Elizabeth “Betty” Solem was born on February 7, 1916 in St. Louis Missouri, to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur L. Riche. Her father, Arthur L. Riche, later was to become the principal founder of Micro Switch Corporation of Freeport, Illinois. Betty Solem graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Physics from Rockford College (then known as Rockford Business College) in 1936. A distinguished-alumnae, she was a member of the Socratic Club and Rockford College awarded her the Talcott Cross for outstanding service, to the College and to her community.

She married Robert H. Solem and assisted him in the operation and development of the Wisconsin Knife Works and other tooling and machinery companies located in Beloit and other states. At the time of her death, January 7, 1995, in the family winter home in Florida, she was survived by her husband, one son, three daughters and ten grandchildren. Betty Solem’s community involvements included the Federation of Women’s Clubs, the Rockford College Board of Directors, Girl Scouts, Junior Y Club, YMCA, Intermediate Women, Women’s Division of the Beloit Chamber of Commerce, the Coterie Club and the Thursday Club.

She was a long time Secretary of the Beloit Historical Society and widely known for her photography skills, her hobby of bird watching and presenting travelogues to community clubs and organizations on her travels. Through the generosity of Betty Solem and her husband, Bob Solem, both dedicated to the preservation of not only Beloit’s history, but the arts and cultural contributions of Beloiters, the Beloit Historical Society was enabled to build the Lincoln Center from the old Lincoln Junior High School on Hackett Street in Beloit, that will be a living memorial to her great contributions to her community. Elizabeth “Betty” Solem was a 20^th Century Renaissance Woman.