Edith Louise Gundersen Madsen


Wife of Louis Linden Madsen, President of Utah State Agricultural College, 1950-1953

Edith Louise Gundersen was born in 1910 in Salt Lake City. Her parents were Orson Wilford Gundersen and Ingeborg Teriesen. The family moved to Idaho when Edith was about 5 years old. Her elementary school years were spent in Idaho. The family returned to Salt Lake City where Edith graduated from high school. She also attended the LDS Business College. In 1932 she married Louis L. Madsen. The Madsens had 5 sons and 3 daughters. The family lived on a farm in North Logan for five years prior to Louis' appointment as president of the Utah State Agricultural College in 1950. At that time they had seven children ranging in age from 2 to 16. The family moved into the president's house on campus. Their daughter, Carol, was born in 1952 while Louis was president.

Their son, John, recalls his chores of "daily mopping the kitchen floor of the President's mansion, helping to make the beds, and operating the large automated iron, to assist my mother in keeping up with the laundry for our family...." John and his older brother, Louis, became the "ball boys" for the Utah State football team and "water boys for the basketball team.

The Madsens moved from Utah to Maryland in 1953 and later to Pullman, Washington where Louis was Dean of the College of Agriculture at Washington State.

Edith loves music and plays the piano. She is a talented seamstress, has a great interest in political affairs, and has been active in LDS Church work throughout her life.

Edith is now 92 years old and lives in Kennewick, Washington.