The Department of the Interior announced today two personnel moves involving superintendents of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in North Dakota and South Dakota.
Owen D. Morken, who has been superintendent of the Fort Berthold Agency, New Town, N. Dak., since 1957, will move on October 13 to the comparable position at Pierre Agency, Pierre, S. Dak. He will replace Christian H. Beitzel who retired August 31.
At Fort Berthold Agency Mr. Morken will be succeeded on October 16 by Homer M. Gilliland who has for the past six years been land operations officer of the Colorado River Agency, Parker, Arizona.
Mr. Morken first joined the Indian Bureau as educational adviser in ACCC camp at Bemidji; Minn. in 1939. Subsequently he served in both educational and highway work at various locations in Minnesota and Arizona before his appointment as Fort Berthold superintendent three years ago. He was born at Bemidji in 1911 and graduated from the State Teachers' College there in 1934. Prior to coming with the Bureau, he worked for five years with the Minnesota Highway Department.
Mr. Gilliland has been with the Bureau since 1943 when he was appointed as principal-teacher at the Cherokee Agency in North Carolina. After two years in this post he was named soil conservationist at the same agency and served until 1954 when he transferred to Colorado River. He was born at Tremont, Miss., in 1912 and graduated from Mississippi State University in 1934.
Mr. Beitzel joined the Bureau in 1936 as school principal at Fort Berthold Agency, and was later named superintendent of that agency. Subsequently he served as superintendent of the Pipestone Agency, Minn.; the Turtle Mountain Consolidated Agency, N. Dak,; the Winnebago Agency, Nebr.; and the Pierre Indian School.
