John Helgeland, NDSU professor emeritus of history, philosophy and religious studies, received the Luther Distinguished Service Award in a ceremony Oct. 6 on the campus of Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. He was one of eight Luther alumni to be recognized.

The award, one of the highest honors bestowed by the college, was presented by Luther College President Paula Carlson. It is given in recognition of success and achievement in professional fields, service to society, contributions to community and loyalty and service to Luther.

Helgeland earned his bachelor’s degree in Greek from Luther in 1962. He then earned a Master of Divinity from the Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a master's degree in the history of Christianity and his doctorate in early church history from the University of Chicago.

Helgeland taught at NDSU from 1977-2015. Since 2015, he's been a professor emeritus. He previously taught at St. John's University and Divinity School in Collegeville, Minnesota, and Luther College.

Helgeland helped found the Group Decision Center at NDSU in 1990. He also founded the Northern Plains Ethics Institute in 1991, serving as the director from 1991-2010. He continues as co-director and board chair.

He has published in numerous peer-reviewed journals and book reviews, and has been cited more than 1,400 times in professional literature. He was named the NDSU Blue Key Honor Society distinguished educator for 1982 and received the service award from the NDSU College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences in 1998.

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