Alan M. Olson

Alan was born on January 7, 1939 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was the oldest child of Melvin and Luella Olson. He grew up in New London Minnesota and in 1957 graduated from New London High School. Alan attended Saint Olaf College in Northfield, MN where he met his beloved wife, Janet. After graduating he attended Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul. He then served as Youth Pastor at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Oconomowoc, WI from 1965 to 1969. While in Oconomowoc he studied with Arthur Anton Vogel at Nashotah House an Episcopal Seminary.

In 1969 Alan and family moved to Boston, MA where he began graduate studies at Boston University studying for his Ph.D. He studied with Peter Anthony Bertocci, Erazim Kohak, Harold H. Oliver and John N. Findlay. He considered himself very fortunate to be hired as a professor at BU. He served as Chairman of the Religion Department at Boston University, 1980-1987, and Chairman of the Philosophy Department, ad interim, 1987-1989. During the 1970’s he was Program Coordinator of the Boston University Institute for Philosophy and Religion; and was Executive Director of the Twentieth World Congress of Philosophy in Boston, 1998. He was a Senior Fulbright Research Fellow at the University of Tübingen, Germany, in 1986, where he studied with Klaus Hartmann; and a Senior Fulbright Research Fellow and visiting fellow at the Institut für die Wissenschaften von Menschen, Vienna, Austria, in 1995, where he worked with Krzysztof Michalski. He served on the Board of Officers of the American Philosophical Association, 2000-2003; and is past president of the Karl Jaspers Society of North America. He delivered the Jaspers Lectures at University College, Oxford in 1989; and was co-editor, with Helmut Wautischer, of the philosophical journal, Existenz from 2006-2015. Alan wrote and edited several books including, Disguises of the Demonic, Hegel and the Spirit Philosophy as Pneumatology, Heidegger and Jaspers. He was very proud of his former students. Many of them kept in touch, informing him of their accomplishments and their families.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Janet L. Olson, two daughters, Maren Olson of Chelsea, MA and Sonja Olson of Brewster, MA, proud grandfather of Søren Olson Chrysler and French Bulldog, Oskar. He is also survived by his two brothers, Randall Olson (wife Julie) of Lincoln, CA and Brian Olson (wife Bonnie) of St.Paul, MN, nieces, Laura and Christine and nephews, Edward and Erik.

The family would like to thank the staff at The Terraces Nursing Home in Orleans and Broad Reach Hospice Care for the kind care they gave to Alan.

Alan will be missed very much.