April 2, 2025
For Associate Professor of Mathematics Fred Strand, Mayville State University has never been just a place of work. It is also a lifelong home. A proud alumnus, a dedicated educator, and a recipient of the prestigious national Presidential Award, he spent decades shaping young minds, both in K-12 classrooms and later at his alma mater. Now, as Fred prepares to retire this spring after a distinguished career, the campus he has loved for so long is entering a new era that will continue to impact generations of students to come.
The ongoing renovation of Old Main is more than just a structural upgrade. To Fred and his family, it symbolizes the evolution of an institution that has played a central role in their lives. His wife, Donalee, their four sons (Derrick, Anthony, Christopher, and Ben), and the spouses of three of their sons (Cydnee, Rachel, and Shelby) are all MSU graduates, as are siblings, an aunt, nieces, nephews, and Fred and Donalee’s grandmothers. Each generation has carried the traditions and values instilled within Old Main’s walls. Together, the Strand family’s MSU memories span over 100 years.
“Being on campus and watching the work on the Old Main renovation sends a message that Mayville is here to stay,” said Fred. “It was fun to be a part of it, providing input, and there will still be places where you walk in and recognize it as Old Main.”
Fred attended MSU as a student in the 1970s, and he and Donalee graduated in 1980. (She finished in only three years.) Both teachers, they moved to nearby Hatton, N.D. - approximately 15 minutes away - where Fred taught math, physical education, and science, while Donalee taught different levels of elementary school. Still living in the same house they bought in 1980, they maintained their connection to MSU. After teaching in Hatton’s K-12 system for 32 years, Fred returned to his alma mater as a mathematics professor.
Like many others in the MSU community, Fred and Donalee always considered Old Main to be the distinguishing picture of the college. It captures everyone’s attention as they drive up to it.
In the late 1970s, Fred, Donalee, and their classmates attended a variety of classes in Old Main. Fred’s history professor, Doc Neilson, required them to watch movies for the course in the building’s theater. Packed with freshmen and sophomores, Fred remembers the history movies weren’t interesting, but they should have sold popcorn to turn it into a more exciting experience.
Donalee took a speech class on the third floor of Old Main with Chris Jones, whom she recalled being hard to impress. A former dancer, Jones was injured in an accident and became a professor. Donalee remembers Jones sitting behind a glass while students took turns giving their speeches.
“I started out my speech with a phrase from a soap opera, which made him sigh and roll his eyes,” she said. “I was in awe of him, and he said if we helped with a play, we were guaranteed an A in his class.”
All four of Fred and Donalee’s sons followed in their footsteps, drawn back to the same classrooms, traditions, and sense of family. Their third son, Christopher, graduated from MSU in 2010 with a degree in math, and his now-wife Rachel graduated in 2011 with a degree in teaching.
While Christopher’s math courses were in another building, he was in Old Main for statistics courses on the third floor, surrounded by business students.
“For that stats class, the professor started out by saying that for every hour of lecture, there’d be seven hours of homework,” explained Christopher. “But then he said that was just for the business students, and there wouldn’t be any homework for the math students.”
Christopher’s favorite memory of Old Main is visiting wife Rachel in the front office. Rachel worked in plays, like Music Man, but her passion was teaching, leading to her current role as a kindergarten teacher.
Youngest son, Ben, graduated from MSU in 2013, with his now-wife, Shelby, following in 2015. Both are elementary teachers in nearby Hillsboro, N.D. Meeting at MSU, the two were partners in a science class, and Shelby had her future father-in-law, Fred, as a math professor. She recalled Ben buying her Paradiso for dinner one night and then being in class with Fred the next day.
“I was creeped out when I heard Fred’s laugh,” she said. “It was exactly the same as Ben’s.”
Though Derrick is the eldest of the four sons and met his wife, Cydnee, at MSU in 2005, he didn’t finish his studies at that time, opting to work a career. Later wanting to get back into the family business of educators, Derrick graduated in December 2024 with a degree in English education.
Cydnee graduated in 2008, teaching 3rd grade in Northwood, N.D. before rising to the position of principal. While Cydnee didn’t arrive at MSU with any existing family ties, that quickly changed. She took classes from Fred, joking that he tried to get her to love math. In an ed tech class that Derrick and Cydnee took together, they were tasked with creating a demonstration video, and they managed to persuade Fred to ride a unicycle for it.
The second eldest son, Anthony, graduated from MSU in 2007 with degrees in secondary education English and social studies, although he now works as the school librarian in Farmington, Minn. His wife is the only one in the family who did not attend Mayville (although they don’t hold it against her). In addition to his courses, Anthony was also active in the theater.
Anthony spent time as a child with his cousins at MSU, since his aunt, Laurie Berry (Donalee’s sister), was a professor and lived on campus with his Uncle Scott. He loved spending time in her office, and he remembered that Laurie said she could set her watch based on when Doc Nielson would walk by and say hello.
As Old Main undergoes its major renovation, Fred, Donalee, and their family see it as both a tribute to the past and a gateway to the future. Despite the building being different, future generations will create new memories and make Old Main their own.
The Strand family recognizes the significance of these improvements, which will make it more inviting. With updated learning spaces, improved accessibility, and state-of-the-art resources, the new design reflects the university’s commitment to progress while ensuring it continues to look loved and welcoming.
“The front of Old Main will be the same, with a classic look, but the inside will be more fitting for what the needs are now,” said Donalee. “I want to see it grow and I hope all 12 of my grandkids go there.”
As Fred bids farewell to his teaching career, he does so with full confidence that MSU will continue to thrive. The institution that shaped his life - and the lives of so many family members - will provide future students with access to the same transformative experiences.
The Strand family knows the Old Main renovation isn’t just about bricks and blueprints. It’s also about legacy. It’s about the generations of students and educators who have walked the halls and those who will follow in their footsteps. While Fred may be stepping into retirement, his story and his family’s enduring bond to MSU is far from over.
“There was connection at MSU long before I was there,” Fred reminisced. “It’s a family from way back.”
