Clarence E. Olander Biography

Clarence Olander is remembered for his commitment to improve classroom curriculum and his passion to ensure that teachers had superior tools to enhance teaching and positively impact students. His endowment to the Mathematics Education Trust (MET) supports school staffs for in-service programs.

Olander earned B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Minnesota in mathematics education. From 1946-47 he served in the United States Army as a paratrooper. Later he began his teaching career as a high school mathematics teacher in Minnesota. In 1958, he accepted a position as a high school mathematics editor for Scott, Foresman and Company. His career spanned nearly 30 years at Scott, Foresman and Company. He distinguished himself as a mathematics editor, editorial vice president of the math department, and finally, the senior vice-president and editor-in-chief of the elementary through high school division of Scott, Foresman and Company. Mr. Olander was a General Electric Mathematics Fellow at Purdue University and a National Science Foundation Mathematics Fellow at the University of Chicago. During the 1960's and 1970's he also spent several summer sessions at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces instructing teachers in math education.

Clarence Olander died in 1988 at the age of 60.