100 Years of Alaska's Legislature
"From Territorial Days to Today"


1913 to 2013

Juneau, Alaska

State & Territorial



Niilo Koponen

OCCUPATION:Retired Educator, Farmer

BIRTH DATE/PLACE:03/06/1928; New York

SPOUSE:Joan Forbes

CHILDREN:Karjala, Sanni, Chena, Heather, Alex

EDUCATION:High School: High School of Music and Art, 1941-1945, Art Diploma College/University: Cooper Union (Engineering), 1947-1948; Central State University, 1949-1951, BS; University of Alaska, 1955-1957, BEd Post Graduate: London School of Economics, 1958-1959, Hon; Harvard University, 1962-1966, CAS, EdD

EMPLOYMENT:Teacher, Elementary School Principle and Director, Research, Planning Federal Programs, Fairbanks North Star Borough Schools, 1958-1972; Instructor/Researcher, University of Alaska, 1960-1962; Assistant Director, Center for Field Studies, Harvard; Editor, Harvard Educational Review, 1963-1966; Director, Fairbanks Head Start, 1972-1976

MILITARY SERVICE:Alternative service, resettling Finnish refugees from Russian held areas, 1948

SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS:Volunteer Firefighter, Chena Goldstream Volunteer Fire Department;
Member, Alaska Federation for Community Self-Reliance;
Quakers