Sherman to Receive Sertoma Award

Reverend William C. Sherman

The Reverend William C. Sherman will receive the Service to Mankind Award from the Greater Grand Forks Sertoma Club today, recognizing him for his efforts to make our community, state and world a better place to live.

Sherman was born in Detroit in 1927. He attended elementary school in Oregon and high school in North Carolina, Lidgerwood and Hankinson, North Dakota. He was in the U.S. Army serving in the Pacific front at the end of World War II. He attended St. John's University in Minnesota for both his undergraduate work and the seminary for his religious training. He was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1955 at the age of 28.

He attended UND, where he received his master's degree in sociology. During his time at UND, he taught religion classes and was involved with the Newman Center. He taught sociology classes at North Dakota State University in Fargo until two years ago and is a professor emeritus at NDSU.

Sherman has written or has participated in writing several books about the sociological aspects of many groups in North Dakota and the Northern Plains. His books include "Plains Talks," a history of ethnic groups in North Dakota; "Prairie Mosaic," an ethnic atlas of North Dakota; "African-Americans in North Dakota" and "Prairie Peddlers," a study of people with Arabic backgrounds in North Dakota. He is working on "German Russian Housing in North Dakota" and "Priest in the Polish Underground during World War II."

Sherman has been the national chaplain for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He is active in the American Legion, the Ukrainian Institute, the Sons of Norway, the Red River Danes and the Lake Agazzi Swedes. He is on the board of the North Dakota Humanities Council and has taken an active role in encouraging the development of the Christmas Eve Dinner at St. Mike's in the 26 years he has been a priest.

Reprinted with permission of the Grand Forks Herald.