Heart for Humanities
Former UND instructor Sam Johnson brings global experience and expands the arts in the classroom.
Though much of his schooling took place in various states, Sam Johnson, ’73, ’90, ’93, never lost his hometown connection to Grand Forks or its university. As a high school junior in Maryland, he applied for UND’s early-entry program for 11th-graders known as the “Nifty Gifty’s.”
Drawn by the campus’s academic atmosphere, he opted to stay at UND to begin his college career early. He earned his first degree in just two years, becoming UND’s youngest graduate teaching assistant. Sam credits extracurriculars offered through the College of Arts & Sciences for broadening his worldview and lifelong commitment to the arts and humanities.
“I remember the Gamalan dancers from the Far East, speakers, and music groups — different cultural experiences. This was a tremendous part of my learning and influences my support of these kinds of activities now.”
Sam (top row, far left) on campus with his “Nifty Gifty” class in summer of ’71.
As a UND English instructor in the early 2000s, Sam did the same for his students, hosting potlucks during UND’s Writers Conference to allow students to connect with acclaimed authors.
Sam coordinated experiences like this for his students at Lake Region State College and Devils Lake Public Schools as well, leading field trips to destinations outside of the state. He expanded technology and storytelling resources available to his students by launching North Dakota’s first high-speed internet lab for digital journalism and creating “The Global Classroom,” a pioneering telecommunications program.
His innovation earned state and national recognition. In 1997, Sam received the Milken Foundation’s Outstanding National Educator Award. He invested the funds and used the payouts to establish several endowments at UND, supporting aspiring English and music teachers.
I remember the Gamalan dancers from the Far East, speakers, and music groups — different cultural experiences. This was a tremendous part of my learning and influences my support of these kinds of activities now.
Sam with his mother and siblings on graduation day, 1973. Sam's brother, Peter, ’81, ’82, currently serves as UND’s Director of Government & Public Relations.
In the fall of 2025, he established another endowment to benefit music therapists after witnessing the transformative impact of music therapy on his mother’s dementia.
Sam’s giving reflects a family legacy of cultural appreciation and educational opportunity inspired by his parents, George “Bob” Johnson and Marjorie Dorsher. The couple modeled service and a love of culture — from concert tickets to museum memberships — wherever they lived.
“I believe the arts and humanities teach us what it means to be human,” Sam says. “They offer academic, intellectual, and empathetic value. When those are absent, young people miss out on essential experiences.”
In 1997, Sam received the Milken Foundation’s Outstanding National Educator Award. He invested the funds and used the payouts to establish several endowments at UND, supporting aspiring English and music teachers.
