A special diploma

Renville native is oldest known U of M grad

By Patricia Buschette

On May 7, 2022, Betty Berends Sandison, formerly of Renville, Minn., made her way across the stage of Northrop Auditorium, University of Minnesota to receive her diploma. She was appropriately proud, but at that moment,  her concern was, “Do not fall!”

Betty Berends Sandison’s expression says it all.  This was her reaction after her name was announced at graduation at the University of Minnesota. The Renville native, who lives in Eagan, is considered the oldest known graduate at the U of M. Contributed photo

“I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Multidisciplinary Studies from the College of Continuing and Professional Studies degree,” she said, as she shared the stage that day with fellow graduates. However, there was a unique distinction. Betty was 84 years old.

According to the University of Minnesota, Betty is the oldest known graduate of the University.

Betty, who now lives in Eagan, Minn., lives a full life as she continues to turn goals into accomplishments. Her story began in Renville where Betty was born in 1938. She grew up as an only child on a farm with her parents where conveniences were few.

“We had no electricity,” she said pointing to the simplicity of her early days.

Betty’s parents were protective.

“I couldn’t take skating lessons because I might break my ankle; I couldn’t swim as I might drown,” she said. Her aunts were insistent that she stay in Renville after graduation, but Betty wanted to go on to school.

“I  wanted to be a nurse,” she said, but a college education would be possible only if she earned the funds necessary. She worked summers and took on additional shifts as a waitress at Randy’s Café, a popular restaurant on Renville’s Main Street, beginning with a salary of 50 cents per hour, graduating to the grand sum of  65 cents an hour.

“Working three summers, I had enough money earned at Randy’s,” she said. The economy was different in the 1950s. “A hamburger was 20 cents, as was pie,  and coffee was a nickel. I was good at it,” she said with satisfaction. “I would leave a basketball tournament game early to help with the crowd. There were no tips, but the pheasant hunters from the Twin Cities would tip,” she added.

“I went to the University for a year and went back to Renville for six weeks and worked at Randy’s,” she said. While back at the University, she got her certificate as an LPN and worked at the University Hospital in Neurology until the fall of 1957.

“Then I went back to school to be a teacher. However, I realized I didn’t want to be a teacher. It was at that time that I met my husband. We were married and his studies were a priority, I raised our children, and he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering,” she said.

Betty’s professional life was complicated.

“When I graduated with an Associate Degree in nursing at Lakewood College, now Century College, there was a nurses’ strike. I was working at a position in chemical dependency at St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul, got laid off as I was now at bottom of the totem pole. However, someone quit and I returned to St Joe’s in the chemical dependency unit, then went to the float pool.” In nursing, a float pool is a group of nurses who do not belong to a single, permanent unit, but “float” to departments as needed. ”I ended up in the Intensive Care Unit, and from there went to cardiac,” she said.

Betty was open to new experiences and, using vacation time, she worked for the Minnesota State Fair.

“In 1985, 1986, and 1987, I drove a 1946 open air truck from onsite parking lots to the center of the state fairgrounds near the band shell. It was not common for women to do this,” she explained.  “The trucks had manual shifts and four speeds. I quit after 1987,” she said, clearly relieved to no longer have the responsibility.

That’s when Betty went into ushering for the civic center .

“I wanted to go to a high school hockey game – that was a big deal, but there were no tickets. There has to be a way to get in there, I thought. I thought I could usher, so I called the Minnesota High School league. They said they didn’t do the ushering and that Sims Security handled that. ‘Call Sims,’ they said, ‘I am sure they will take you,’” she said.

“I did. I could pick and choose what I wanted to do. I think I ended up by going to two high school tournament hockey games. It was fun. I did the same thing for high school basketball,”  Betty said.

Betty’s sports adventure was only beginning.

“When that was over, I ushered for the Minnesota Twins. I have always been a baseball fan. I was a nurse at St. Joseph’s, again using vacation time so I could drive the bus at the fair, and ushering for Sims. One day I am sitting on a bench. I told this guy that I had to give up the ushering job – I couldn’t do all of that,” she said.

“He said, ‘I wouldn’t quit now – the Twins are playing very well, maybe they will go to the World Series. I said that I would  just hang in there, and I did. Well, I got to go to every playoff game and World Series game in 1987 that was played here and I was paid $4.37 an hour to see them!”

Betty’s marriage had broken up in the early 1980s. She continued her nursing career, and in January of 1991 she traveled to Florida. With additional nursing staff required during peak tourist season, she made her services available.

“The following year I did the same thing, this time traveling to California,” she said. “My daughter was working for America’s Cup. I went from Long Beach to work for a nursing pool.” Here she was positioned to see some of the events. “I then returned to Minnesota where there was another job opening, and I was back at St Joe’s,” she said.

“When I worked at St. Joe’s Hospital, I saw the patient name Roger Amundson. Roger was my English teacher at Renville High School. I went to his room to see him. He was sleeping, but I recognized him,” she said. When she went back later, she said to him, “I never thought I would have the opportunity to harass you. You taught my English class, didn’t’ you?” They shared a lively conversation about earlier days.

Betty Sandison at her Eagan home, a welcoming place for friends and neighbors. Betty is the oldest known graduate of the University of Minnesota. Photo by Patricia Buschette

Betty’s love for sports and all things baseball continued. When she was out with friends one evening there was a baseball game on the television. Someone said, “Women don’t watch baseball.”

“Later I met a woman who was associated with Jay Buckley Baseball Tours, an organization that offers sports lovers tours of baseball stadiums. “Why don’t you sign up?” she challenged, and Betty did.

In 2005 she joined a group on a full bus to see national league baseball stadiums and baseball games on the East Coast. In 12 days the bus trip took participants to cities on the East Coast. On the trip she experienced 12 stadiums and 12 games.

“We traveled to cities including Chicago, Pittsburg, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C,” she said.

In 2007 she did the Midwest tour, in 2008  the West Coast tour, and in 2010 the South tour. However, despite her great pleasure at all things sports, a diploma was always at the back of her mind.

“After I got done traveling I thought I would like to work at the State Fair, but I didn’t find anything,” she said. The second year, about two weeks before the fair, an employee had fallen and broken her leg. Betty was asked about working at the information booth where she met another employee with whom she has now been working with for eight years.

“In spring of 2018, I went to lunch with friends and we talked about goals and dreams. I explained that I had always wanted to graduate with a four-year degree,” she said.

“What is stopping you?” a friend asked. Betty began studying possibilities and explored the College of Continuing and Professional Studies. “Everybody was younger. The kids were wonderful,” she said enthusiastically. “I studied medical ethics, psychology, and biology. It was during COVID and I was in a group with two young men. I was having trouble with my computer and I was frustrated. The young man next to me said, ‘Stop it, Betty! I have never been without a device. I can help you!’”

“Commencement was exciting. They had us line up and I  said ‘Oh, my God, I just hope I don’t fall. I had to go up the stairs and across the stage at Northrop. Later we went to a Mantovani concert. I had tears in my eyes.”

Now in 2026, Betty will have been working at the State Fair for nine years.

“I love working at the fair,” Betty said. “I see people when they come into the gate. They are happy and enthused. People ask what they should see, and I ask a lot of questions to learn more about their interests. There are visitors from such places as New York and Miami. One visitor said, ‘We flew in to see the State Fair, the Mall of America, and then fly back. My friend has cancer, and the Minnesota State Fair was on her bucket list.’ Once in a while there is a crabby person. One woman wanted a list of all the food vendors at the fair and was angry when it was not available,” she said.

Being of assistance is very important to Betty. She remembered the gentleman who was leaving the fair and asked her, “Where is my car?” She confessed that she didn’t know the answer, and then a moment later, asked him, “What is the first thing you saw when you left your car?” His answer was the water tower. “Then your car is over there,” she said, pointing him in the right direction.

Betty has plans to be at the Great Minnesota Get-Together that begins on August 27. Visitors are sure to find her in the information booth as she encourages and informs those who attend the Minnesota State Fair.