Martin & Joyce Laakso Scholarship

The Martin and Joyce Laakso Scholarship was created for students majoring in WSU’s Biology program.

Criteria

1. Each recipient must be an undergraduate student enrolled full-time (minimum 12 credit hours) at Winona State University.
2. Each recipient must be classified as a sophomore, junior or senior and be in good standing at Winona State University with a minimum grade point average (G.P.A.) of 3.0 (4.0 = A).
3. Each recipient must be a declared major in Winona State University’s Biology Program.
4. Each recipient must be in financial need.
5. Each recipient must have satisfactorily completed the freshman (first-year) biology sequence.

Biography/Motivation

Martin Laakso, the son of Frank and Edla (Hyvanen) Laakso, was born December 23, 1911 in Gilbert, Minnesota. A 1929 graduate of Gilbert High School, he received his B.E. degree from Winona State College in 1933, his M.S. degree from Montana State College in Bozeinan, and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1959. He was a science instructor at several colleges, including Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, Utah State College in Logan and South Dakota State College in Deadwood. For several summers he worked for the Fish and Wildlife Service in Yellowstone National Park. He moved to River Falls, Wisconsin, in 1956, where he was assistant professor of biology at River Falls State College for 17 years, retiring in 1973. After his retirement, he was actively involved with the horticulture department of the college in the development of new varieties of fruits. He was appointed city forester for River Falls in 1972 and served in that capacity until 1989. Martin passed away December 3, 1992, in Hudson Medical Center.
Martin married Joyce L. Pommer January 26, 1946. Joyce was born June 23, 1918, in Minneapolis and was a graduate of the Minneapolis Business School. She had worked as a secretary for many years. She passed away April 8, 1992, at her home following a long illness.
The Laakso’s had no children. Martin was survived by his brother John of South haven, Minnesota and two sisters, Esther Raati of Gilbert, Minnesota, and Helen Rannila of Duluth, Minnesota.
Joyce was survived by three nephews and several cousins in the Twin Cities area. She was preceded in death by her parents, one sister and one brother.