John M. Agrey Award
2003 Recipient
Warren Diederich
Warren B. Diederich was born in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and graduated from Fargo Central High School. Following service in WWII where he flew 35 missions as a B-17 pilot, he attended North Dakota Agricultural College (NDSU) and graduated with a degree in architecture.
Warren and his wife Irene founded Industrial Builders, Inc in 1953. Fifty years later, he is still actively involved and serves as the chairman of the Industrial Builders board.
Warren is a lifetime member of the Associated General Contractors of America and has served on the national board in addition to serving as the National Treasurer in 1992. He was the National Chairman of the Highway Division, Chairman of the Bureau of Public Roads, and has served on numerous AGC committees both national and state. He was the president of the North Dakota AGC.
He was honored for his work on highway funding legislation that benefited North Dakota in 1981 and its allotment of the Federal highway Trust Fund. In 1987 he was selected for the North Dakota Highway Hall of Fame. He worked with a committee to help the Environmental Protection Agency to find liability insurance for contractors involved with cleanup under the Superfund. Warren has been a committee member and the chairman of the National Academy of Science Highway research. In 1990 he was awarded the CIT Group/Industrial Financing "Rebuilding America" Award in recognition of his contributions to the infrastructure of the United States.
To give back for the education he received courtesy of the GI Bill, Warren and Irene started the Bison Bidder's Bowl in 1982. He was the Honored Alumnus of NDSU in 1983, was awarded NSDU Alumni Achievement award in 1985 and an honorary doctorate in 1990.
Warren is still actively involved in the construction industry along with his other community involvement. He serves as the Riverside Cemetery board Chairman. He was a Charter member of the Board of Directors of Frontier Trust Company and was part of the group that started the Fargo Air Museum. He is a member, and the current chair of the Board of Directors of the North Dakota State University Foundation and the NDSU Education and Research Foundation. Warren has received both the Volunteer of the Year designation, and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education Volunteer Award.
