Wesley Lauritsen was born on January 20, 1898 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He came to America when he was five years old and attended the Minneapolis Public Schools from 1904 to 1912. Lauritsen lost his hearing at age 14 in December 1912 after falling to the frozen ground from the roof helping his father to shingle the roof. He always referred to his deafness as a “Blessing in Disguise.” Eventually, Lauritsen attended the Minnesota School for the Deaf from 1915 to 1917 and went to Gallaudet College. He graduated from there with a Bachelor’s degree in 1922 and received his Master’s degree 11 years later. In 1963, Lauritsen was awarded the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by Gallaudet University.

His career began at the Kendall School for a year from 1921 to 1922 then he moved back to Minnesota. Lauritsen taught at the Minnesota School for the Deaf for 40 years and he was also the athletic director. He was one of the active faculty members; he was also involved with the school publication, The Companion, for 21 years and helped other male faculty members to provide daily lectures for the students. Also in 1963, he wrote the centennial history of the school. After leaving the school system, he worked for the American Lutheran Church and had his own private business until full retirement in 1985.

He met his first wife, LaReine Roper, at Gallaudet College and they were the only couple to get married in the Minnesota School for the Deaf school auditorium in 1925. They had three children together. After his first wife’s death in 1972, he married his second wife, Ida Bren in 1973. Lauritsen was very devoted to his alma maters and the Minnesota School for the Deaf eventually named their gym after him in 1972.

He was also very involved in the deaf community; Lauritsen was a member of the Faribault Chapter for the National Fraternity for the Deaf, Minnesota Association for the Deaf, and the Charles Thompson Hall in St. Paul.

Mr. Lauritsen passed away on January 2, 1992 at age 93. His motto in life was “Good Work is never lost.”