Gustavus Adolphus College ( ) is a
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
liberal arts college in
St. Peter, Minnesota. It was founded in 1862 by
Swedish Americans
Swedish Americans ( sv, svenskamerikaner) are Americans of Swedish ancestry. They include the 1.2 million Swedish immigrants during 1865–1915, who formed tight-knit communities, as well as their descendants and more recent immigrants.
Today, ...
led by
Eric Norelius
Eric Norelius (26 October 1833 – 15 March 1916) was a Swedish-American Lutheran minister, church leader, and author.
Background
Eric Norelius was born on 26 October 1833 in Norrbäck, Hassela parish, Sweden. He received his early educa ...
and is affiliated with the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Gustavus gets its name from
Gustavus Adolphus, the King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632. Its residential campus includes a 125-acre arboretum, a tall-grass prairie, wetlands, coniferous forests, and deciduous woods.
History
Founding
![Rev](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Rev.EricNorelius.jpg)
The predecessor to the college was founded in 1862 as a
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
parochial school in
Red Wing by
Eric Norelius
Eric Norelius (26 October 1833 – 15 March 1916) was a Swedish-American Lutheran minister, church leader, and author.
Background
Eric Norelius was born on 26 October 1833 in Norrbäck, Hassela parish, Sweden. He received his early educa ...
. The school offered classes for grade-school children; collegiate courses were not offered until nearly a decade later, but the college uses the earlier date as the year it was founded.
Originally named Minnesota Elementarskola (''elementary school'' in
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
), it moved the following year to East Union, an unincorporated town in
Dahlgren Township. In 1865, on the 1,000th anniversary of the death of
St. Ansgar, known as the "
Apostle
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
of the North", the institution was renamed and incorporated as St. Ansgar's Academy.
Renaming
In April 1873, the college was to be renamed Gustavus Adolphus Literary & Theological Institute in honor of King
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden once the final location and buildings were secured. A delegation of residents from
St. Peter won favor from the founders to relocate there as a result of an economic crisis and the town's offer of $10,000 and donation of acreage for a larger campus. Courses were initially to start in the fall of 1875 but slow progress on the construction of the first campus building, Old Main, delayed the opening. On October 16, 1876, Gustavus Adolphus College opened at the location that still stands today. It is the oldest of several Lutheran colleges founded in Minnesota. It was founded as a college of the
Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church
The Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church (previously the Augustana Lutheran Synod and also Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod in North America and Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod in North America) was a Lutheran church ...
. In 1962 it became affiliated with the
Lutheran Church in America
The Lutheran Church in America (LCA) was an American and Canadian Lutheran church body that existed from 1962 to 1987. It was headquartered in New York City and its publishing house was Fortress Press.
The LCA's immigrant heritage came mostly fr ...
, when the Augustana Synod merged into that body. The Lutheran Church in America merged in 1988 to create the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
World War II
During World War II, Gustavus Adolphus College was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II. Between July 1, 1943, and June 30, 1946, more than 125,000 participants were enrolled in 131 colleg ...
which offered students a path to a Navy commission.
Founding of the Nobel Conference
The annual
Nobel Conference
The Nobel Conference is an academic conference held annually at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MinnesotaFounded in 1963 the conference links a general audience with the world's foremost scholars and researchers in conversations centered on ...
was established in the mid-1960s when college officials asked the
Nobel Foundation for permission to name the new science building the Alfred Nobel Hall of Science as a memorial to the Swedish inventor
Alfred Nobel. Permission was granted, and the facility's dedication ceremony in 1963 included officials from the Nobel Foundation and 26
Nobel Laureates. Following the 1963 Nobel Prize ceremonies in Stockholm, college representatives met with Nobel Foundation officials, asking them to endorse an annual science conference at the college and to allow use of the Nobel name to establish credibility and high standards. At the urging of several prominent Nobel laureates, the foundation granted the request, and the first conference was held at the college in January 1965.
Presidents
*
Eric Norelius
Eric Norelius (26 October 1833 – 15 March 1916) was a Swedish-American Lutheran minister, church leader, and author.
Background
Eric Norelius was born on 26 October 1833 in Norrbäck, Hassela parish, Sweden. He received his early educa ...
, 1862–63, Founder
*
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
, principal 1863–73, acting principal 1874–76
* John J. Frodeen, principal 1873–74
* Jonas P. Nyquist, 1876–81
* Matthias Wahlstrom, 1881–1904
* Peter A. Mattson, 1904–11
* Jacob P. Uhler, acting president 1911–1913, 1927
* Oscar J. "O.J." Johnson, 1913–42
* Walter Lunden, 1942–43
* O.A. Winfield, acting president 1943–44
* Edgar M. Carlson, 1944–1968
* Albert Swanson, acting president 1968–69
* Frank Barth, 1969–75
* Edward A. Lindell, 1975–80
* Abner W. Arthur, acting president 1980–81
* John S. Kendall, 1981–91
* Axel D. Steuer, 1991–2002
* Dennis J. Johnson, interim president 2002–03
* James L. Peterson, 2003–08
*
Jack R. Ohle, 2008–14
*
Rebecca M. Bergman, 2014–present
Academics
The Gustavus Adolphus College curriculum aims to "prepare students for fulfilling lives of leadership and service in society."
Students choose from over 70 programs of study with 75 majors in 25 academic departments and three interdisciplinary programs (including 17 honors majors), ranging from
physics
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...
to religion to
Scandinavian studies. Gustavus has been among the top 10 liberal-arts institutions nationally as the baccalaureate origin of physics PhDs. The college has 170 faculty, of whom 94% are tenure-track. The student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1, creating an average class size of approximately 15. The college's Writing Across the Curriculum program fosters writing skills in all academic disciplines. Since 1983, the college has had a chapter of the academic honor society
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...
.
Gustavus Adolphus College alumni have won Fulbright, Goldwater, Marshall, Rhodes, Truman, National Science Foundation, and NCAA Postgraduate fellowships and scholarships.
In 2015, the college successfully applied for the voluntary
Carnegie classification
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, or simply the Carnegie Classification, is a framework for classifying colleges and universities in the United States. It was created in 1970 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Adv ...
of "community-engaged".
Rankings
In 2017, Gustavus was ranked 77th in the national liberal arts college category and 45th in the Best Value Schools category by ''
U.S. News & World Report''.
''
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
''/''
Times Higher Education
''Times Higher Education'' (''THE''), formerly ''The Times Higher Education Supplement'' (''The Thes''), is a British magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education.
Ownership
TPG Capital acquired TSL Education ...
'' college rankings placed Gustavus 48th on its list of the top 100 liberal arts colleges in the United States in 2017, third among Minnesota private colleges. Gustavus placed 140th out of 1,061 institutions measured, including public and private colleges.
The 2016 edition of the ''
Washington Monthly
''Washington Monthly'' is a bimonthly, nonprofit magazine of United States politics and government that is based in Washington, D.C. The magazine is known for its annual ranking of American colleges and universities, which serves as an alterna ...
'' college rankings placed Gustavus 58th among liberal arts colleges.
In 2016, Gustavus ranked 74th of 705 colleges and universities in
''Money'' magazine. The college also ranked 23rd on the magazine's list of the 50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges.
''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' ranked Gustavus No. 35 in the United States in their third annual College Access Index of Top Colleges in 2017.
Admissions
In 2016, ''
U.S. News & World Report'' classified Gustavus Adolphus College as ''more selective'' in its National Liberal Arts Ranking. To increase student enrollment, Gustavus offers an expenses-paid "Gustavus Fly-In Program" to US citizens and permanent residents. In 2014, the school had an acceptance rate of 61.1%.
The average ACT score in the middle 50% of enrolled students was between 24 and 30; 78% of students presented the ACT as part of their applications. The average SAT score in the middle 50% of enrolled students was 590–680 for math and 555–690 for reading; 11% of students submitted the SAT as part of their applications.
Gustavus is a test-optional admissions policy college, reaffirming its commitment to holistic admissions. A student's coursework is the most important factor in admission. The average high school GPA for incoming freshmen was 3.67.
In 2017, Gustavus expanded scholarship funding for high-achieving students with a cumulative high school grade point average of 3.9 or above and an average composite ACT score of 32–36.
Campus
![Nicollet by Paul Granlund](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Nicollet_by_Paul_Granlund.jpg)
The college's first building in St. Peter, affectionately known as Old Main, originally housed the entire college. The campus, known as The Hill, comprises 340 landscaped acres and features science facilities, computer and language labs, and a large dining facility. The campus includes 33 sculptures by the late Minnesota sculptor
Paul Granlund
Paul T. Granlund (October 6, 1925, Minneapolis, Minnesota – September 15, 2003, Mankato, Minnesota) was an American sculptor. His creative career spanned more than 50 years and more than 650 different works. Most of his work is figurative ...
, an alumnus of the college who for many years was sculptor-in-residence.
Every tree indigenous to Minnesota is grown in
The Arboretum at Gustavus. In 2009 students founded Big Hill Farm, which grows produce for the cafeteria and aims to connect the campus to sustainable agriculture. In the fall of 2011, a new social science center, Beck Hall, opened on campus.
Notable buildings
![Gustav II Adolph of Sweden bust 2007 St](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Gustav_II_Adolph_of_Sweden_bust_2007_St._Peter_MN.jpg)
*
Folke Bernadotte
Folke Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg (2 January 1895 – 17 September 1948) was a Swedish nobleman and diplomat. In World War II he negotiated the release of about 31,000 prisoners from German concentration camps, including 450 Danish Jews fr ...
Memorial Library
*
Alfred Nobel Hall of Science
* O.J. Johnson Student Union
* Lund Center (Athletic complex featuring Gus Young Court and
Don Roberts Ice Arena)
* Hillstrom Museum of Art, notable for its collection of American art from the
Ashcan School
The Ashcan School, also called the Ash Can School, was an artistic movement in the United States during the late 19th-early 20th century that produced works portraying scenes of daily life in New York, often in the city's poorer neighborhoods.
...
*
The Arboretum at Gustavus Adolphus College
The Arboretum at Gustavus Adolphus College, also known as The Arboretum at Gustavus or colloquially as The Arb, is on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, Saint Peter, Minnesota, United States. It contains a number of b ...
* "Old Main" –
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
* C. Charles Jackson Campus Center
* Over thirty
Paul Granlund
Paul T. Granlund (October 6, 1925, Minneapolis, Minnesota – September 15, 2003, Mankato, Minnesota) was an American sculptor. His creative career spanned more than 50 years and more than 650 different works. Most of his work is figurative ...
sculptures
Old Main
"Old Main" was the first building erected at Gustavus Adolphus College. Its cornerstone was laid on August 12, 1875.
["The Dedication of 'Old Main': the fiftieth anniversary." Gustavus Adolphus College, 1926. Print.] Contracted to O. N. Ostrom and constructed from
Kasota limestone
Kasota limestone or simply, Kasota stone, also called Mankato stone, is a dolomitic limestone found in southern Minnesota, especially near the Minnesota River and its tributaries. This sedimentary rock is part of the Oneota Dolomite of southern ...
, the total cost of the building was estimated at $25,000.
Old Main was completed in 1876 and dedicated on October 31 of that year. Originally called the School Building, as more buildings were erected it became known as the Main Building and by 1905 as Old Main.
The building was heated by wood stoves and housed the entire college in the institution's first years. It originally contained several classrooms and sleeping quarters for students, faculty, and the president as well as a kitchen, dining room, chapel, library, and museum.
["Dedication Ceremony: on the occasion of the renovation of the Old Main building." Gustavus Adolphus College, 2005. Print.] Until 1920, it was tradition for seniors to gather on the building's roof for a sunrise breakfast the morning of commencement.
On its 50th anniversary in 1926, Old Main underwent a renovation from funds provided by the
Minnesota Conference.
The
1998 tornado, which destroyed much of the Gustavus campus, damaged Old Main's bell tower. In 2005 another renovation was completed; the building now houses the Office of the Chaplains and the religion, political science, philosophy, and classics departments.
A popular ghost story surrounding Old Main is the tale told by former Chaplain Richard Elvee of two deceased Gustavus security officers, Harley and Barney, occasionally wandering its halls while he composed his sermons on Sunday mornings.
Christ Chapel
Christ Chapel is a church in the center of Gustavus Adolphus College. Constructed from March 2, 1959, to fall 1961, the chapel was dedicated on January 7, 1962. Its construction was made possible by gifts from the congregations of the Lutheran
Augustana Synod
The Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church (previously the Augustana Lutheran Synod and also Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod in North America and Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod in North America) was a Lutheran church ...
, a predecessor body of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which is affiliated with the college.
Ecumenical services are held each weekday and on Sundays during the academic year. There is seating for 1,500 people in the chapel, 1,200 on the main floor and 300 in the balcony. It is the largest seating area on campus.
The chapel and surrounding grounds are adorned by the sculptures of
Paul T. Granlund, the former artist-in-residence at Gustavus Adolphus College.
Christ Chapel's organ was originally built by Hillgreen-Lane when the Chapel was built. It has been significantly altered in the last 30 years. These renovations, carried out by David Engen and more recently by the Hendrickson Organ Company of St. Peter, include a new console with solid-state combination and relay, moving several ranks of pipes from an antiphonal position in the basement into the main organ above the balcony, restructuring the Swell mixture, and extensive repairs after the 1998 tornado. It has 55 speaking ranks of pipes, played from a four-manual console, and a preparation on the new Great chest for a mounted Kornet V stop. The Chapel also houses a small portative organ of three stops on one manual that is used for accompanying and especially for continuo playing in Baroque compositions.
On March 29, 1998, the chapel's spire was toppled by the
tornado
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...
that left most of
St. Peter, Minnesota in ruins. On March 17, 2008, the cross that had been atop the spire was hung from the chapel's ceiling during a service marking the 10-year anniversary of the tornado.
Disasters
* On January 8, 1970, the Auditorium was completely gutted by a fire, after which it was not rebuilt.
* On March 29, 1998, the college's campus was hit by a mile-wide
F3 tornado that broke 80 percent of the windows, leveled nearly 2,000 trees, toppled the
chapel
A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...
's
spire
A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires a ...
, and caused more than $50 million in damages. This is considered one of the most expensive college disasters in history. There was only one death (not a Gustavus student) despite the tornado's widespread path, most likely because most students were away on spring break at the time. Hundreds of volunteers worked to get the campus back into a condition where the students could return after a three-week hiatus. Still, some classes were held in FEMA trailers as some campus buildings were too severely damaged.
Campus life
Students and alumni of the college are known as Gusties. Most students live in 14 residence halls on campus or in college-owned houses/apartments; a small minority live in theme areas such as the Carlson International Center, CHOICE substance-free housing, and the Swedish House. Students with permission from the college may choose to live off campus, in St. Peter or elsewhere.
The college has an independently operated dining service, serving the Market Place cafeteria and Courtyard Cafe.
Traditions
Gustavus traditions include traying down the hill from Old Main in the winter, random Gustie Rousers, stargazing on top of the academic building Olin, playing tennis in the Bubble, and streaking through
The Arboretum at Gustavus. Gustie traditions are mostly exclusively known by Gusties.
Student organizations
There are more than 120 special interest groups and organizations at Gustavus. Students are very engaged on campus. Active student organizations on campus have included Model United Nations, the National Forensics Debate team, and the Gustavian Society of Filmmakers. Students are encouraged to create their own clubs or teams and apply to Student Senate for funding.
Nearly 1/5 of students are active in
Greek life at Gustavus. There are ten recognized Greek organizations on campus (some have been suspended and are no longer recognized by the college).
One prominent campus organization is the Campus Activities Board (CAB). CAB's mission statement is to "enrich the campus life experience by encouraging the involvement of all students in entertainment that is engaging and enjoyable." All students on campus are part of the Campus Activities Board and eligible to participate in activities, serve on committees, and apply for the Executive Board. There are 11 executive positions, not including the co-presidents and the advisor.
Music
Many musical ensembles perform throughout the year, including the Gustavus Choir, the Choir of Christ Chapel, the Lucia Singers, the Gustavus Adolphus Symphony Orchestra, Gustavus Wind Orchestra, Gustavus Jazz Ensemble, etc.
In 1942,
Percy Grainger
Percy Aldridge Grainger (born George Percy Grainger; 8 July 188220 February 1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who lived in the United States from 1914 and became an American citizen in 1918. In the course of a long an ...
, writing in
The Musical Quarterly
''The Musical Quarterly'' is the oldest academic journal on music in America. Originally established in 1915 by Oscar Sonneck, the journal was edited by Sonneck until his death in 1928. Sonneck was succeeded by a number of editors, including Ca ...
, publicized the "pathbreaking activities"—as an historically appropriate ensemble—of the college's ''A Capella Choir'' and chamber orchestra, which toured a series of concerts of music from the 13th to 20th centuries. He praised the "rare value", "practical skill" and "subtle esthetic intuition" of conductor
G. Adolph Nelson.
Grainger had an opportunity to observe the work of Nelson, the choir and orchestra at close quarters by touring and performing with them that year. Nelson was the college's musical director from 1930 to 1945 and the driving force behind a group that toured the eastern states, winning both critical acclaim and financial success. He was particularly concerned to revive and share the music of the chapel, including not just voices but also the instruments that supported them, including organ, brass and strings. "Nelson, through his dedication to choral singing and to Gustavus Adolphus College, his innate musicality, and his pioneering spirit, gave birth to the ensemble now known as the Gustavus Choir."
Theatre and dance
Gustavus has a very active theatre program. Theater and dance events are a vibrant part of Gustie life, with shows every fall and spring and a musical every other year. Students do not need to be a part of the theatre program to audition for plays. The Gustavus Dance Company and the Apprentice Company hold open auditions and perform a fully produced set of work.
Art
There are two art galleries on campus, the Hillstrom Museum of Art and the Schaefer Art Gallery.
Study abroad
The college's
study abroad program has included internships at BNU-HKBU
United International College
Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College (UIC; ), a public college located at Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China. It was co-founded by Beijing Normal University and Hong Kong Baptist Unive ...
in Zhuhai, China. Gustavus is also a member of the Intercollegiate
Sri Lanka Education (ISLE) consortium, run by
Bowdoin College.
Athletics
Gustavus is a founding member of the
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) is a college athletic conference which competes in NCAA Division III. All 13 of the member schools are located in Minnesota and are private institutions, with only two being non-sectarian.
...
, MIAC. Key sports at the college are
tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
, swimming & diving,
golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...
,
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
,
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
,
football, and soccer. The school's team name is the Golden Gusties, represented by a lion mascot because Gustavus Adolphus was known as "The Lion of the North." Gustavus has had three players drafted in the
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
:
Russ Buckley
Russ is a masculine given name, often a short form of Russell, and also a surname.
People Given name or nickname
* Russ Abbot (born 1947), British musician, comedian and actor
* Russ Adams (born 1980), American retired baseball player
* Russ B ...
in 1940,
Kurt Ploeger in 1985, and
Ryan Hoag
Ryan Scott Hoag (born November 23, 1979) is an American former football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the final pick in the 2003 NFL Draft, earning him the title of Mr. Irrelevant. He never played in a regular season g ...
in 2003. On March 26, 2014, Gustavus announced it would not continue its men's and women's Nordic skiing team.
Varsity sports
The Gustavus women's softball team placed third in the
NCAA Division III
NCAA Division III (D-III) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-III consists of athletic programs at colleges and universities that choose not to offer athletic scholarships to their st ...
national tournament in 2009. The Gustavus men's hockey team placed second in the NCAA Division III national tournament in 2009. The Gustavus soccer team finished second in the NCAA
Division III
In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below.
Association football
*Belgian Thir ...
national tournament in 2005—led in part by three-time all-American Robert "Bobby" Kroog. In 2003 the Gustavus men's basketball team finished second in the NCAA Division III national tournament. In the middle of the twentieth century, the Gustavus
football team was coached by long-time coach/AD Moose Malmquist. In addition, the women's hockey team has won seven conference titles, including six straight, and has placed in the top four nationally in 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2010. The Gustavus men's tennis team have made 11 consecutive appearances at the NCAA Division III National Championships. Gustavus Adolphus College hosted the 2013 USTA/ITA Midwest Regional Championships at the Swanson Indoor Tennis Center and Brown Outdoor Courts in St. Peter, Minnesota. In 2003
Steve Wilkinson's squad placed third at the NCAA Division III Championships as well as a first-place finish at the ITA Indoor Championships. Steve Wilkinson retired in 2009 as the winningest coach in college tennis history with a record of 929–279. Gustavus player
Eric Butorac, closed out his senior season of 2003 by winning both the NCAA Division III singles and doubles championships, with Kevin Whipple as his partner. In 2003, Eric Butorac turned pro. He was a doubles specialist before retiring in 2016 and achieved success being the no. 3 ranked American doubles player for multiple years before retiring.
Five women alumni who played ice hockey at Gustavus have gone on to represent the United States at the
2016 Women's Bandy World Championship
2016 Women's Bandy World Championship is held in Roseville, Minnesota, USA, on February 18–21, 2016. The Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval hosts the games.
This is the eighth Women's Bandy World Championship and the second Women's Bandy World Ch ...
, and one represents the Unified Korean team at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Directors' Cup
Gustavus placed 81st in the 2018–19 Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings. The
Directors' Cup is the only all-sports competition in intercollegiate athletics.
In Division III, standings are based on national tournament finishes in 18 sports. In 2002–03 Gustavus placed a school-best 6th in the Directors' Cup standings.
Media
Gustavus Adolphus College is home to several publications and broadcasters:
* ''
The Gustavian Weekly'', first published in 1920, is the campus newspaper. Its predecessor was the ''College Breezes''. In addition, there were various other names for the student paper from June 1891 into 1902.
* ''Firethorne'' is an arts and literary magazine published twice per year. Students submit short stories, poetry, creative nonfiction, photography, visual art, or other creative content.
* KGSM is a webcast-only radio station operated entirely by students. The studio moved to the Beck Academic Hall in 2011 to improve the quality of its webstream and added a digital audio workstation.
* The newest campus media outlet is GAC TV. Started by a group of students interested in bringing television broadcasting to campus, GAC TV became an instant success when students started watching the weekly show before free on-campus films.
* The ''Gustavian'' yearbook publishes a yearbook for each class and dates back to 1920 with predecessor publications released under different names dating back to 1904.
* TV broadcasts from Gustavus are released over Internet II.
* An alumni magazine, the ''Gustavus Quarterly'', features articles of interest to graduates.
Notable alumni
Academics
*
George Lindbeck
George Arthur Lindbeck (March 10, 1923 – January 8, 2018) was an American Lutheran theologian. He was best known as an ecumenicist and as one of the fathers of postliberal theology.
Early life and education
Lindbeck was born on March 10, 192 ...
,
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
Professor of Theology
*
James M. McPherson
James Munro McPherson (born October 11, 1936) is an American Civil War historian, and is the George Henry Davis '86 Professor Emeritus of United States History at Princeton University. He received the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for '' Battle Cry of ...
,
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, author of the seminal Civil War monograph
Battle Cry of Freedom
*
Paul D. Hanson,
Harvard professor, archaeologist, and writer
*
Douglas O. Linder
Douglas O. Linder is an American author, narrator, and historian. He is the creator of the ''Famous Trials'' website (since 1995) hosted by University of Missouri, which covers over 50 famous trials throughout history. Linder has coauthored a re ...
,
University of Missouri-Kansas City
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
Professor of Law
*
Roy Andrew Miller
Roy Andrew Miller (September 5, 1924 – August 22, 2014) was an American linguist best known as the author of several books on Japanese language and linguistics, and for his advocacy of Korean and Japanese as members of the proposed Altai ...
, linguist,
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
professor
*
Hope A. Olson
Hope A. Olson is Professor Emerita at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee School of Information Studies, School of Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. She was previously a professor at the University of Alberta.
Fr ...
,
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a public urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and a member of the University of Wiscon ...
professor and library scholar
![MAK Headshot cropped](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/MAK_Headshot_cropped.jpg)
Sydney Ahlstrom
Sydney Eckman Ahlstrom (1919–1984) was an American historian. He was a Yale University professor and a specialist in the religious history of the United States.
Biography
Ahlstrom was born on December 16, 1919, in Cokato, Minnesota, the son ...
, Yale University professor of religious history.
Arts and entertainment, journalists, writers
![James M](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/James_M._McPherson_0105.JPG)
*
Kurt Elling
Kurt Elling (born November 2, 1967) is an American jazz singer and songwriter.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Rockford, Elling became interested in music through his father, who was Kapellmeister at a Lutheran church. He sang in cho ...
,
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
-winning jazz vocalist
*
David Esbjornson
David Esbjornson is a director and producer who has worked throughout the United States in regional theatres and on Broadway, and has established strong and productive relationships with some of the profession's top playwrights, actors, and compan ...
, theatre director, worked on debut plays by Arthur Miller, Edward Albee, and Tony Kushner (world premiere of ''Angels in America: Millennium Approaches''). Artistic Director of Seattle Repertory Theatre.
*
Steve Heitzeg
Steve Heitzeg (born October 15, 1959) is an American composer whose works include compositions for orchestra, chorus, chamber ensemble, ballet, and film.
He is well known for themes of environmentalism and social justice in his work, which ofte ...
,
Emmy Award-winning composer
*
Paul Granlund
Paul T. Granlund (October 6, 1925, Minneapolis, Minnesota – September 15, 2003, Mankato, Minnesota) was an American sculptor. His creative career spanned more than 50 years and more than 650 different works. Most of his work is figurative ...
, sculptor
*
Bill Holm, poet and writer
*
Kevin Kling, actor and writer
*
Peter Krause
Peter William Krause (; born August 12, 1965) is an American actor, director, and producer. He has played lead roles in multiple television series, portraying Casey McCall on '' Sports Night'' (1998–2000), Nate Fisher on '' Six Feet Under'' ( ...
, American film and television actor
*
Steve Zahn
Steven James Zahn (; born November 13, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. His film roles include ''Reality Bites'' (1994), ''That Thing You Do!'' (1996), ''Stuart Little'' (1999), '' Shattered Glass'' (2003), ''Sahara'' (2005), '' Chicken Li ...
, actor
*
Dennie Gordon
Dennie Gordon is an American film and television director. Her directorial television credits include '' Party of Five'', '' Sports Night'', '' Ally McBeal'', ''The Practice'', ''Grounded for Life'', '' The Loop'', '' White Collar'', ''Burn Notice ...
, film director
*
Allison Rosati
Allison Kay Rosati (born February 12, 1963) is the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscast co-anchor for WMAQ-TV in Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago, in the United States.
Early life
Rosati was born in Dover, Delaware and grew up in Pine City, ...
,
news anchor
A news presenter – also known as a newsreader, newscaster (short for "news broadcaster"), anchorman or anchorwoman, news anchor or simply an anchor – is a person who presents news during a news program on TV, radio or the Internet. ...
for
WMAQ-TV
WMAQ-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Chicago, Illinois, United States, airing programming from the NBC network. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Telemundo outlet WSNS-TV (c ...
in Chicago
*
Ryan Hoag
Ryan Scott Hoag (born November 23, 1979) is an American former football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the final pick in the 2003 NFL Draft, earning him the title of Mr. Irrelevant. He never played in a regular season g ...
, 2003
Mr. Irrelevant
Mr. Irrelevant is the nickname given to the last pick of the annual National Football League Draft. Although NFL drafts date back to 1936, the first person to be called Mr. Irrelevant was Kelvin Kirk of the 1976 NFL Draft.
History
"Mr. Irrelev ...
and former
''Bachelorette'' contestant
*
Lyz Lenz
Lyz Lenz is an American author and editor. She was previously a columnist at ''The Cedar Rapids Gazette'' and served as managing editor of ''The Rumpus''. She is the author of ''God Land'' and ''Belabored''.
Life and career
Lenz moved from Ve ...
, 2005, journalist and author
Business
*
Luther Luedtke
Luther S. Luedtke (born November 17, 1943) is an American author, educator, and non-profit executive. From 2006 to 2015, he was president and chief executive officer of Education Development Center, an international research and development organi ...
, CEO of Education Development Center and former President of
California Lutheran University
California Lutheran University (CLU, Cal Lutheran, or Cal Lu) is a private university in Thousand Oaks, California. It was founded in 1959 and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, but is nonsectarian. It opened in 1960 ...
*
Patsy O'Connell Sherman, co-inventor of
3M Scotchgard
Scotchgard is a 3M brand of products, a stain and durable water repellent applied to fabric, furniture, and carpets to protect them from stains. Scotchgard products typically rely on organofluorine chemicals as the main active ingredient along ...
Politics and public service
*
Adolph Olson Eberhart
Adolph Olson Eberhart (June 30, 1870 – December 6, 1944) was an American politician, who served as the 17th Governor of Minnesota.
Background
Adolph Olson Eberhart was born in Kil, in Värmland, Sweden, the son of Andrew and Louise Olso ...
,
Minnesota Governor
The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. ...
(1909–1915)
*
Magnus Ranstorp
Per Magnus Ranstorp (born 13 March 1965 in Hästveda) is a Swedish scholar who has written about Hezbollah, Hamas, Al-Qaeda and other militant Islamic movements. He is the Research Director of the Centre for Asymmetric Threat Studies at the ...
, internationally renowned expert on
terrorism
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
and
counter-terrorism
Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or ...
.
*
Theodore C. Almquist,
U.S. Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...
Brigadier General
*
G. Barry Anderson, Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court (sworn into office 2004), Class of 1976
*
John Anderson, Wisconsin State Senator
*
Joanell Dyrstad
Joanell M. Dyrstad (born October 15, 1942) is an American politician from Minnesota was the 43rd lieutenant governor of Minnesota, serving from January 7, 1991, to January 3, 1995. She was elected with Governor Arne Carlson. In 1994, Dyrstad ra ...
,
Minnesota Lieutenant Governor (1991–1995)
*
David Hann
David W. Hann (born April 16, 1952) is a Minnesota politician and a former minority leader of the Minnesota Senate. A Republican, he represented District 48, which consisted of the cities of Eden Prairie and Minnetonka, from 2003-2017. He is cu ...
, former
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
leader
Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...
in the
Minnesota Senate
The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any U.S. state legislature. Floor sessions are h ...
*
Margaret Anderson Kelliher
Margaret Anderson Kelliher (born March 11, 1968) is an American politician, Director of the Minneapolis Department of Public Works, former Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and a former member of the Minnesota House of ...
, former
Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives
*
Harold LeVander
Karl Harold Phillip LeVander (October 10, 1910March 30, 1992) was an American attorney and politician. A Republican, he served as the 32nd governor of Minnesota from January 2, 1967 to January 4, 1971, after defeating incumbent governor Karl Rol ...
, Minnesota Governor (1967–1971)
*
Paul A. Magnuson
Paul Arthur Magnuson (born February 9, 1937) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.
Early life and education
Paul A. Magnuson was born and raised on a farm near Carthage, Sou ...
, Senior Judge,
U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
The United States District Court for the District of Minnesota (in case citations, D. Minn.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Minnesota. Its two primary courthouses are in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Cases are al ...
*
Luther Youngdahl
Luther Wallace Youngdahl (May 29, 1896 – June 21, 1978) was an American judge and politician who served as the 27th governor of Minnesota and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
Ed ...
,
Governor of Minnesota
The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. ...
(1947–1951) and Judge of the
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
The United States District Court for the District of Columbia (in case citations, D.D.C.) is a federal district court in the District of Columbia. It also occasionally handles (jointly with the United States District Court for the District ...
(1951–1978)
*
Norman Carlson
Norman A. Carlson (August 10, 1933 – August 9, 2020) was an American correctional officer and businessman. He was best known for his direction of the Federal Bureau of Prisons from 1970 to 1987 and long-time involvement with this bureau. D ...
, Director of
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Justice that is responsible for the care, custody, and control of incarcerated individuals who have committed federal crimes; that i ...
(1970–1987), President of the American Correctional Association (ACA),
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...
Professor of Sociology (1987–1998)
*
Oscar Youngdahl
Oscar Ferdinand Youngdahl (October 13, 1893 – February 3, 1946) was an American lawyer and politician from Minnesota. He was the older brother of Minnesota Governor and United States federal judge Luther Youngdahl.
Youngdahl was born in M ...
, former member of U.S. House of Representatives.
*
Jack Bergman
John Warren "Jack" Bergman (born February 2, 1947) is a retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant general and politician serving as the U.S. representative from Michigan's 1st congressional district since 2017. He is a member of the Republi ...
, Lieutenant General,
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
(Ret.), Congressman representing
Michigan's 1st congressional district
Michigan's 1st congressional district is a United States congressional district containing the entire Upper Peninsula of Michigan and 16 counties of Northern Michigan in the Lower Peninsula. The district is currently represented by Republican J ...
*
Mark W. Bennett, Judge,
United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa (in case citations, N.D. Iowa) has jurisdiction over fifty-two of Iowa's ninety-nine counties. It is subject to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals (except for patent claims and ...
Sports
*
Marissa Brandt
Marissa Brandt (born December 18, 1992), also known by her birth name Park Yoon-jung (; also stylized as Park Yoon Jung or Park Yoonjung), is a Korean-American ice hockey player who plays with the South Korean national team. When competing int ...
, South Korean ice hockey player (known by her legal name in Minnesota, not her birth name, Park Yoon-jung)
*
Eric Butorac, professional tennis player and 2011 Australian Open doubles semi-finalist
*
Wendell Butcher
Wendell Ralph Butcher (March 28, 1914 – December 18, 1988) was an American football Back (American football), back who played five seasons with the Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL), Brooklyn Dodgers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college ...
, American football player
*
Kurt Ploeger, professional football player
*
Earl Witte, professional football player
Notable faculty
*
Joyce Sutphen, American poet and
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
's Poet Laureate from 2011 to 2021
*
Marcia Bunge
Marcia J. Bunge (born 1954) is an American Lutheran theologian. She is Professor of Religion and the Bernhardson Distinguished Chair of Lutheran Studies at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota.
Biography
A graduate of St. Olaf Colleg ...
, theologian and professor of Lutheran studies, researching children and childhood in religion and ethics
*
Peg O'Connor
Peg O'Connor, is a Professor of Philosophy and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies as well as Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Gustavus Adolphus College. Her present research interests include two separate but intersecting strains: Wittg ...
, American philosopher and contributor to ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
and
Psychology Today.''
References
External links
Official website
{{authority control
Scandinavian studies
Liberal arts colleges in Minnesota
Educational institutions established in 1862
Lutheranism in Minnesota
Education in Nicollet County, Minnesota
Buildings and structures in Nicollet County, Minnesota
Tourist attractions in Nicollet County, Minnesota
Private universities and colleges in Minnesota
1862 establishments in Minnesota
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden