Born in Alsea, Oregon, in 1924,[1] he served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was among those who landed on Utah Beach as part of the Northern France, Ardennes and Rhineland Campaigns.
[2] After World War II, Van Pelt returned to Oregon, where he graduated from Pacific University in 1949 and subsequently from the Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management in 1950.
[3] Van Pelt served on the Pacific University Alumni Board of Directors, as an Elder for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and several other community-based boards, foundations and committees.
In June 2007, Pacific University bestowed a Lifetime Achievement Award to Van Pelt and five other graduates.
[3][4][5] Van Pelt died on September 25, 2011,[1] in Portland, Oregon.