Doug Edmonson, born and raised in Minnesota, always wanted to be a Golden Gopher. After watching the 1963 Big Ten track meet at the University of Minnesota and hearing about the 1964 Big Ten Cross-country championship for the Gophers, Doug was hooked on running at Minnesota. 1966 Minnesota State Cross-country ski champion, Doug opted to run track and cross-county at Minnesota, earning four-year letters in both sports, while contributing in dual and triangular meets.
After graduating in Chemical Engineering, Doug spent his career in managing teams of food product developers and researchers for Pillsbury, Anheuser-Busch, Earthgrains and Kellogg’s Company. After “retiring”, Doug spent another 10 years conducting food audits and helping small companies become food safety certified.
Doug has written several books about his family genealogy and paternal grandmothers’ collection of published newspapers stories. Collecting track and cross-country results from the time Roy Griak took over the Gopher programs in the fall of 1963 until he graduated in 1970, Doug has woven a story of great teams and even greater friendships that evolved from his running experiences at Minnesota.
Doug and his lovely wife, Mary, split time between St. Louis and their Lake Superior summer home which they often share with their four children, their spouses and their nineteen grandchildren.