Eugene Henry Kleinpell was born to Eugene and Hukda Fessel Kleinpell on May 11, 1903 in Monona, Iowa.
After earning his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Iowa (1921-25) and his Master's degree from the University of Chicago (1925-26), he began his teaching career. First, Kleinpell worked at the Kemper Junior College (Military Academy) in Booneville, Missouri (1926-1931). He then spent a summer at the Missouri State Teachers College (1931) after which he married Dorothy Golladay (Aug. 6, 1931).
Newly married, Kleinpell took a teaching post at Nothern Montana College in Havre, Montana (1931-35,1936-37). During the summers (and the entire year of 1935-36) he worked on his Ph.D. in History at Ohio State University, receiving the degree in 1936.
In 1937, he became the head of the Department of History and Political Science at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. He left Morningside in 1939 for a post at the State Teachers College in Maryville, Missouri. However, he left Maryville to take the presidency of the Valley City State Teachers College, Valley City, North Dakota (1942-46).
In 1946, Kleinpell was named president at the River Falls State Teachers College. When he arrived, the campus had 683 students and 3 buildings. By the time he retired (Sept. 1, 1967) the enrollment was 3,544 and there were 18 buildings.
After his retirement, he spent a year in Fort Lauderdale, Florida raising funds for Nova University. He returned to River Falls and was named Professor Emeritus. During retirement, he wrote the book, In the Shadow: Reflections of a State College President. In 1974 the new Fine Arts building was named in his honor. Mr. Kleinpell died March 6, 1983.
