Hall of Fame
Nicholas "Nick" C. Bystrom enters the Northland College Athletic Hall of Fame both for his outstanding performance as a Northland athlete as well as an accomplished coach. Nick attended Northland College from 1956-1960. As a student, Bystrom earned the nickname "Big Nick" playing forward on the basketball and baseball teams. He lettered four years in basketball and two years in baseball. As a basketball player, Nick averaged 9 points per game, served as captain of the team for 1-½ years and was a member of the 1959-60 Badger-Gopher Conference Champions.
Later Nick returned to Northland College Athletics as coach for the basketball team (1982-1992), leading the Lumberjacks to four National Small College Athletic Association tournaments and helping the team win two Northern District Championships. Nick's ten year coaching career closed with an overall record of 113 wins and 181 losses.
Nick's connection to Northland exceeds his athletic career. After completing his undergraduate degree at Northland in 1960, Nick earned a master's in mathematics from the University of Maine and a doctorate in mathematics education from the University of Minnesota. He returned to Northland in 1962 to begin what would become a life-long career in teaching and coaching. A popular professor in a difficult subject, College records indicate that Bystrom taught more then 1,600 students sine 1985.
Nick introduced new technologies to the curriculum at Northland to give students a real world education. He introduced computer science courses in the 1970s and computer modeling well before it became a national trend. He led students in participation in the Undergraduate Mathematics Application Project, a mathematics-modeling contest. He also helped form a student chapter of the Mathematical Association of America at Northland and served as advisor to the organization. Nick received the Uhrig award for Excellence in Teaching in 1966, the Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership Award from Sears in 1990, and the Faculty Merit Award for Outstanding Service in 1992. At the 100th Anniversary Celebration of Northland College in 1992, Bystrom received the Distinguished Alumni Award.
