Augsburg College - Augsburgian Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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cheerfully sanctioned this step. Preliminary steps to organize were taken at Andover, and the organization was completed at St. Ansgar, Iowa. But some of the pastors were dissatisfied with the newly organized Danish- Xorwegian Evangelical Conference, and in the autumn of 1870 they met at Jefferson Prairie, Wis.. and organized the Norwegian Augustana Synod. They demanded control of the school building at Marshall, and Prof. YVccn- aas handed over the keys to their representative, Prof. J. Andersen. Augsburg Seminary was thus without a home. To find shelter was no easy matter in that little village. Finally they found a farmer on the out- skirts who was willing to let them use the upper story of his house. It was an ordinary farm-house, old and somewhat dilapidated, but it was the only one to be had. It had three rooms, two small ones that were used as lodgings by the students, and a larger room. 12x20 feet, in which we placed a long home-made table with benches on each side and a reading desk at the end. Here Augsburg Seminary had its class-room, auditorium, etc. from Novem- ber. 1870, until it moved into its new building at Minneapolis. Minn. The students were lodged upstairs in Prof. Yeenaas' house and wherever else rooms could be had. Board could be had at the village restaurant for $1.25 per week. At this rate we could not of course expect many delicacies, but there was enough for sustenance. There was nothing grand about Augsburg in those days nothing that could please the eyes of the world, nothing that was attractive to flesh and blood. 'Phe sole asset of the school was a flock of students who were subject to the power of the word of God and llis Spirit and willing to suffer and strive for the faith of the saints. The theological professor and tireless worker of the school had belonged to a group of students in Christiania. Norway, who had been converted in the revival that resulted from the work of Professor Johnson. To this man Prof. Weenaas looked up with thorough respect and veneration and he had fully accepted his views of Christianity and of church life. And these views he was anxious to transplant on American soil. This being the aim of Augsburg, one should reasonably expect that the school would have met with general and hearty sympathy. But this was not the case. Denominational interests played in. Furthermore, the school was too Norwegian for a few, too high cluirchly for others, not orthodox enough for some. It became the object of bitter attacks from many direc- tions. The necessity of meeting these attacks imposed a new burden on the president. To this was added that the congregations of the ‘‘Con- ference” were few and weak, so contributions to the current expenses of the school were scant. The outlook was often dark. In these times of hardship Prof. Weenaas had a splendid helpmeet in his beloved wife. Mrs. Weenaas was beyond doubt one of the noblest Norwegian women who ever set foot on American soil. I would gladly weave a wreath to her memory if 1 could. As one who often enjoyed their hospitality and had PAG E T W K X T Y THR K E

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♦ ♦ pastors in Racine, Wis., it was decided to call the new institution “Augsburg Seminary,” partly in recognition of its close affiliation with the Augustana College and Seminary, of which it was an outgrowth, partly as an expression of the spirit and aim of the school: it was to be faithful to Lutheran doctrine. On Luther’s birthday. Nov. 10, Augsburg Seminary held its opening celebration. There came pastors from several places, and singers from Milwaukee met up. Rev. O. Ilatlcstad began the exercise with prayer, and addresses were made by Rev. Anion Johnson, Kau Claire. Wis.; Prof. A. Wccnaas, president of the school; Prof. J. Anderson, principal of the academy, and K. Craig, county superintendent of schools. The ladies of the village served dinner. In the evening there was preaching by Rev. M. Ealk Gjcrtsen. The Seminary had two departments, a pro-seminary, where instruction was given in languages, history, and mathematics, and the seminary proper, where instruction was given in the ordinary theological subjects. Prof. Wccnaas lectured in theology. Cand. Phil. Boek taught foreign languages, and X. C. Brun and P. (». Ostbv. themselves students of theology, acted as assistants in Knglish and Norwegian respectively. Some of the theological students taught in the academy. At the end of the fall term. 1869, the seminary had the following stu- dents: N. C. Brun. X. K. Anderson (Boc), J. A. Bergh, P. G. Ostbv. L. Lund. C. J. Hclscm, O. C. Anderson, and 11. X. Thorup. The following were stu- dents in the pro-seminary: II. X. livid, P. Hendriksen. J. II. Grothcim, C. P». Jacobson. C. 'I'. Saugstad, G. G. Iloyinc, X. S. Kolin, and B. L. Hagboe. The school building, which was used jointly by the seminary and the academy, had a tower but no bell. Kndrc Boe. father of Boe. the student, helped it out of this difficulty, and soon the beautiful tones of the bell rang over the whole village. But they did not seem quite so beautiful to the sleepy student whom they aroused from pleasant dreams to hard, irksome toil. And sometimes sleep did get the best of him. But woe to the hapless lad whom the president on his trip of inspection found abed. A former Paxton student was elected bell-man, and he of course never overslept. But he had to buy a watch, a piece of wanton luxury in those days, and it cost him $4.00—a large sum for an Augsburg student in 1869; but he had to sacrifice something for his exalted office. Relations between the seminary and the academy were usually friendly, though at times some friction developed on account of the Xorwegian spirit that permeated the seminary and the American spirit that dominated the academy. Except for a bad epidemic of typhoid fever, which for a while transformed the school into a hospital and the students into patients or nurses, school work went on without interruption the first year. But the following year was destined to sec a change. At the annual meeting of the Scandinavian Augustana Synod, at Andover, 111.. 1870. the Xorwegian mem- bers withdrew to organize a separate synod, the Swedish members having PAGE twkntv two

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opportunity to observe what a great blessing she was to her husband. I would express, as my personal opinion, that had it not been for the great help God gave Prof. VVccnaas in his wife, he could not have endured those trying days. — And we should not have been able to celebrate a semi- centennial here tonight. And yet the load was growing too heavy. On the evening of the 25th of May. 1871. the president summoned the school to discuss an important matter. The very existence of the institution was at stake. “I sec no alternative but to quit.” said he. after having explained the situation. It was a dark night. And grave was the hour. Young, husky men sat with tear-tilled eyes. Then Saugstad. 1 believe, broke the silence. “Day is com- ing. said he. Others chimed in. All spoke words of cheer. Xo. we cannot quit......I'hen let us join hands and promise to work faithfully for the cause of the Kingdom.” said the president. And as we stood with hand in hand he read a scripture passage and ended with an earnest prayer. Augsburg Seminary was saved. Of the nineteen young men who on that memorable May evening clasped hands, three entered other callings, but the rest have served the Lord as ministers in His church, and have, is we hope, done a work of no small blessing. It was not to be expected that men of such strong individuality should work along the same lines; but they were all under the spell of that one great ideal, to glorify God by working for the salvation of souls and the upbuilding of God’s kingdom among our people. Of the teachers and students who were present at the opening of the school in 1869, many have passed away, but some are yet living, among them the founder of the seminary and for many years its president. A. Yecn- aas. who up till a short time ago was a pastor in the Church ot Xorway. but now lives as pastor emeritus near Christiania. Xorway. Only one of the dock is still active in the service of the church, and he has grown old and gray. But it gives him pleasure to join in this jubilee and on behalf of himself and fellow students to express our deep-felt gratitude to God and to Augsburg Seminary for what it was to us May the rich blessing of God rest on the school, its teachers, and its students. IWGK TWKNTY-FOUR