Dr. Roger A. Lohmann

Dr. Roger A. Lohmann, 82, of Morgantown died peacefully on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital. Roger (Rog) was the beloved husband of Dr. Nancy Lohmann, to whom he had been married sixty years. He was the devoted father of Andrew (Lisa McMillen) Lohmann and Melissa Lohmann (Dylan Romano) and of a premature son. He was the cherished grandfather of Brandon Lohmann and Madison Romano.

Roger was born in 1942 in Red Wing, MN to Alvin Lohmann and Rozella Albers Lohmann and was raised in Zumbrota, MN. Rog and Nancy met as college students at St. Cloud (MN) State University through student government and were married about a year after their first date. They went on to earn their master’s degrees from the University of Minnesota and doctoral degrees from Brandeis University. They were colleagues as well as life partners.

He was supportive and proud of Nancy and her own career accomplishments, even as he professed to not understand why she wasted so much time as an academic administrator. They had a wonderful and enduring relationship of love and mutual respect.

He was proud of the accomplishments of his children and had a loving relationship with them. He was very engaged in their lives when they were growing up and remained close to them until his death.

He delighted in being a grandfather and spending time with his grandchildren as they grew. He and Brandon had a shared interest in Mountaineer sports and attended football and many basketball games together. He and Madi had some common intellectual interests and shared the fiction that each was writing with each other.

Rog’s career achievements were many, some of which are detailed below. As you read about his accomplishments, know that, above all else, he was a good guy. He lived his life with integrity and kindness, described by many as a gentle man who greeted you with a smile. It is that kindness and gentleness that his family hopes you remember.

Rog started his career as a newspaperman and after covering the start of anti-poverty programs of the 1960’s, became the youngest Community Action Agency Director in the nation at age 23. After doctoral studies, he joined the faculty in social work at the University of TN, Knoxville in 1972. In 1977, he and Nancy joined the social work faculty at West Virginia University, with Rog retiring in 2011.

Rog taught graduate classes in social policy, financial management and nonprofit organization administration. Through his teaching, he influenced many students in a variety of disciplines. He also served on the doctoral committees of students in several disciplines, both at WVU and at other universities.

He was a scholar to his core, enjoying an international reputation for his work. His intellectual curiosity led to him combining disciplines and technologies in novel ways. He wrote or edited eight books, two with his wife, Nancy. He published more than 50 academic articles and professional encyclopedia entries.

His 1980 book, Breaking Even: Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations, was the first published book on nonprofit financial management. In the book, he applied accounting principles to the area of nonprofit administration. This book was also published in Korean.

In 1987, he presented a paper “And Lettuce is Nonanimal…” that argued to identify something through negation, in this case, nonprofit organizations by defining what they were not, made as much sense as defining lettuce as not being an animal. The paper became what may have been his most important book, The Commons: New Perspectives on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action, which was described as ground- breaking in the fresh, integrated perspective it offered. It was the basis of an award as an outstanding book in philanthropy. A Japanese edition of The Commons was published.

As a long-time member of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), Rog pioneered the application of technology to develop ARNOVA-L. This listserv connected and engaged an international community of scholars and practitioners with interests in nonprofit and voluntary organizations.

For many years, he served as Editor of Non-Profit Management and Leadership, a quarterly journal viewed as the leading journal of its kind. The editorship, funded by the Mandel Foundation, resulted in an adjunct faculty position with Case Western Reserve University.

Rog was a WVU Benedum Distinguished Scholar and in 2007, was named one of the Nonprofit Times Power and Influence Top 50 and honored at a dinner in Washington, DC. He received a lifetime achievement award from the Association for Community Organization and Social Administration and two Distinguished Service Awards from the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Associations.

His extended family survivors include his brothers, Russ (Kathie), and Rick (Gail), both in Minnesota; his sister-in-law, Twyla (Clyde) McKee in New Mexico, and brother-in-law, Jim (Jean) Pew in Minnesota. Predeceasing Rog was Ken (Barbara) Pew of Georgia and his in-laws, Stanley and Gladys Pew.

A celebration of Rog’s life will be held at the Village at Heritage Point on August 2 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm with a brief program at 3:00. In lieu of flowers and other gifts, the family would welcome donations to the Roger A. Lohmann Research Repository Endowment- 3L044. By mail to: WVU Foundation P.O. Box 1650 Morgantown, WV 26507-1650 or online by clicking here.

When making a donation online, please search Roger A. Lohmann Research Repository Endowment under the "What would you like your donation to support?" drop down menu.