{{Short description|American academic (1932–2022)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Ronald Roskens | image = Ronald Roskens.png | office = 10th Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development | president = George H. W. Bush | term_start = March 22, 1990 | term_end = December 1, 1992 | predecessor = Alan Woods | successor = J. Brian Atwood | office1 = 3rd President of the University of Nebraska System | term_start1 = January 1, 1977 | term_end1 = July 31, 1989 | predecessor1 = Durwood Varner | successor1 = Martin Massengale | office2 = 11th Chancellor of the University of Nebraska, Omaha | term_start2 = July 1, 1971 | term_end2 = December 31, 1976 | predecessor2 = John Victor Blackwell | successor2 = Del Weber | birth_name = Ronald William Roskens | birth_date = {{birth date|1932|12|11}} | birth_place = Spencer, Iowa, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2022|2|27|1932|12|11}} | death_place = Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. | party = Republican<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nndb.com/people/174/000128787/ |title=Ronald W. Roskens}}</ref> | education = University of Northern Iowa (BA)<br>University of Iowa (MA, PhD) }} '''Ronald William Roskens''' (December 11, 1932 – February 27, 2022) was an American academic. He was the president of the University of Nebraska System from 1977 to 1989.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://digital.omahapubliclibrary.org/earlyomaha/library/ronald_roskens.html |title=Dr. Ronald W. Roskens |website=digital.omahapubliclibrary.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407043940/http://digital.omahapubliclibrary.org/earlyomaha/library/ronald_roskens.html |archive-date=2014-04-07}} </ref> Roskens was a member and past National President of Sigma Tau Gamma.<ref>{{cite web|title=Past National Presidents|url=http://sigtau.org/fraternity/leadership/past-national-presidents/|publisher=Sigma Tau Gamma|access-date=16 July 2017}}</ref> He served as Administrator of USAID from 1990 to 1992. Ronald W. and Lois G. Roskens Hall, finished in Fall 2011, located on the campus of the University of Nebraska Omaha, is named after the Roskens.<ref name="dedication">{{cite news |last1=Wunder |first1=Michael |title=Roskens Hall dedication sparkles |url=http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/UNOmaha/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=GTW%2F2011%2F09%2F27&id=Ar00100&sk=EDC8D0B5&viewMode=image |access-date=5 February 2019 |work=The Gateway |issue=10 |date=2011-09-27|volume=12 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/UNOmaha/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=GTW/2011/12/06&id=Ar00204&sk=EA562253&viewMode=image|title=Faculty reflect on Roskens|website=digital.olivesoftware.com|access-date=2019-02-08}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Roskens was born to father William Roskens and mother Delores Roskens on a farm near Spencer, Iowa in 1932. In 1950, he graduated from Spencer High School.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/UNOmaha/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=GTW/1983/10/05&id=Ar02000&sk=894FBF79&viewMode=image|title=He's that kind of guy|last=Krajicek|first=David|date=October 22, 1975|website=digital.olivesoftware.com|access-date=2019-02-08}}</ref> He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 1953, where he received a B.A. He taught for one year at the high school in Milburn, Iowa before going to University of Iowa to receive his M.A. in 1955.<ref>{{Cite book|title=A History of the University of Nebraska at Omaha 1908-1983|last=Thompson|first=Tommy R.|publisher=Taylor Publishing Co.|year=1983|location=Dallas, TX|pages=142}}</ref>
==Career== From 1956 to 1959, Roskens was the Assistant Dean of Men at University of Iowa. In 1959, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa and moved to Kent, Ohio where he became the Dean of Men at Kent State University in 1959.<ref>{{Cite book|title=A History of the University of Nebraska at Omaha 1908-1983|last=Thompson|first=Tommy R.|publisher=Taylor Publishing Co.|year=1983|location=Dallas, TX|pages=142}}</ref> Roskens worked there for the next thirteen years. He was Professor of Educational Administration and Executive Vice President for Administration at the time of the 1970 Kent State shootings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archives.nebraska.edu/repositories/4/archival_objects/36203|title=Reflections in Time: Interview with Ronald Roskens, 1985 {{!}} University of Nebraska Consortium of Libraries ArchivesSpace|website=archives.nebraska.edu|access-date=2019-02-03}}</ref>
Roskens became Chancellor of the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) in 1972, a position he held until 1977, when he became president of the University of Nebraska system for the next twelve years.<ref name="regents">{{cite news |last1=Despins |first1=Kim |title=Regents favor outside candidate for post |url=http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/UNOmaha/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=GTW%2F1993%2F01%2F15&id=Ar00201&sk=6E49BAEF&viewMode=image |access-date=5 February 2019 |work=The Gateway |issue=31 |date=1993-01-15|volume=92 }}</ref> UNO honored Roskens with the Order of the Tower award, the university's highest non-academic award, at the spring 2009 commencement ceremony.<ref name="graduating">{{cite news |last1=Maharisi |first1=Jasmine |title=Large graduating class looks back on college years at spring commencement |url=http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/UNOmaha/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=GTW%2F2009%2F06%2F09&id=Ar00402&sk=10F30545&viewMode=image |access-date=5 February 2019 |work=The Gateway |issue=55 |date=2009-06-09|volume=8 }}</ref> He served as Administrator of USAID from 1990 to 1992 during the presidential administration of George H. W. Bush.
== Personal life == After dating for two years, Roskens married Lois Lister on August 22, 1954.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archives.nebraska.edu/repositories/4/archival_objects/36203|title=Reflections in Time: Interview with Ronald Roskens, 1985 {{!}} University of Nebraska Consortium of Libraries ArchivesSpace|website=archives.nebraska.edu|access-date=2019-02-03}}</ref> They had four children: Elizabeth, Barbara, William and Brenda. After retiring, Roskens and his wife lived in Bennington, Nebraska.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.omaha.com/news/nation/morton/former-nu-president-ron-roskens-shares-fond-memories-of-his/article_a5752deb-c531-505e-9788-b74a9e4b8200.html|title=Former NU president Ron Roskens shares fond memories of his time with George H.W. Bush|website=Omaha World-Herald|access-date=2019-02-02}}</ref> He died on February 27, 2022, at the age of 89.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ronald Roskens, NU's longest serving president and former UNO chancellor, dies at 89 |url=https://omaha.com/news/state-and-regional/ronald-roskens-nus-longest-serving-president-and-former-uno-chancellor-dies-at-89/article_1a9a6320-98f0-11ec-af69-d30d100c2a4b.html |access-date=1 March 2022 |publisher=Omaha World-Herald |date=28 February 2022}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://archives.nebraska.edu/repositories/4/resources/204 Ronald Roskens Speeches], UNO Libraries' Archives and Special Collections
{{s-start}} {{s-aca}} {{s-bef|before=Durwood Varner}} {{s-ttl|title=President of the University of Nebraska System|years=1977–1989}} {{s-aft|after=Martin Massengale}} |- {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Alan Woods}} {{s-ttl|title=Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development|years=1990–1992}} {{s-aft|after=J. Brian Atwood}} {{s-end}}
{{University of Nebraska System presidents}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roskens, Ronald}} Category:1932 births Category:2022 deaths Category:People from Spencer, Iowa Category:Iowa Republicans Category:Kent State University faculty Category:Presidents of the University of Nebraska system Category:University of Iowa alumni Category:University of Northern Iowa alumni