organized a daytime business skills and accounting program. She also started a home based accounting service that she still operates today.

An active member of the Northern Alumni Association since 1975, she served on the Board of Directors from 1984-1999 and was President of the Association from 1992-1995. During her tenure, many positive changes occurred at Northern because of the alumni activities and hard work. One such endeavor was the alumni efforts to transform the Donaldson Hall Commons and kitchen area into the main gathering place that it is today. After her tenure with the Northern Alumni Board, she joined the Northern Foundation Board serving as Foundation President from 2000-2002 and she still serves as the current Vice-President. The Myers' have been active in the "adopt a skylight" program since its beginning, serving as surrogate parents to many college athletes; many meals have been organized and served to the athletes and their parents as a result of this couple's commitment to Northern students. She has served on the Havre Area Chamber Board and is currently on the Wells Fargo Community Board of Directors. As a member of PEO she has held most offices. Myers is either called on or volunteers her talents and time continually. Karen and Ken Myers have two children and have one grandson.

In 1966, Havre and Northern Montana College became home to "west of the mountains" born Ken L Myers. He graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science degree in History. After a stay in the Flathead area and deciding that teaching wasn't what he wanted, he returned to Havre to begin his career at Havre Distributors. He is an enthusiastic booster and supporter of Havre sporting activities and Havre youth. Whether following his own children's competitions or cooking for the high school inter squad football games for the past 20 years, he makes sure that Budweiser and Havre Distributors are sponsors for numerous Havre area sporting events - rodeo, the Demolition Derby, basketball, baseball, hockey, and football activities and fundraisers have all benefited from his support. Myers is always ready to sponsor any individual to help them be on a special team or participate in events.
Since 1975, he has been active in many of the Northern Alumni Association activities. Besides being involved in the Donaldson Hall renovation, the Myers' have participated in the changes and growth of the wine and cheese event as it evolved into the popular scholarship fund raiser. The Chinese auction and social is a successful event for Northern and Northern students every fall.

Through the "Adopt a Skylight" program, he has had the opportunity to meet and become goo friends with a wide variety of athletes, parents, and fans. In yet another way of giving back to the community, he partners to provide the Baker/Myers scholarships. He lends a helping hand to the Boy Scouts' popcorn drive, the Kiwanis apple sales, the fair board in their sponsorship of rodeo and demo activities, the local Chamber of Commerce in its various activities and fund raising events, and to any local organization that calls for help. As a highly successful business person and community-minded individual, his support has made him a most valued member of the Havre community and he was recognized as a Five Star Service recipient in 1995 for community service.

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