Howard Rowland

(From Benson Funeral Home)

Howard Ray Rowland, age 92, of Waite Park, passed away on Friday, January 14, 2022 at the St. Cloud Hospital.

A memorial service celebrating Ray’s life will be held at 1:00 PM on THURSDAY, January 20, 2022 at the First Presbyterian Church, St. Cloud, MN. The service will be shared via livestream at www.fpcstcloud.org. Private family burial will take place at a later date in Oakhill Cemetery, Cassville, MO.









Howard Ray Rowland was born September 9, 1929, in Atoka, New Mexico. His boyhood home was in Cassville, Missouri, where he completed high school in 1946. He received a bachelor of journalism degree in 1950 at the University of Missouri, Columbia, and a Master of Science degree in journalism in 1959 at Southern Illinois University. In 1969 he received a Ph.D. degree in higher education administration at Michigan State University.

He was the editor of newspapers in Seymour, Lamar and Monett, Missouri, during the 1950s. He also was a feature writer for Springfield, Missouri, Newspapers, Inc.

From 1955 to 1959 he was an editorial writer for Southern Illinois University. He was director of information services at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota from 1959 to 1986. He was assistant dean of the College of Fine Arts and Humanities and professor of mass communications between 1986 and 1991. He taught in St. Cloud State University's Denmark program in 1976 and 1981 and the British Studies program in 1984-85. He directed the British Studies program in 1987-88 and 1990-1991.

He was the author and editor of books in higher education, including histories of St. Cloud State University and its British Studies program. He wrote a personal history of his hometown, Cassville, Missouri, during World War II published in August 2003. And a book about his early childhood education during the Great Depression, along with a book about attending Missouri University after WWII

He was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. During his military service, 1951-53, he was editor of the Second Armored Division newspaper in Germany.

He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, St. Cloud, and for many years was active in the St. Cloud Rotary Club, the Society of Professional Journalists and Phi Delta Kappa.

He married Meredith June Lee April 19, 1951, in Lamar, Missouri. He is survived by his wife, June; two daughters, Runay (Denny) Olson of St. Cloud, MN and Rhonda (Gary) Fisher, Frederick, CO; five grandchildren and 6 great-grandsons.

He was preceded in death by brothers, Wayne, Dale, and Glenn Rowland and sisters, Ferne Wiseman and Bonnie Brite.

In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to First Presbyterian Church of St. Cloud or St. Cloud State University (SCSU) Foundation.