HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED

NOLS 2025 FOUNDERS DAY

Honoring the Past?

"On June 8, 1965, students gathered near Lander, Wyoming, to embark on a 30-day adventure into the Wind River Mountains. This trip marked the founding of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) with a simple but bold idea: that wilderness is the best classroom for leadership."

For these first NOLS students, who was the teacher in the 1965 wilderness classroom that taught them to use their judgement and to learn by doing? NOLS cannot bring itself to name Paul Petzoldt, NOLS Founder. Instead, NOLS confers NOLS foundership on the leaderless and nameless students who had "gathered near Lander". No teacher needed.

Our focus is on an issue we care about deeply: recognizing Paul Petzoldt by name as the NOLS Founder on FOUNDER'S DAY (apostrophe included). Despite our previous requests, this hasn’t happened yet.

Founders set an organization’s direction and shape its values. Future success depends on the first steps a founder takes. Honoring Paul by name is about respecting NOLS history and inspiring future generations.

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When Mark Randolph, NOLS Trustee, sent an email to NOLS 70s Grads to ask that they donate to FOUNDERS DAY, he signed as MARC RANDOLPH, NOLS Trustee.

Cofounder and former CEO Netflix. 

Marc rightfully deserves to be recognized as a Netflix Cofounder. What if Netflix launched a Founders Day campaign similar to what NOLS has done?

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NETFLIX 2025 FOUNDERS DAY

Honoring the Past. Celebrating the Present. Inspiring the Future.

"On August 29, 1997, a new way to watch movies was born - one that relied on the insight and courage of Blockbuster customers who decided to do something different. These media pioneers stopped gathering at Blockbuster to leave behind crowded aisles and late fees for DVDs delivered straight to their homes. Patiently ordering one DVD at a time, they founded Netflix."

To bring home by comparison how unbelievable it is that NOLS is unable (unwilling?) to name the school’s founder, this fictitious account credits Blockbuster customers as Netflix founders. Not acknowledging Marc as a true Netflix Cofounder on Netflix Founders Day misrepresents and distorts its founding. NOLS is doing the same thing by not acknowledging Paul as NOLS Founder.

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 We hope this comparison of NOLS and Netflix comes across in the spirit of good humor but not frivolity. Our goal is to encourage NOLS to proudly name Paul Petzoldt as NOLS Founder on NOLS FOUNDER’S DAY.

NOLS - do right

Name the Founder on Founder's Day - Paul Kiesow Petzoldt

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NOLS Self-Assembly

Our purpose is to serve as a link between NOLS and the greater NOLS community for an open discussion about how NOLS can stay true to its Mission and the practice of Expedition Behavior. We have consistently reached out to the NOLS Board and the Executive Team as a group. We aim to engage with open inquiry and constructive and generative dialogue.