Peter Sørensen Vig (7 November 1854 – 21 March 1929), commonly known as P. S. Vig, was a

Danish American Danish Americans () are Americans who have ancestral roots originated fully or partially from Denmark. There are approximately 1,300,000 Americans of Danish origin or descent. Most Danes who came to the United States after 1865 did so for e ...

pastor, educator, and historian in the

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

church. He was integral to the formation of the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America (the North Church) and the United Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church (United Church).

Background

Peter Sørensen Vig was born in Bøgvad, Egtved Sogn,

Vejle Municipality Vejle Municipality () is a '' kommune'' in the Region of Southern Denmark on the Jutland peninsula in southeast Denmark. The municipality covers an area of (2013), and has a population of 122,433 (1. January 2025). Its mayor is Jens Ejner Christ ...

, in South Jutland,

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

. He attended Askov High School (Danish: ''Askov Højskole'') from 1872 to 1877 and went on to study under the Rev. H. F. Feiberg. He also served as an educator at the Missionary Institute in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

Ministry

Led by Vig and C. X. Hansen, one of the United Church's first priorities was to establish an educational system.

Dana College Dana College was a private college in Blair, Nebraska. Its rural 150-acre (607,000 m2) campus is approximately 26 miles (40 km) northwest of Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha and overlooks a portion of the Missouri River Valley. It closed in 2010. T ...

in Blair, Nebraska, was begun as a preparatory school. Vig was the president of Trinity Seminary at Dana College and the president of Dana College from 1897 to 1899. By the early 1910s – in cooperation with the

University of Nebraska A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

– Dana College was awarding associate degrees.

Memorial

At the suggestion of United Evangelical Lutheran Church president Dr. N.C. Carlsen, the Pioneer Memorial at Dana College was dedicated to the founders of Dana College. Outside the office of the President of Dana College, is a plaque that reads: "This building is named Pioneer Memorial in memory of A. M. Andersen, Kr. Anker, C. X. Hansen, P. S. Vig, G. B. Christiansen, and many other faithful men and women who contributed to the development and influence of Dana College and Trinity Seminary."''A Place Called Dana: The Centennial History of Trinity Seminary and Dana College'' (by Peter L. Petersen. Dana College. January 1985)

Historian

In addition to his roles as a church leader and educator, Vig was one of the key early chroniclers of the life of Danish immigrants in America. His focus was primarily on the role of the Lutheran church in the lives of Danish-American immigrants, but his work included Danish-Americans from all walks of life. He published the following works (all in Danish): *''Danske i Amerika ("Danish in America")'' *''Elk Horn i Iowa ("Elk Horn, Iowa")'' *''Nordboerne finder vej til Amerika ("The Norse find a way to America")'' *''Trinitatis Seminarium ("Trinity Seminary")''. Blair, NE, 1911. A history of the United Church seminary. *''Den forenede danske Ev. Luth. Kirke i Amerika ("The United Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America")'' *''Den Danske Udvandring til Amerika ("The Danish Immigration to America")'' *''Dens Aarsager og Veie'' ("Its Aarsager and Veie") *''Danske i Kamp i og for Amerika ("Danish in Action in and for America").'' Omaha, NE: Axel H. Andersen, inc., 1917. A history of Danish soldiers who fought in and for America, covering the years 1640 through 1865.

References

External links

* at the

Nebraska State Historical Society Nebraska State Historical Society, formerly History Nebraska, is a Nebraska state agency, founded in 1878 to "encourage historical research and inquiry, spread historical information ... and to embrace alike aboriginal and modern history." It w ...

Dana College Official WebsiteThe Danish Immigrant Museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vig, Peter Sorensen 1854 births 1929 deaths 20th-century American Lutheran clergy 19th-century Danish historians 20th-century Danish historians Danish emigrants to the United States Danish-American culture in Nebraska People from Vejle Municipality People from Luck, Wisconsin 19th-century American Lutheran clergy 19th-century Danish Lutheran clergy 20th-century Danish Lutheran clergy