By David Helwig
SooToday.com
Wednesday, October 12, 2005

LAKE SUPERIOR
STATE UNIVERSITY

NEWS RELEASE
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LSSU honors alumnus Tom Farnquist with award

by Suzanne Eide, LSSU PR office intern

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State University Alumni Association will recognize Tom Farnquist on October 21 for his involvement in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum by presenting him with the Kenneth Shouldice Achievement Award.

Named for LSSU's first president, the award recognizes alumni who have enjoyed exceptional success in their professional and personal lives, and who serve as an outstanding example of the best of Lake Superior State University.

The honor highlights significant achievements of alumni who serve as leaders in our region, state and nation.

Farnquist will be recognized during an alumni awards reception that is part of LSSU's annual Great Lake State Weekend, October 21-22.

The reception, open to the public, will be held from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on October 21 in the Walker Cisler Center.

Tickets are $10 each.

"I am both surprised and honored to have been selected to receive the award," Farnquist said. "I considered Dr. Shouldice a friend and one of the most influential visionaries to lead LSSC during its early years. Dr. Shouldice shared and inspired my growing interest in Great Lakes maritime history.

"This award has special meaning for me because it all started with the biology classes I took at LSSU and Sault High," said Farnquist, who attended LSSU from 1962-1964.

He went on to say that his education at LSSU provided the basis for his current success, and that two LSSU professors, as well as his high school biology teacher Sam Dubow, encouraged him in his decision to major in biology.

"Professor Gilbert Gleason encouraged my interest in biology, limnology in particular, and teaching," Farnquist said, adding that Professor Viggo Thomsen was also an inspiration. "We used to tell each other diving stories. His father used to do some of the deepest dives on Lake Superior."

After starting at LSSU, Farnquist finished his degree at Northern Michigan University with a major in biology and a minor in physical education.

He was certified in secondary education in 1968 and taught at the Sault Area Public Schools from 1968-92.

Teaching allowed Farnquist to pursue his love of the water and diving during the summer.

He would capture on film the human and natural history he found while diving shipwrecks and bring these discoveries back to the classroom in the fall.

"Scuba diving spawned an infatuation with shipwrecks on the Great Lakes, and I saw the historical value in preserving and interpreting these sites," added Farnquist.

This devotion developed into the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society and, subsequently, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, which has won Farnquist recognition from many sources, including the most recent award from LSSU.

In 1997, Farnquist received the Charles Follo Award from the Historical Society of Michigan for outstanding work in historic preservation for Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

In 2004, the museum was designated as Chippewa County's Business Organization of the Year.

"I founded the Shipwreck Society in 1978 with a group of historians, teachers, and divers. Now I devote most of my time to the Shipwreck Museum," said Farnquist.

The museum opened its first exhibits to the public in 1985.

Today, more than 81,000 people visit it each summer.

Museum programs explore man's attempts to harness nature and the hardships encountered while navigating the Great Lakes.

Acting as executive director and curator since 1985, Farnquist is the key person on the museum's staff.

He represents the museum membership at several state and federal organizations, including the Michigan Museums Association, the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History, the American Association for State and Local History, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

"The museum receives no government operational funding and is being used as a working model for the privatization of other museums," said Farnquist.

In addition to managing the museum, Farnquist has promoted Great Lakes history by writing articles in National Geographic and other magazines.

He has also produced several underwater documentary programs, two that have won Emmy awards, and has been the keynote speaker at many symposiums and conventions on shipwreck exploration and documentation.

GLSHS is a multi-faceted organization committed to preservation and interpretation of Great Lakes maritime history and attracting global attention from sailors, educators, historians, divers, archeologists, and museum visitors.

"I think of myself as an educator whether I'm in the classroom or not," said Farnquist.

The society performs outreach programs through speaking engagements, television programs and magazine articles.

The society has restored several historic buildings including the 1861 lighthouse keeper’s quarters on Whitefish Point.

It also has a hand in the fine arts by commissioning, on average, three works of art per year.

Amidst the full schedule that the museum and historical society provide, Farnquist still finds time to do volunteer work for the Chippewa County Sheriff's Dept. when it needs help with search and recovery missions on the lakes.

Farnquist shared the excitement of scuba diving with students at LSSU when he taught diving classes from 1975-80.

Lake State students often find summer employment with the GLSHS.

"I am interested in assisting student programs," said Farnquist about his plans for the future.

The Shipwreck Society's research boat offers unique experiences in underwater discovery and exploration.

The 47-foot "David Boyd" is fully equipped with electronic navigation gear, side-scan sonar, and the society’s Phantom S4 ROV, which is an underwater robot.

Farnquist said he would like to expand the society's role with LSSU by developing internship programs.

The GLSHS, along with the research vessel, offers many opportunities for the practical application of a college education in several areas, such as business, engineering, biology, history, and art, to name a few.

Farnquist lives in Sault Ste. Marie.

He is the father of two sons.

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