Over 300,000 Minnesotans returned home after World War 2, and as they settled into normal life, one thing was abundantly clear. There was a sizable gap between available workers and the skills needed for vocational jobs, and little infrastructure existed to train people for these vital roles.

In response to this need, Harold Ostrem was determined to make vocational education attainable in Minnesota. Harold was an educator through and through, spending his life as a teacher, coach, principal, and then director.

He has a strong belief in the need to train young people in practical skills…like plumbing, electronics, carpentry, cooking, and metalwork.

Howard Ostrem

Harold’s son

A History in Education

1926 – 1936High School Instructor and Principal in North Dakota
1938 – 1949Coordinator and Director assisting in establishing the Mankato Technical Vocational Institute
1949 – 1952Supervisor and Assistant State Director on Vocational Education for the Minnesota State Education Department
1953 – 1970Director of Vocational Education for Saint Paul, MN

Harold’s Impact on Saint Paul College

The surge of trade jobs opened the door for a passionate educator like Harold Ostrem to expand vocational education. He was an integral part of the team that brought a new standard to trade and technical education in Minnesota. His mindset helped pave the way for the expansion and establishment of trade schools and programs throughout Saint Paul.

In 1959, service members returning from the Korean War were seeking work but needed training and education. They overwhelmed SPC’s admissions office, resulting in 452 new students. The growth continued through the 1960s, leading to the establishment of a new building. This building was built at 235 Marshall Avenue, where the school still stands today. After two years, the newly named Saint Paul Technical Vocational Institute (TVI) reached capacity. Harold retired in 1970 when the cumulative day-school enrollment reached 2,089 students. His tenure in Saint Paul resulted in a 317% increase in enrollment over 17 years.

The key to the whole thing is that everybody’s an individual. If we lose sight of that and fail to recognize the importance of people, well then, I guess we may as well quit. Vocational-technical education also is the one field of education where we just don’t think we’ve done our job unless we’ve taken a student through [their] education program and seen [them] successfully placed in a job.

Harold Ostrem

Celebrating Harold’s Legacy

Black-and-white head-and-shoulders portrait of Harold Ostrem wearing eyeglasses, a dark suit jacket, white collared shirt, and dark tie. The person is facing slightly toward the camera against a plain, light-colored studio background. The image has a grainy texture typical of an older printed photograph.

Saint Paul College will honor Harold Ostrem’s legacy with a new plaque recognizing his lasting impact on vocational education. This is just one of the ways that SPC and Harold’s family are sharing his legacy. His family is establishing the Harold Ostrem Memorial Scholarship for trade students. For the first recipient, it will be the difference between working two jobs and finally focusing on mastering a trade. Each spark from the workshop, each newly finished project, carries forward Harold’s belief that every student matters. These efforts make Harold’s legacy something you can see, hear, and feel every day at SPC.