97-year-old outdoorsman to receive Parks & Trails Council's highest honor
ST. PAUL, MN - On Tuesday, March 27, the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota will award its highest honor to 97-year-old outdoorsman, visionary and philanthropist Henry N. Somsen for his lifetime service and contributions to parks and trails throughout Minnesota. Somsen will be presented with the prestigious Reuel Harmon Award as part of the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota's 54th Annual Dinner at the Town & Country Club in St. Paul.
"The Parks & Trails Council has had the great fortune of being guided by the state's greatest parks and trails champions of all time, and Henry is certainly one of them," said Parks & Trails Council Executive Director Dorian Grilley. "Henry was absolutely instrumental in the creation of Afton and Grand Portage state parks, and for the past 50 years he has risen to the occasion to help with everything from acquiring critical land to restoring wetlands and building wildlife observation blinds. He has humbly served Minnesota's Great Outdoors with honor and distinction. He has built a legacy that will benefit generations of Minnesotans to come."
A New Ulm native now living in Rochester, Somsen vividly recalls the day that the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota established its land acquisition fund in 1968 so that it could assure the creation of Afton State Park.
"We found that if we were going to build parks and trails we had to have the means of not letting opportunities to buy critical pieces of land for public parks slip away from us," Somsen said. "We knew that if a developer stood on the same hill where our group stood before we built Afton and saw that wonderful property with that marvelous view, he could have put a golf course in there with homes all around it and made millions. We decided that we had to have a foundation with enough financial resources to hold down a piece of land worthy of being a state park until the Legislature had time to approve the purchase. We held on to that land at Afton for a number of years before transferring ownership to the people of Minnesota. These things take time."
Past Reuel Harmon Award winners include: Samuel H. Morgan (1995), Martin Kellogg (1996), Gov. Elmer Andersen (1997), Rep. Willard Munger (1998), Nadine Blacklock (1999), Howard Olson (2000), Alden Lind (2001), Rollis Bishop (2003), Minnesota State Park & Recreation Directors Don Davison and Bill Morrissey (2004), Robert Dunn (2005) and Mike Prichard (2006).
About Henry Somsen
Born in New Ulm, Minnesota on August 12, 1909, and the son of a lawyer, Henry Somsen studied psychology, but later switched to law and followed in his father's footsteps, receiving his Law Degree from the University of Minnesota in 1934. Henry married his wife Anne in 1936, and they later had two children, Pennell and Stephen.
Henry joined the Minnesota Council of State Parks in 1955 - its second year of existence. Somsen was also one of the seven founding members of the Minnesota Parks Foundation in 1967. The two organizations later merged to form what is now the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota. He has served on the board of directors of the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota for more than 50 years, longer than any other member.
Henry loves the outdoors - especially hunting and fishing - and takes pride in his respect for the environment. While working as a partner in the law firm of Somsen, Schade & Franta, PLC, from 1934 to 1986, Henry was a board member of many profit and nonprofit organizations. Henry founded the New Ulm Area Foundation in 1987 to create a permanent vehicle to serve the ever-evolving needs of the New Ulm area.
About the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota
The Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota is a grassroots membership organization that has worked vigorously for more than 50 years to protect, expand and enhance Minnesota's most special places by acquiring critical land for incorporation into the state's park and trail systems. Fueled by charitable contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations, the Parks & Trails Council has been instrumental in adding more than 8,700 acres of land valued at $11.75 million to key areas within the state's vast network of parks and trails. The 3,300-member-strong organization has become the state's most powerful voice for parks and trails thanks to its working relationships with grassroots community groups, legislators and local governments from throughout the state.
About Reuel Harmon
Reuel Harmon was the longtime president of St. Paul-based Webb Publishing. He was a founding member of the Minnesota Council of State Parks in 1954 and through its next 30 years of growth and transformation into the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota he was a powerful advocate for Minnesota's parks and trails. During his remarkable tenure, Harmon contributed in a myriad of ways - he provided bold, strategic leadership; he was a dedicated, skilled and respected authority; and he inspired others to follow his lead. Through his unwavering commitment of time, resources and management, Harmon made significant contributions to preserving Minnesota's natural heritage.