Ralph Engelstad
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Ralph Louis Engelstad (January 28, 1930 – November 26, 2002) was an American businessman who owned the Imperial Palace casino-hotels in
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
and in
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. He also owned the Kona Kai motel in Las Vegas, which later became the
Klondike Hotel and Casino Klondike Hotel and Casino (also known as Klondike Inn) was a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, in the United States. The property began as the Kona Kai Motel in 1962, and was purchased by Ralph Engelstad in 196 ...
. He was also the donor for the construction of the $104 million
Ralph Engelstad Arena Ralph Engelstad Arena (REA), commonly called the Ralph, is an indoor arena located on the campus of the University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks, North Dakota and serves as the home of UND men's ice hockey. The arena was built by controvers ...
for his ''alma mater'', the
University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota (also known as UND or North Dakota) is a public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of ...
in
Grand Forks, North Dakota Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the state of North Dakota (after Fargo and Bismarck) and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 59,166. Grand Forks, along with its twin city o ...
, and another arena bearing his name in
Thief River Falls, Minnesota Thief River Falls, sometimes referred to as Thief River or abbreviated as TRF, is a city in Pennington County in the northwest portion of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 8,749 at the 2020 census. Thief River Falls is the county ...
. Engelstad was also a co-developer of the
Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada in Las Vegas, Nevada about 15 miles northeast of the Las Vegas Strip, is a complex of multiple tracks for motorsports racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is ...
. Engelstad was one of the very few independent casino-hotel owners in Las Vegas.


Early years

Engelstad was born on January 28, 1930, in
Thief River Falls, Minnesota Thief River Falls, sometimes referred to as Thief River or abbreviated as TRF, is a city in Pennington County in the northwest portion of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 8,749 at the 2020 census. Thief River Falls is the county ...
. He was one of five children born to Christian and Madeline (Thill) Engelstad. His grandfather, Peder was a Norwegian immigrant from
Vang, Hedmark Vang is a former municipality in the old Hedmark county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1992 when it became part of Hamar Municipality. The administrative centre of the municipality was at Fredvang. This si ...
. During high school, Engelstad worked a summer job at AGSCO farm supply company, where his father was a salesman. It was usually long and hard work, taking place on farms and requiring the workers to assemble steel buildings from morning to night. In 1954, he graduated from the University of North Dakota (UND) with a degree in Business. While at UND, Engelstad also played goalie for the school hockey team and even received a tryout with the Chicago Blackhawks. After graduation, he went on to marry Betty Stocker of East Grand Forks. The two went on to have a daughter, Kris.


Business career

In the 1950s, Engelstad founded his own construction company: Engelstad Construction. Engelstad became a millionaire at the age of twenty-nine, fulfilling his hope to become a millionaire by the age of thirty. In 1959, he moved to
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, Nevada, where his construction company had secured government contracts to build FHA homes. In 1965, he purchased the Thunderbird Field airport and later acquired vacant land nearby. In 1967, he sold 145 acres, including the airport, to billionaire
Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...
for $2 million. Engelstad used the money to purchase the Kona Kai motel on the
Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of ...
. He sold the motel in 1975 for $1.2 million, and it would later become the Klondike Hotel and Casino. In 1971, he purchased the Flamingo Capri Motel, also on the Las Vegas Strip. He added a casino in 1972, and later renamed the property to the
Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino The Linq (formerly Flamingo Capri, Imperial Palace and The Quad) is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. It opened as the Flamingo Capri in 1959, on property located directly ...
in 1979. By 1989, he was worth an estimated $300 million. In 1997, he opened a second Imperial Palace resort in
Biloxi, Mississippi Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in and one of two county seats of Harrison County, Mississippi, United States (the other being the adjacent city of Gulfport). The 2010 United States Census recorded the population as 44,054 and in 2019 the estimated popu ...
.Imperial Palace owner Engelstad dies
Liz Benston, ''Las Vegas Sun,'' November 27, 2002.
In 1996, Engelstad joined with
Bill Bennett William Richards Bennett, (April 14, 1932 – December 3, 2015) was the 27th premier of British Columbia from 1975 to 1986. He was a son of Annie Elizabeth May (Richards) and former Premier, W. A. C. Bennett. He was a 3rd cousin, twice removed ...
(owner of the
Sahara Hotel and Casino Sahara Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada. It is owned and operated by the Meruelo Group. The hotel has 1,616 rooms, and the casino contains . The Sahara anchors the northern end of the Las Vegas ...
) to build the
Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada in Las Vegas, Nevada about 15 miles northeast of the Las Vegas Strip, is a complex of multiple tracks for motorsports racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is ...
, which they later sold to
Speedway Motorsports Speedway Motorsports, LLC is an American company that owns and manages auto racing facilities that host races sanctioned by NASCAR, IndyCar Series, NHRA, World of Outlaws and other racing series. The company was founded by Bruton Smith and has ...
in 1998.


Philanthropy

The Engelstad Foundation was created in 2002 by Ralph and Betty Engelstad. Since its inception, the foundation has provided more than $300 million in grants to organizations focused on animal compassion, at-risk individuals, education, historical preservation, medical research and support, people with disabilities and veterans. Notable donations to organizations span Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, North Dakota, and Utah.


Minnesota

*$2.5 million to The Sacred Heart Foundation to fund a 10,865 square foot addition to the Sacred Heart School in East Grand Forks (2018)


Mississippi

* $1.5 million toward
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
relief efforts. The Imperial Palace in Biloxi, Mississippi also opened its doors to
FEMA The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Ex ...
workers and homeless employee families for months following the storm.


Nevada

* $10 million gift to the St. Rose Dominican Health Foundation in support of an early support breast cancer program (2018) *$2.5 million to help build UNLV's hospitality school (2018)    *$3 million to the Blind Center of Nevada to help build its Visions of Greatness Center (2018) *$1.5 million to Las Vegas Area Council, Boy Scouts of America for Engelstad Scout Park (2016)    *$10 million to Three Square Food Bank's endowment in Las Vegas (2015) *$4.5 million to the Animal Foundation (2015) *$22 million had been given to Opportunity Village as of 2018 *$2 million to support a public school-based community program created by the Latin Chamber of Commerce and Boys Town Nevada (2013)    *Millions to Las Vegas'
Smith Center for the Performing Arts The Smith Center for the Performing Arts is located in Downtown Las Vegas's 61-acre Symphony Park and is a five-acre performing arts center consisting of three theaters in two buildings; groundbreaking for the $470 million project was May 26, 20 ...
. In 2014 alone, there was a $2 million donation (2012-2014) *$12.6 million to support student scholarships at University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2009)  *$8.2 million to the College of Southern Nevada Foundation in Las Vegas to improve school's health sciences program (2008) *An initial $5 million to the Boys and Girls Club to build a new facility, this includes a long-term donation plan that has money allotted for scholarship endowment (2008) *$10 million to
Bishop Gorman High School Bishop Gorman High School (also commonly referred to as Gorman High School or BGHS) is a private Roman Catholic preparatory school located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The school is administered by the Diocese of Las Vegas. The school opened in 1954. ...
to fund a new campus (2003)


North Dakota

* $250,000 to Farm Rescue to help farm and ranch families struck by unexpected crises in North Dakota (2018)    * $3 million to Grand Forks' Community Violence Intervention Center benefitting its Safer Tomorrow Road Maps program (2018) * $100 million to the University of North Dakota to build Ralph Engelstad Arena (1998) *$20 million endowment to the University of North Dakota (2007)


Items donated

* Donated General
George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...
Papers (1918-1944, 1997-1998) and portraits of the U.S. Supreme Court Justices to University of North Dakota valued at nearly $127.5 million


Utah

* $6 million to build the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre in
Cedar City, Utah Cedar City is the largest city in Iron County, Utah, United States. It is located south of Salt Lake City, and north of Las Vegas on Interstate 15. It is the home of Southern Utah University, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, the Utah Summer Gam ...
(2016)  As of 2019, the Engelstad Foundation is run by trustees Betty Engelstad, Kris Engelstad McGarry and Jeffrey M. Cooper.


Namesakes

*
Ralph Engelstad Arena Ralph Engelstad Arena (REA), commonly called the Ralph, is an indoor arena located on the campus of the University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks, North Dakota and serves as the home of UND men's ice hockey. The arena was built by controvers ...
– Arena in Grand Forks, ND, originally known as the Winter Sports Center. Renamed in 1988, and closed in 2001. *
Ralph Engelstad Arena Ralph Engelstad Arena (REA), commonly called the Ralph, is an indoor arena located on the campus of the University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks, North Dakota and serves as the home of UND men's ice hockey. The arena was built by controvers ...
– A new arena in Grand Forks to replace the original. Opened in 2001, and utilized for major music events and University of North Dakota hockey and basketball. *
Ralph Engelstad Arena Ralph Engelstad Arena (REA), commonly called the Ralph, is an indoor arena located on the campus of the University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks, North Dakota and serves as the home of UND men's ice hockey. The arena was built by controvers ...
– Arena in Thief River Falls, MN, opened in 2003. * Ralph & Betty Engelstad Clubhouse – A part of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada, the clubhouse was built in 1994 and is located in central Las Vegas.    * Ralph and Betty Engelstad Campus – The campus in Southwest Las Vegas houses many of Opportunity Village's most vital resources, including the Thomas & Mack Employment Resource Center and the Multi-Purpose Center for Arts & Life Skill Enrichment.    * Ralph and Betty Engelstad School of Health Sciences – The first named school at the College of Southern Nevada, the building is home to multiple health science programs.    *Engelstad Scout Park – Opened in 2016, the Engelstad Scout Park serves as a meeting area for Las Vegas Area Council Boy Scout Meetings. * Engelstad Family Foundation Event Terrace – Opened in 2018, the Hospitality Hall is home to University of Nevada, Las Vegas' (UNLV) hospitality program.   * Engelstad Family Adoption Center – The Engelstad Family Adoption Center, opening late January 2019 as part of the Animal Foundation, will serve as a permanent home for safe pet adoptions in Las Vegas.


Awards

Ralph Engelstad was honored with multiple awards throughout his life, including "National Employer of the Year" from the President's Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities; "Employer of the Year" from the Southwest Business, Industry and Rehabilitation Association; and "Humanitarian of the Year Award" from the International Gaming & Business Exposition. In 2002, Engelstad was inducted into the North Dakota Entrepreneur Hall of Fame for his contributions to the construction, casino and entertainment industries.


Legacy/scholarships

* UNLV School of Medicine – In 2018, 57 UNLV School of Medicine students were each awarded $100,000 scholarships. * Fulfillment Fund Las Vegas – In 2015, there was a $10 million donation to Fulfillment Fund Las Vegas to help students at Chaparral High School, Del Sol Academy of the Performing Arts and Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy achieve a higher education. * UNLV Scholarships – Awarded in 2009, this $12.6 million gift to UNLV established the Ralph and Betty Engelstad Scholars Program. * College of Southern Nevada – An $8.2 million gift to College of Southern Nevada in 2008 included $1 million allocated to scholarships for health and sciences. *Boys & Girls Club – In 2009, a $5 million gift to the Boys & Girls Club that included an allotment for annual college scholarships. * University of North Dakota – A $20 million gift in 2007 to University of North Dakota established numerous athletic scholarships. These scholarships include: ** Ralph Engelstad Underrepresented Scholarship – Scholarships awarded to historically under-represented students (American Indian/Alaska Native, African American, Asian American, Hispanic American)    ** Ralph Engelstad Late Bloomer Scholarship – Scholarships awarded to new, incoming freshmen students   


Nazi controversy

Engelstad was a controversial figure. He raised accusations of being sympathetic to
Nazism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...
owing to his collection of Nazi memorabilia stored in a private room, which he referred to as his "war room", within his Imperial Palace hotel-casino. After discovery of the memorabilia, Engelstad agreed to sell it rather than put it on display. In an apology letter to the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas, Engelstad said "I now feel I have done what I can and apologized for what I cannot do". In addition to the memorabilia he stored on display in his "war room", a
printing plate Printing is a process for mass reproducing text and images using a master form or template. The earliest non-paper products involving printing include cylinder seals and objects such as the Cyrus Cylinder and the Cylinders of Nabonidus. The ea ...
was found within his hotel that was used to make bumper stickers that read "Hitler Was Right".


Hitler birthday parties

On April 20 in 1986 and 1988, he hosted parties to celebrate
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
's birthday at his casino in Las Vegas that featured bartenders in T-shirts reading "Adolf Hitler — European tour 1939-45". Because of this, in 1989, the
Nevada Gaming Commission The Nevada Gaming Commission is a Nevada state governmental agency involved in the regulation of casinos throughout the state, along with the Nevada Gaming Control Board. In 1959, the Nevada Gaming Commission ("Commission") was created by the pass ...
fined Engelstad $1.5 million "for actions that damaged the reputation and image of Nevada's gaming industry." Engelstad apologized publicly for the parties, saying they were "stupid, insensitive and held in bad taste", but the row was not to be his last controversial move.


Fighting Sioux controversy

"Tradition is the gentle fabric woven through time and experience which generates meaning, character, and identity to one and all. The Fighting Sioux logo, the Fighting Sioux uniforms, the aura of the Fighting Sioux tradition and the spirit of being a Fighting Sioux are of lasting value and immeasurable significance to our past, presence, and future." —Ralph Engelstad Engelstad embroiled himself in the fight over the Fighting Sioux logo when he built a $104 million arena on the
University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota (also known as UND or North Dakota) is a public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of ...
campus for the Fighting Sioux hockey program. Midway in its construction, Engelstad threatened to withdraw funding if the long-standing nickname were to be changed. The logo was placed in thousands of instances in the arena, making the prospect of removal a costly measure. Later, Engelstad placed the stadium under private (rather than University) management and stipulated that the Fighting Sioux motif be kept indefinitely. An Engelstad family trust continues to own the arena and rents it to the University. The North Dakota Board of Higher Education ruled on April 8, 2010, to retire the Fighting Sioux nickname in response to pressure from the
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
. On February 8, 2012 the "repeal of the repeal" took place. After 17,213 North Dakota residents signed a petition bringing the debate over the nickname to a statewide vote, UND resumed use of the nickname. On June 14, 2012, the nickname was repealed again after a vote held on June 11, 2012, on whether to keep or retire the nickname resulted in 67.35% of North Dakota voters chose to retire the "Fighting Sioux" name and American Indian head logo as a result of negative consequences resulting from impending NCAA sanctions.


Death

After a lengthy affliction with
lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...
, Engelstad died at his home in
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
on November 26, 2002."Ralph L. Engelstad, 72 -- Casino Entrepreneur"
''The New York Times''. Retrieved 2019-03-16.


Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Engelstad, Ralph 1930 births 2002 deaths University of North Dakota alumni Sports in North Dakota People from Thief River Falls, Minnesota People from Grand Forks, North Dakota People from the Las Vegas Valley