PULLMAN, Wash. – Retired political scientist Daniel M. Ogden, Jr., of Vancouver, Wash., recently was honored with the Washington State University Alumni Association (WSUAA) Alumni Achievement Award for a 50-year career of service to academia, the federal government and the local community.
The award is the highest honor bestowed by the WSUAA. Since 1970, fewer than 515 alumni have received it.
Ogden was one of a select group in 1960 that managed four U.S. presidential campaign advances for Sen. Jack Kennedy, culminating in the final event in Philadelphia. The experience was co-authored by Ogden in the 1964 book, “Electing the President.”
He taught at Washington State University after earning his bachelor’s degree in political science at WSU in 1944. He served as dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Colorado State University and distinguished visiting professor of public administration at Lewis and Clark College and Portland State University.
In government, he served on the staff of U.S. Secretary of the Department of the Interior Stewart Udall for seven years and as budget director for the department. He was director of power marketing coordination for the U.S. Energy Department and director of the Public Power Council in Portland, Ore.
During his tenure with the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, 1961-66, he oversaw passage of four significant bills: the National Trails Act, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, Redwoods National Park and North Cascades National Park.
He has trained senior executive career civil servants through the U.S. Civil Service Commission Executive Seminar Center and was honored in 2004 for making more presentations over the years than any other presenters.
Since retiring in 1988, Ogden has been an active participant with the local Democratic Party, serving as chair of the 49th Legislative District and chair and vice chair of the Clark County Democratic Central Committee. He is an active member of the executive committee, an elected precinct committee officer and a volunteer trainer and mentor.
His wife, Val Ogden, was a six-term state representative from the 49th Legislative District. They have established the Dan and Val Ogden Endowed Graduate Fellowship in Public Affairs at WSU. Read a recent article about them in Washington State Magazine at http://wsm.wsu.edu/s/index.php?id=1042.
Contact:
Christina Rulffes Parrish, WSU Alumni Association, 509-335-6907, parrishc@wsu.edu