Rand was born in Eldred, Minnesota, to Charles W. and Alice Pedersen Rand. He lived in Beltrami and Williams, Minnesota, where his father was Superintendent of Schools. Following his father's death in 1920, the family moved to Rothsay, Minnesota, his mother's hometown.[2] He graduated in 1938 from Concordia College, was ordained at the Lutheran Seminary in St. Paul in 1943 and served as a pastor in northern Minnesota.[3]
Career
Rand joined the Concordia College faculty in 1945. He was president of Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa, from 1951 to 1956, when he became executive director of college education for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. In July 1963, he became President of St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota and served in that capacity until February, 1980, at which time he became United States Ambassador to Norway. The Norwegian government recognized Ambassador Rand for his services in promoting good relations between the two countries. He was awarded the Knight First Class — Order of St. Olav and the Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit.[4]
