Lauren Ward
Ottawa High School: 1959
University of Kansas (B.S.): 1963
Stanford University (M.B.A.): 1965
Harvard University (A.M.P.): 1980
While a student at OHS, Lauren was a member of Kays and O'Club. He was also a Summerfield Scholar and National Merit Finalist.
Lauren's professional life has been varied. Based in California, he has been an entrepreneur, real estate developer, and management consultant. A sampling of his business pursuits include: running a trucking company, serving as Vice-President of Finance for a paper merchant, building and operating a successful franchise restaurant, and owning several rice farms. Since the 1980's his passion has been environmental conservation. With Lauren's assistance, over 300,000 acres of land from Alaska to the Mississippi River have been preserved, providing not only refuges for wildlife, but also places of beauty for the world to enjoy for generations to come.
Lauren is a salt-water fly fisherman and duck hunter. He loves to travel and is an avid pilot, having logged over 5,000 flight hours.
He and his wife, Mary Margaret, live in Sonoma, California. They have two children, Patrick and Lindsay. Lauren's brother, Roger, lives in Ottawa.
Inducted September 12, 2013.