Anne Carlsen

Carlsen was born in Grantsburg, Wisconsin on Nov. 4, 1915 without forearms or functioning lower legs. Her upper arms ended above the elbow levels. One leg ended above the knee and the other "was malformed, terminating in a club foot." She was the daughter of Alfred and Maren (Nielsen) Carlsen. Her mind was sharp so her parents and siblings (four brothers and an older sister) encouraged her learning and development at home. Carlsen's mother died when she was 4 years old, so Carlsen's father and older sister raised her. She started her formal education at the age of 8 years and completed school through the 8th grade in Grantsburg at the age of 12 years (including the completion of two grade levels in one year). Her brothers would carry her to and from school or pull her on a sled when there was enough snow on the ground. While in high school, Carlsen received therapy and surgery to be able to walk. She graduated in 1934 from St. Paul-Luther Jr. College - St. Paul, Minnesota. Following graduation she attended the University of Minnesota, graduating cum laude in 1936, earning a degree in writing. ==Graduate degrees and career in education with significant awards and appointments==

"Despite her excellent references and transcript, Anne had difficulty getting a job as a writer during the Depression era She moved back to St. Paul, Minnesota in 1940 to teach Junior High for one year at Gillette State Hospital. In 1941, Lutheran Hospitals and Homes Society purchased the Good Samaritan School in Fargo, ND, renamed it "Crippled Children's School," and moved it to Jamestown, North Dakota. She returned to Jamestown and her position as the School's principal in 1950. She was also named its superintendent that year. Carlsen held the administrator position until her retirement in 1981. She also served the School as child guidance director from 1950 to 1981. On a leave of absence, she served as the Clinic Coordinator for Cerebral Palsied Children School in Southern California. After her retirement from the Crippled Children's School in 1981, Carlsen served as a consultant to the School and a mentor to its students until her death on December 2, 2002, in Jamestown, ND. Carlsen wrote several articles about people living with disabilities for regional and national publications. As Carlsen gained attention as a disabilities advocate, the Crippled Children's School in Jamestown, as it was known, also gained national attention. ==National attention and recognition==

On May 7, 1958, in Washington, D.C., Carlsen was awarded the President's Trophy as Handicapped American of the Year, an award presented annually by the President's Committee on Employment of the Physically Handicapped. She was described as an inspiration who helped students achieve independence. In spite of all the accolades she received, in a 1981 interview, Dr. Carlsen said "her greatest satisfactions as an educator and mentor ... were the graduates of the Center." ==Notable written works==

"Dr. Anne" – 1979 (Augsburg Publishing House) ==Local, state, and national boards service==

• N.D. Advisory Committee on Sheltered Workshops • National Advisory Council on Implementation of Recommendations of White House Conference on Handicapped Individual 1978, 1971–75 • National Advisory Committee on Purchased of Products and Services of Blind & Severely Handicapped, 1971–82 • N.D. State Advisory Committee on Rehabilitation Services, 1977 • N.D. Delegate to White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals, 1971–78 • N.D. State Advisory Committee on Developmental Disabilities, 1960–1964 • National Advisory Committee on Vocational Rehabilitation, 1959–89 • President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped (Sub-Committees - Women's Committee - Physically Handicapped Committee), 1983–89 • Vice-Chairman of President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped • Jamestown Mayor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped • American Assoc. of University Women (Chairman - Social Studies Committee 1952–56) • N.D. Psychological Assoc. (Secretary 1961–63, President 1964) • Council for Exceptional Children • N.D. Council for Exceptional Children • Nat. Rehabilitation Assoc. • N.D. Rehabilitation Association (President, 1961), 1954–81 • American Assoc. of University Women (Chairman - Social Studies Committee 1952–56) • N.D. Conference of Social Welfare (Member Executive Comm 1954–57 & 1960–61) • N.D. Mental Health Assoc. • American Assoc. of University Women (Chairman - Social Studies Committee 1952–56) • Zonta International (Secretary 1962–63; President 1970) • American Assoc. of University Women (Chairman - Social Studies Committee 1952–56) ==Awards==

• Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame Inductee 1988 • Inducted into National Teachers Hall of Fame 1975 • N.D. 50th Anniversary Rehabilitant - Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 1970 • Humanitarian Award - N.D. Council for Exceptional Children 1970 • Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award - State of N.D. 1966 • Outstanding Citizen of the Year - Jamestown Chamber of Commerce 1967 • Minnesota Outstanding Achievement Award - University of Minnesota 1964 • President's Trophy - Handicapped American of the Year 1958 • Wartburg College—The Graven Award for Outstanding Christian Lay Leadership 1991 • Moorhead State University - L.B. Hartz - Professional Achievement Award 1991 ==References==