Knudsen, Steven

Teacher, film producer, and media services administrator. Orlando Stephen "Steve" Knudsen was born May 24, 1910, in Lake Mills, Iowa. He received a B.A. in Speech and Education from the University of Northern Iowa in 1931, and an M.A. in Speech from the University of Iowa in 1938. After teaching science, math, English, social science, and speech at four Iowa high schools, Knudsen entered the Navy in 1942, serving later as project supervisor with the Navy's Training Film and Motion Picture Branch. He began 31 years with Iowa State University on January 1, 1949 as producer and manager of ISU's new Film Production Unit, conceived as a way to provide fledgling television station WOI with film programming. During his twenty years with the Unit, Knudsen produced more than 400 films. Numerous awards were given Unit films, including six CINE Golden Eagles and two American Film Festival blue ribbons. He also served as part of a two-man team sent by the State Department in 1958 to survey educational film production in eight South American countries. In July 1969, Knudsen became Head of the ISU Media Resources Center, a post he held until 1975. From July 1975 to his retirement in January 1980, Knudsen continued to serve the Media Resources Center as Media Specialist. Active in national educational media groups, he served as president of both the University Film and Video Association (UFVA) and the University Film Foundation, a fellow and vice president of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), a regional vice president and board member of the American Science Film Association (ASFA), and honorary board member and vice president of the Council on International Nontheatrical Events (CINE).