George Christensen

George Curtis Christensen was born in New York, New York on February 21, 1924 and died in Ames, Iowa on August 1, 2020. The son of Norwegian immigrants, he grew up on Staten Island in New York City with his two sisters and a brother, served in the United States Army during the Second World War and studied at Cornell University (Ithaca, New York), where he received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (1949), Master of Science (1950) and Doctor of Philosophy (1953) degrees.

Dr. Christensen was the co-author of a mammalian anatomy textbook and the author of numerous published papers in professional journals on anatomical research, higher education and international education. He addressed professional conferences in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia, served as consultant to the United States Agency for International Development and as a higher education consultant to the Egyptian, Nigerian, Chinese, Taiwanese and Soviet governments. Dr. Christensen was a member of Federal and State of Iowa trade missions to China, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan. (He ultimately visited dozens of countries and all seven continents.)

As an active community volunteer in Ames, Dr. Christensen served as President of the Octagon Center for the Arts, Vice President of the Ames Public Library Foundation, President of the Homeward/Hospice Advisory Committee, Vice President of the Ames Community Arts Council, and President of the Rotary Club of Ames. He was a devoted member of St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church.

Dr. Christensen’s lifelong avocation was photography and photographic art. His black-and-white landscape, architectural and other images, products of his keen eye and darkroom artistry, won numerous Best of Show awards and have been exhibited at museums and galleries throughout the Midwest and at the U.S. Capitol.

SOURCE - https://www.adamssoderstrum.com/obituaries/George-Curtis-Christensen?obId=17737617 (Sept, 2025)