Ole Pappy

Not many newspapers have the kind of celebrity status The Minneota Mascot has.

The University of Minnesota and the University of Iceland have enjoyed more than 30 years of exchange programs. Over these years, more than 30 students from Iceland have come to study at the University of Minnesota with support from the Val Björnson Icelandic Exchange Scholarship.

There is the connection. Val Björnson was born in the largely Icelandic community of Minneota after his father Gunnar B. Björnson immigrated here from Iceland.

His father Gunnar ran the weekly newspaper, The Minneota Mascot, and Val and his brothers worked at the family business typesetting, printing, and writing, especially after the onset of the First World War.

At 12, Val had his first byline and was school news reporter for The Mascot. Gunnar was appointed to the State Tax Commission in 1925, but Val remained to edit the Minneota Mascot until enrolling in the University of Minnesota in 1927.

He edited and wrote for the university newspaper, The Minnesota Daily, for three years before graduating summa cum laude in 1930.

After graduating college, he went back to edit The Minneota Mascot, and made his first trip to Iceland in 1934.

He became an ambassador to Iceland and made such a strong connection, the scholarship was founded. He moved from editing The Minneota Mascot to The Minneapolis Journal from 1935 to 1936, then The Minneapolis Tribune until 1941.

He also worked in radio during this time for KSTP as the “Northwest’s ace news commentator.”

Before the U.S. entry into World War II, he began a weekly radio broadcast for WCAL in Northfield, MN called, “Val Björnson sketches the Scandinavian Scene,” which he continued through the rest of his life.

I’m proud to say I am editing the same paper Val Bjornson, his brothers and father Gunner once edited. It’s quite a legacy to follow!

LAUGH A LITTLE: Fishing For Whiskey “Poor Old fool,” thought the well-dressed gentleman as he watched an old man fish in a puddle outside a pub. So he invited the old man inside for a drink.

As they sipped their whiskeys, the gentleman thought he’d humor the old man and asked, “So how many have you caught today?”

The old man replied, “You’re the eighth.”

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: As my Ole Pappy used to say, “I don’t need much from you. Loyalty will be good enough.”

Ole Pappy was big on being loyal. He told me once if I didn’t do anything else for my friends, at least always be there for them.”

Thanks Ole Pappy!