Luther College is a
private 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 ...
liberal arts college in
Decorah, Iowa
Decorah is a city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,587 at the time of the 2020 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and U.S. Route 52, and is the largest commun ...
. Established 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 ...
seminary
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...
in 1861 by
Norwegian immigrants, the school today is an institution of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The upper campus was listed as the Luther College Campus Historic District on the
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 ...
in 2021.
History
On October 10, 1857, the
Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church (NELC) created a seminary to supply ministers for
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
congregations in the
Upper Midwest
The Upper Midwest is a region in the northern portion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. It is largely a sub-region of the Midwest. Although the exact boundaries are not uniformly agreed-upon, the region is defined as referring ...
. Until the seminary was established in 1861, students studied at
Concordia Seminary
Concordia Seminary is a Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, Lutheran seminary in Clayton, Missouri. The institution's primary mission is to train pastors, deaconesses, Missionary, missionaries, chaplains, and church leaders for the Lutheran Chur ...
in
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
. On October 14, 1859, the Rev.
Peter Laurentius Larsen was appointed professor to the Norwegian students at Concordia by the NELC.
Upon the closing of the seminary in April 1861, at the start of the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, the NELC decided to open its own college that fall in a former parsonage at Halfway Creek,
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, just north of
La Crosse, Wisconsin, and close to present-day
Holmen, Wisconsin
Holmen is a village in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 10,661 as of the census of 2020. It is part of the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Holmen was settled by Norwegian immigrants ...
. On September 1, 1861, classes officially began with an enrollment of 16. The following year classes moved to
Decorah, Iowa
Decorah is a city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,587 at the time of the 2020 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and U.S. Route 52, and is the largest commun ...
, with NELC Pastor
Ulrik Vilhelm Koren Ulrik Vilhelm Koren (December 22, 1826 – December 19, 1910) was a Norwegian-American author, theologian and church leader. A pioneer Lutheran minister, he played a significant role in the development of the spiritual and intellectual development ...
successfully arranging the college's relocation and permanent settlement.
In 1866, a group of students signed a "bill of rights" criticizing the rigid schedule, the rules about going downtown, the lack of windows in some of the sleeping rooms, and the woodcutting and shoe-shining chores, concluding that "there was not enough freedom."
The leader of the group, 18-year-old Rasmus Anderson, was expelled.
This event was viewed as a rebellion and "the worst of sins" by the pastors assembled in a pastoral conference shortly after.
In 1905,
Carlo A. Sperati, an 1888 graduate of Luther, became the music director of the college and developed the Luther College Concert Band, founded in 1878, on the model of the wind ensemble pioneered by
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to dis ...
. Under Sperati, the band undertook several tours of Europe, their first in 1914, earning international acclaim for their musical talent. Sperati remained on the faculty until his death in 1945.
In 1932, Luther College dropped its mandatory study of the classics and embraced the modern concept of the liberal arts education. Due to financial constraints associated with the Great Depression, the college decided to admit women as students in 1936. During the 1960s Luther constructed several new campus buildings and adopted a 4-1-4 semester schedule (two 4-month semesters with a 1-month session between them).
In 1964, Luther's museum collection became separate from the college and was established as the Norwegian-American Museum. Now known as
Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa is the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, with over 33,000 artifacts, 12 historic buildings, and a library and archives. This treasure showcases one of the most extensive co ...
, it is the largest and most comprehensive museum in the United States devoted to a single immigrant group.
Nordic Fest Nordic Fest is a weekend festival held annually in Decorah, Iowa, () to commemorate the traditional customs and culture of Scandinavian countries, especially Norway. The event always occurs over the last weekend in July and often draws estimated c ...
, started in 1967, grew from Luther College Women's Club's annual celebration of
Norwegian Constitution Day
Constitution Day is the national day of Norway and is an official public holiday observed on 17 May each year. Among Norwegians, the day is referred to as ''Syttende Mai'' ("Seventeenth of May"), ''Nasjonaldagen'' ("National Day"), or ''Grunnlo ...
.
Campus
Luther lies at the edge of
Decorah, a small town situated in the hilly
driftless region
The Driftless Area, a topographical and cultural region in the American Midwest, comprises southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, and the extreme northwestern corner of Illinois.
Never covered by ice during the last ...
of the
Upper Midwest
The Upper Midwest is a region in the northern portion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. It is largely a sub-region of the Midwest. Although the exact boundaries are not uniformly agreed-upon, the region is defined as referring ...
. The
Upper Iowa River
The Upper Iowa River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 13, 2011 tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwest of the United States.
Its headwaters rise ...
flows through the lower portion of the nearly central campus. The college owns an adjoining devoted to environmental research, biological studies, and recreation.
Luther student housing includes residence halls (Miller Hall, Dieseth Hall, Ylvisaker Hall, Farwell Hall, Brandt Hall, Larsen Hall, and Olson Hall) and several houses, townhouses, and apartment buildings. Ninety-five percent of Luther students live on campus all four years. One 259-student dormitory opened in 1991, with a cost of $7,000,000. Designed by Hammel Green & Abramson Inc., it has nine stories.
In the 2000s, the college engaged in extensive building projects. A renovation of residence halls and the Dahl Centennial Union was completed in 2006, and Sampson Hoffland Laboratories, an extension of Valders Hall of Science, was completed in 2008.
The
Center for Faith and Life is Luther's largest and primary performing arts facility.
In 2021, the historic upper campus was listed as a
historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.
At the time of its nomination it consisted of 33 resources, which included 17
contributing buildings, four
contributing objects
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distri ...
, seven non-contributing buildings, and five non-contributing objects.
One of the contributing buildings,
Koren Hall, was individually listed on the National Register in 1984.
Academics
Luther is an exclusively
undergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...
institution, enrolling 1,744 students as of fall 2021 and employing 177 full-time faculty in 2015–2016. The college is accredited by the
Higher Learning Commission
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...
. It is a member institution of the
Associated Colleges of the Midwest Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) is a consortium of 14 private liberal arts colleges, primarily in the Midwestern United States. The 14 colleges are located in five states (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Colorado). The ACM was es ...
and the
Annapolis Group
The Annapolis Group is an American organization of independent liberal arts colleges. It represents approximately 130 liberal arts colleges in the United States. These colleges work together to promote a greater understanding of the goals of a lib ...
.
Among private liberal arts colleges, Luther was ranked 102nd by the 2021 edition of ''
U.S. News & World Report''s college and university rankings.
Luther enrolled 624 first-year students for the entering class of 2015. Thirty-one percent of first-year students were in the top 10 percent of their high school class, the average high school
grade point average was 3.7, and the
interquartile range
In descriptive statistics, the interquartile range (IQR) is a measure of statistical dispersion, which is the spread of the data. The IQR may also be called the midspread, middle 50%, fourth spread, or H‑spread. It is defined as the difference ...
for
ACT scores was 23–29.
Tuition and fees are shown as $61,500 for 2023 - 2024, with 98 percent of students receiving need- and/or merit-based financial aid.
Music
Luther has a number of music organizations that tour and sell recordings internationally. The Nordic Choir, Concert Band, Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Orchestra are the college's four internationally touring ensembles, which have performed in many of the major concert halls and music centers of Europe, as well as Russia, China, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, and the
Caribbean.
About 40 percent of the students participate in at least one of the college's six choirs, three concert bands, three string orchestras, and two jazz ensembles. "Christmas at Luther," Luther's annual
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
concert, is broadcast nationwide each year. The concert broadcast is updated annually.
Much of Luther's musical heritage can be largely attributed to the influence of two long-serving individuals. The 40-year tenure of Dr. Carlo A. Sperati, Class of 1888, fostered the college's Lutheran musical tradition beginning in 1905 and developed the Luther College Concert Band into one of the first nationally touring music ensembles. Sperati's Concert Band quickly achieved national acclaim, and famed bandmaster
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to dis ...
canceled a performance of his own touring ensemble just so that he could attend a performance of the Luther College Concert Band, which was scheduled to appear in a nearby city.
Sperati's foundation was built upon by
Weston Noble '43, himself a student of Sperati. Following three years of
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
enlistment in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, Noble returned to his alma mater to conduct the Concert Band and the
Nordic Choir, direct Christmastime performances of George Frederic Handel's ''Messiah'', and teach in the Music Department. Noble's bands (which he conducted until 1973) and choirs completed coast-to-coast tours and international appearances. Ensembles under his direction performed solo concerts at such venues as
Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...
and Town Hall in
New York; the
Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...
in
Washington, DC
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...
; the
Mormon Tabernacle in
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...
;
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is one of the halls in the Los Angeles Music Center, which is one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. The Music Center's other halls include the Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and Walt ...
and the
Walt Disney Concert Hall in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
; Orchestra Hall at
Symphony Center
Symphony Center is a music complex located at 220 South Michigan Avenue in the Loop area of Chicago, Illinois. Home to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Symphony Chorus; Civic Orchestra of Chicago; and the Institute for Learning, Access, and ...
in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
; Orchestra Hall and the State Theatre in
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
; and the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in
Saint Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
. Under Noble's direction, Luther ensembles also appeared at historic cathedrals and concert halls throughout Europe, Russia, and Scandinavia, as well as on the programs of many national conventions of the
American Bandmasters Association
The American Bandmasters Association (ABA) was formed in 1929 by Edwin Franko Goldman to promote concert band music.Raoul F. Camus. "American Bandmasters Association." In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/sub ...
, the
American Choral Directors Association
The American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a non-profit organization with the stated purpose of promoting excellence in the field of choral music. Its membership comprises approximately 22,000 c ...
, and the Music Educators National Conference.
The
Nordic Choir was featured in the film ''The Joy of Bach'', and in four weekly international broadcasts of ''The Hour of Power'' from the Crystal Cathedral in
Garden Grove, California. Weston Noble retired from the faculty at the close of the academic year in 2005, having served continuously for 57 years, from 1948 to 2005. A new film documentary ''To This Day'' about the first international tour of the Nordic Choir in 1967 was released in October 2017.
The Nordic Choir, which tours internationally, is one of the five choral ensembles at Luther. Collegiate Chorale is a mixed choir composed of juniors and seniors. Cathedral Choir is a mixed choir that draws exclusively from the sophomore class. Aurora and Norskkor, featuring soprano-alto and tenor-bass voices, respectively, are composed entirely of first-year students. In addition to the five choirs, students have opportunities with Collegium Musicum and Vocal Jazz Ensemble. Collegium Musicum is an early music ensemble specializing in the music of the
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
,
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...
, and
baroque periods. The ensemble focuses more on instrumental works but incorporates vocal music throughout the academic year. The ensemble is open to singers of all years at Luther. The Vocal Jazz Ensemble is open to all students and often performs jointly with Luther's instrumental jazz ensembles.
Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Orchestra, and Concert Band also tour internationally. Symphony Orchestra establishes residency in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
every four years, and Jazz Orchestra has toured in the Caribbean and Brazil. Concert Band travels to Japan and China following the spring semester every four years. Other instrumental ensembles include Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia, Jazz Band, Varsity Band, Brass Ensemble, and Wind and Percussion Ensemble.
Luther students also participate in faculty-coached student chamber ensembles ranging from piano trios to a full flute choir. Some of these ensembles include the Luther Ringers student handbell choir; the 40+ member Trombone Choir; five student-led, small-group a cappella ensembles; the Luther College Balalaika ensemble; and the student-led Luther Gospel Choir.
In 1996, musician
Dave Matthews appeared in concert with
Tim Reynolds
Tim Reynolds (born 15 December 1957) is an American guitarist and multi-instrumentalist known as both a solo artist and as a lead guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band. AllMusic critic MacKenzie Wilson has called Reynolds "an under-rated master". ...
at Luther College in the Center for Faith and Life, which resulted in their 1999 album ''Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds
Live at Luther College
''Live at Luther College'' is a live album by Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds recorded at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Recorded on February 6, 1996, and released nearly three years later, it was the first concert recording by the pair to be ...
''.
In 2002, the
Empire Brass, with college organist William Kuhlman, appeared in concert and recorded an album, ''Baroque Music for Brass and Organ'', in the Center for Faith and Life. In 2008, musician
Ben Folds appeared for his second time in concert at Luther College in the Center for Faith and Life.
Study abroad
Each year, between 400 and 500 Luther students expand their worldviews through international study, ranking Luther among the top baccalaureate colleges in the nation for the percentage of students who study abroad prior to graduation—over two-thirds. Over the years, more than 150 Luther faculty have led Luther students on programs in more than 70 countries.
Athletics
The Luther Norse have been a member of the
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) is an NCAA Division III athletic conference. From 1927 until August 9, 2018, it was known officially as the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) and commonly as the Iowa Conference.
History
The A ...
(now known as the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C)) since its founding in 1922.
Luther competes in 11 men's and 10 women's intercollegiate athletic programs. Since joining the Iowa Conference, Luther has won 237 IIAC titles.
Three hundred thirty-eight All-American honors have been earned by Luther student-athletes, and twenty-nine athletes have been crowned national champions. Sixty-eight student-athletes have been awarded the CoSIDA Academic All-American honor, and forty-two have received the distinguished
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Postgraduate Scholarship.
Since 1993–1994, the first year of the award, 1,929 academic all-conference honors have been earned by Luther student-athletes.
To earn academic all-conference honors, a student-athlete must have a grade point average of 3.50 or greater on a 4.0 scale, have attended the school for a full year, and have competed in a varsity sport.
Approximately 25 percent of Luther students participate in one of the 21 varsity sports offered. A large majority of the study body participates in intramural activities which vary by semester and is offered by the Recreational Services program. Outdoor Recreational Services is an extension of the Recreational Services program in which students/staff lead outdoor activities such as slacklining, kayak trips on the Upper Iowa River, fall break trips, rock climbing, and whitewater rafting.
Varsity sports
Club sports
Outdoor facilities
Carlson Stadium: 5,000 seats; blue turf football field; eight-lane, 400-meter polyurethane track with two-directional approaches for pole vault and all jumping events; two shot put circles; discus/hammer cage; and multi-directional javelin-throwing areas.
Other outdoor facilities include 12 tennis courts, baseball and softball diamonds with enclosed dugouts, lighted soccer field, cross-country running course, intramural rugby, soccer, and ultimate frisbee pitches, fitness trail, ropes course, and room for cross country skiing.
Indoor facilities
The Regents Center Main Gymnasium: three full-sized basketball courts and seating capacity for 2,600. Used for practice and playing of volleyball and men's and women's basketball, and as the competition site venue for wrestling. Norse basketball teams also have access to full-sized cedar basketball court in the north gym and two basketball courts in the Sports and Recreation Center.
Sports and Recreation Center: newly renovated in 2022 200-meter, six-lane polyurethane-surface track; easily accessible elevated walkway allowing up to 600 spectators; six tennis courts; year-round training facility for baseball, softball, soccer, tennis and football.
Legends Fitness Center: training center with cardiovascular-conditioning machines; free weights; weight machines; climbing wall; computer lab; and social area.
The Aquatic Center features a 25-yard, eight-lane pool with separate one-meter and three-meter diving well and a shallow area for swimming lessons, adaptive physical education classes, and water aerobics. It also includes three-meter springboards, state-of-the-art timing equipment, a large LED scoreboard, and seating for 280 spectators. The pool was built using LEED design standards to meet Luther College's goal of sustainability.
Notable alumni
*
Torger Juve, 1866 -
Wisconsin State Legislature
The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republ ...
*
Hans Gerhard Stub, 1866 - American Lutheran theologian and bishop of the
Norwegian Lutheran Church in America
*
Thorbjorn N. Mohn, 1870 - first president of
St. Olaf College
*
Herbjørn Gausta, 1872 - American artist best known for his landscape paintings
*
Realf Ottesen Brandt Realf Ottesen Brandt (September 12, 1859 – March 23, 1927) was an American Lutheran minister.
Background
Realf Brandt was born near the Jefferson Prairie Settlement in Rock County, Wisconsin. His father, Nils Olsen Brandt (1824–1921), who had ...
, 1877 -
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 ...
minister
*
Ole Grönsberg, 1877 - second president of
Pacific Lutheran University
Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) is a private Lutheran university in Parkland, Washington. It was founded by Norwegian Lutheran immigrants in 1890. PLU is sponsored by the 580 congregations of Region I of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ame ...
*
J. C. M. Hanson, 1882 - librarian
*
Haldor Johan Hanson, 1883 - hymn writer, publisher, and author
*
Ludvig Hektoen
Ludvig Hektoen (July 2, 1863 – July 5, 1951) was an American pathologist known for his work in the fields of pathology, microbiology and immunology. Hektoen was appointed to the National Academy of Sciences in 1918, and served as president of ...
, 1883 - pathologist
*
Ingebrikt Grose Ingebrikt Fredrick Grose or Ingebricks F. Grose (1862 – October 10, 1939) was an author, college professor and founding president of Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota.
Background
Inglebrikt was the first child of Johan and Ingeborg Grose. ...
, 1885 - first president of
Concordia College
*
Howard A. Knutson, 1951 - Minnesota lawyer and
Minnesota State Representative
*
Laurits S. Swenson, B.A. 1886, M.A. 1889 - United States ambassador to Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, and the Netherlands
*
Ole J. Kvale, 1890 -
U.S. representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
from
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 ...
*
Jacob Aall Ottesen Preus, 1903 - 20th
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. ...
*
Norman Brunsdale, 1913 - 24th
Governor of North Dakota
The governor of North Dakota is the head of government of North Dakota and serves as the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.
The Constitution of North Dakota specifies that "the executive power is vested in the governor" in Secti ...
and
U.S. senator from
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...
*
V. Trygve Jordahl, 1922 - Luther College Board of Regents, district president and director of Evangelical Lutheran Church
*
Marv Olson, c. 1928 - Major League baseball player
*
Robert E. A. Lee, 1942 - head of the Lutheran Church's film production operations
*
Adolph Herseth, 1943 - principal trumpet of the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenu ...
*
Robert Preus
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
, 1944 - Lutheran theologian and president of
Concordia Theological Seminary
The Concordia Theological Seminary is a Lutheran seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It offers professional, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees affiliated with training clergy and deaconesses for the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS).
His ...
,
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...
*
Jerry Rosholt, 1948 - journalist and author
*
Ole Ivar Lovaas, 1951 - Norwegian-American clinical psychologist and professor at the
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California S ...
*
Brad Steiger
Brad Steiger (February 19, 1936 – May 6, 2018) was an American author of fiction and non-fiction works on the paranormal, spirituality, UFOs, true crime and biographies. His books sold well to the public but were widely criticized by academ ...
, 1957 - writer and paranormal researcher
*
Phyllis Yes, 1963 - artist
*
Dave Senjem
David Howard Senjem ( ; born December 20, 1942) is an American politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. He served as its majority leader from 2011 to 2013. A moderate Republican, Senjem has crossed party lines on many occasions, notably e ...
, 1964 -
Minnesota State Senator; minority leader; majority leader
*
John Lehman
John Francis Lehman Jr. (born September 14, 1942) is an American private equity investor and writer who served as Secretary of the Navy (1981–1987) in the Ronald Reagan administration where he promoted the creation of a 600-ship Navy. From 2 ...
, 1967 -
Wisconsin State Senator
*
Dean Johnson, 1969 - Minnesota Senate majority leader (DFL),
brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
, chief of
National Guard
National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
Nat ...
Chaplains
*
Bruce Tammen, 1971 - artistic director and conductor of Chicago Chorale, recipient of
Weston Noble Choral Award for outstanding service in vocal music education
*
Cheryl Browne, 1972 -
Miss Iowa
The Miss Iowa competition is the official preliminary for the state of Iowa in the Miss America Scholarship Competition.
Bailey Hodson of Des Moines was crowned Miss Iowa 2022 on June 11, 2022 at Adler Theatre in Davenport, Iowa. She compete ...
1970, first
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
contestant in the
Miss America pageant
*
Gregory R. Dahlberg, 1973 - United States Under-Secretary of the Army; Senior vice president Lockheed Martin
*
Donovan W. Frank, 1973 - federal judge for the
United States District Court
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district, which each cover one U.S. state or, in some cases, a portion of a state. Each district co ...
for the District of Minnesota
*
Marty Haugen
Marty Haugen (born December 30, 1950) is an American composer of liturgical music.
Biography
Marty Haugen was born December 30, 1950, in Wanamingo, Minnesota. He was raised in the American Lutheran Church (ALC) in Minnesota, and became a member ...
, 1973 - composer of sacred music
*
Michael Osterholm
Michael Thomas Osterholm (born March 10, 1953) is an American epidemiologist, Regents Professor, and Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
On November 9, 2020, Osterholm was named to ...
, 1975 - professor and director of the
Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy
The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) is a center within the University of Minnesota that focuses on addressing public health preparedness and emerging infectious disease response. It was founded in 2001 by Dr. Michael Os ...
*
Brian Rude, 1977 -
Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin.
Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...
*
Dagfinn Høybråten
Dagfinn Høybråten (born 2 December 1957) is a Norwegian politician. He was the leader of the Christian Democratic Party 2004–2011. He was also Parliamentary leader from 2005 when he was elected as Member of Parliament representing Rogaland. ...
, 1979 - secretary general, Nordic Council of Ministers; board chair of the GAVI Alliance
*
Brian Andreas, 1979 - writer, painter, sculptor, publisher; Luther College Distinguished Service Award recipient
*
Arne Sorenson, 1980 - president and chief executive officer of Marriott International
*
Jim Nussle
James Allen Nussle (born June 27, 1960) is an American businessman and retired politician who has been president and chief executive officer of the Credit Union National Association since 2014. Nussle served as a Republican member of the United S ...
, 1983 -
U.S. Congressman from
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...
; director of the Office of Management and Budget for President George W. Bush
*
Leon Lillie, 1984 -
Minnesota State Representative
*
Callista Gingrich
Callista Louise Gingrich (née Bisek; March 4, 1966) is an American businesswoman, author, documentary film producer and former diplomat who served as United States Ambassador to the Holy See from 2017 to 2021. She is married to former House Sp ...
née Bisek, 1988 - wife of
Newt Gingrich
*
Tod Bowman
Tod Bowman, (born March 29, 1965) is a Democratic politician and legislator from the state of Iowa. He was elected to the Iowa Senate in 2010. He represents District 29, which holds Clinton, Dubuque, and Jackson counties.
Early life and educ ...
, 1989 -
Iowa State Senator
*
Drew Curtis
Drew Curtis (born February 7, 1973) is the founder and an administrator of Fark, an Internet news aggregator. He is also the author of '' It's Not News, It's FARK: How Mass Media Tries to Pass off Crap as News'' in May 2007. He is a guest on WOC ...
, 1995 - founder and administrator of
Fark
Fark is a community website created by Drew Curtis that allows members to comment on a daily batch of news articles and other items from various websites. The site receives many story submissions per day and approximately 100 of them are public ...
*
Aaron Sheehan, 1998 - Grammy award-winning tenor
Notable faculty
*
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 ...
, Lutheran theologian
*
Herbjørn Gausta, artist
*
Gerhard Forde
Gerhard O. Forde (September 10, 1927 – August 9, 2005) was an American Lutheran theologian who wrote extensively on the Protestant Reformation and Lutheran theology and tradition.
Background
Gerhard Olaf Forde was born in Pope County, Minn ...
, Lutheran theologian
*
A. Thomas Kraabel,
classics scholar
*
Weston Noble, music educator
*
Dean Schwarz, artist specializing in ceramics
*
Henry O. Talle,
Congressman from
Iowa's 4th congressional district
Iowa's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that covers its northwestern part, bordering the states of Minnesota, South Dakota, and Nebraska, and the Missouri River. The district includes Sioux ...
*
Oscar Tingelstad, president of
Pacific Lutheran College
See also
*
Center for Faith and Life
*
List of presidents of Luther College
References
Further reading
*Bothne, Gisle C. J. ''History of Luther College'' (Decorah, IA. Fortfatteren. 1897)
External links
*
*
{{authority control
Liberal arts colleges in Iowa
Educational institutions established in 1861
Education in Winneshiek County, Iowa
Buildings and structures in Winneshiek County, Iowa
Tourist attractions in Winneshiek County, Iowa
Norwegian-American culture in Iowa
1861 establishments in Iowa
Private universities and colleges in Iowa
National Register of Historic Places in Winneshiek County, Iowa
University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa