Friday, Dec. 18, 1998 | 11:20 a.m.
GRAND FORKS N.D. - Las Vegas gaming executive, and former goalie with the University of North Dakota ice hockey team, Ralph Engelstad gave his alma mater an expensive Christmas present Thursday: pricetag $100 million.
At a press conference held in the upper level of Ralph Engelstad Arena, the home of the UND Fighting Sioux hockey team, Engelstad announced Thursday that he was committing $40 million to $50 million for the construction of a state-of-the-art hockey arena that would seat about 12,000 people.
The remainder of the total gift of $100 million would go to the university for other university needs, Engelstad said. Those needs have yet to be determined.
The gift is tied for ninth on a nationwide list of major private gifts and grants to higher education institutions since 1967, according to a list compiled in an August edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education.
The reason for the large donation is simple, said Engelstad, who owns the Imperial Palace casino and hotel complexes in Las Vegas and Biloxi, Miss.
"Just as in life, in business there are ups and downs," he told the crowd of roughly 200 people and statewide television audiences. "Fortunately, I've been able to land with more ups than downs.
"I attribute much of my good fortune to the UND hockey team."
The gift is another in a string of donations Engelstad - who graduated from UND in 1954 with a bachelor's in commerce - has given the school.
In 1988, Engelstad and wife Betty established a $5 million endowment to which they added $2 million earlier this year.
He also donated the military documents of Gen. George S. Patton, which are valued at more than $1.4 million, to the school's library earlier this year.
In 1988, in a show of appreciation for Engelstad's philanthropy, the university renamed their hockey stadium Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Engelstad, a native of Thief River Falls, Minn., a small town about an hour drive northeast of Grand Forks, said he wanted to help insure that future students of UND had the best chance to be successful in everything they do.
As a panel that consisted of state and local officials sang the praises of the sometimes controversial figure, Engelstad sat stone-faced looking over those in attendance.
North Dakota Gov. Edward T. Schafer called Engelstad "daring, creative, and independent ... a visionary."
Englestad has been both a noted and notorious figure in Las Vegas gaming history.
His highlights have included displaying one of the world's largest and most impressive collection of antique automobiles and funding the building of the Las Vegas Speedway, which recently was sold to race track mogul Burton Smith.
Engelstad's major lowlight was the revelation of a "war room" at his Strip hotel, which housed a multi-million collection Nazi memorabilia.
Gaming Control Board agents entered his resort on Sept. 27, 1988, and found the artifacts. Engelstad also had thrown two parties in April 1986 and '88 honoring the birthday of fallen Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
Engelstad apologized publicly on Oct. 6 for showing "poor taste" in housing the collection at his resort and throwing the parties, which he called "stupid and insensitive." He also denounced Hitler.
The five-month investigation ended with the February 1989 issuance of a $1.5 million fine levied against Engelstad by the Nevada Gaming Commission for disgracing the state of Nevada.
It was the second highest fine in Nevada gaming history. The highest was the $3 million fine issued in 1984 against the then-owners of the Stardust for skimming.
The commission had considered pulling Engelstad's gaming license that was originally issued in July 1973 amid moral turpitude allegations. But Engelstad's apology, the removal of the Nazi memorabilia and his otherwise clean record contributed to the panel's decision not to go that route.
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