Augustana College - Rockety I Yearbook (Rock Island, IL)

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.mrlllf mmuiiim'lm 1 9-31 wmum . mtmmrmml MusPELHEM SECOND COLLEGE BUILDING IN FAme. ILL

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uht A . ltl ale? Scandinavian professorship was establisheii. The chair of the professorship was occupied by Rev. L. P. Eshjorn. The Scandinavians. however, soon realized, that to continue this relationship with the other church bodies would not. for any length of time, prove satisfactory or beneficial. The reasons why they wished a separation were mostly of a doctrinal nature. They reaiizcd that they must stand alone Eghting their own battles if they desired to preserve intact the faith of their fathers. And so We Find them convened at Chicago in the year H360 and to this convention we may trace the beginnings of Augustana Synod and of Augustana College. Our college then takes its beginning as a Scandinavian institution, and it continues to be that, the first ten years of its existence. In I870. however. a great change takes place. With expressions of mutual respect and well wishes. the Norwegians and Swedes separated. From that time on Augustana College is a Swedish institution The first home of the school was in Chicago, where it remained for only three years. During this period. Rev. L. P. Esbjom occupieci the presidenFs chair. It had been owing to his resignation from the Scandinavian chair of the Illinois State University that the final determinatiun to sever relations with this institution and the church bodies which it represented had been reached. When Rev. Esbjurn resigned from his position and left the institution he was followed by ail the Scandinavian students then enrolled. There were at this time twentyvone in number. It was with these students that the new work was begun. The then existing conditions made Chicago seem an unsuitahie location. It was deemed advisable to locate at some point with prospects For the future for a larger Scandinavian settlement. Paxton. near the center of Illinois, seemed such a place, and besides the Illinois Central Railroad made a liberal offer in the price of some land, which it wished to sell, on condition that the school, locate there. In consequence the schcul was moved thither in the year 1863. When the school was removed to Paxton. Rev. Esbiorn resigned from his position as president. Hi5 place was taken by Dr. T. N. Hasselquist, who served as president until his death in IS9I. Contrary to expectations, Paxton was not to become the permanent hume of the institution. The first oE'icial mention of removal is made as early as 1869. It was not however, until four years later that the decision to remove was reached. Inducements had been offered from various localities. These inducements failed in some cases to be Iealizeti, in others they were not satisfactory. Finally a motion of the Synod authorized the Board of Directors to locate within Knox. HenryorRock-IslandCounties. In Rock Island and Molina of Rock Island County there were large Hourishing Swedish settlements. Both cities desired the school in their vicinity and although as large an amount of money as had been hoped for could not he raised as art inducement for locating here the Board never- theless settled upon a place situated about half way between them. The spot selected has since been known as Zion hill, 5 name eriginating from that combination of a sense of humor and of religiousness which seems always to have been so peculiarly blended in the nature of Augustana students. The place at the time when the college came was an isolated spot, surrounded by large tracts of woad-land. A more beautiful or suitable ID

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i W anew 09 place for the location of an institution of learning could scarcely have been found. The cities on each side have with each succeeding year grown larger and have crowded themselves almost to the doors of the institution. Some years ago during the very rapid expansion which was taking place aesthetical effects seemed to have been lost sight of. Almost the only place to retain a proper respect for the beautiful was the immediate college grounds. But that has been remedied now. We now may boast a beauty of location equal with. perhaps surpassing. that which was our early heritage. The environment has beyond question played a significant part. in student life. Perhaps the beauty ohiocation as much as any other one thing has inspired in the hearts of those pursuing studied here that devotion for the Alma Mater so manifest in them all even after long years of absence. Be that as it may, who is there having come uncler the influence of the beauty. which here presents itself both in the near vicinity and in the far distance as viewed from the college grounds. that has not brought away with him some of its poetry. st3 of its inspiration? On the thirty-three acre or lhere-abouts, which comprise our college campus there are today besides residence buildings, five buildings used for school purposes. They are: the Old building, Ladies Hall. the New building. Ericsen Hall. and the Gym- nasium. There is also now under construction a Library building donated by the Denkmann family of Rock Island. which when completed will eclipse any building of its kind owned by any institution of our standing within the State of Illinois. When the College family in the year 1875 came to begin its work in Rock Island, the old building was not yet completed. The entire school family, ptofessors and students moved into this one building and all class work Was done within its walls. Now the only class work clone in this building is that of the Commercial department. It also contains the dining hall and serves as the Men's Dormitory. The building. though old. is substantial, and having been remodeled from time to time, now has many of the modern conveniences necessary to make it an ideal dormitory. The new college building has been occupied since the beginning of 1636. Other buildings have been erected tram time to time as the work and attendance at the institu- tion have required additional conveniences. The work at the institution the First years. though not entirely of a theological nature, was composed of such branches of study as pertained more exclusively to a preparation for the life of a pastor. For this reason the Classical course was the only one taught in the college department until as late as ISSO. Gradually. however, the work has been branching out and made to cover larger fields. In the college depa-rtv ment there are now six distinct courses of instruction all leading to the degree of Bachelor of Liberal Arts. These courses are as follows: The Classical, Modern Language, Latin Scientilic, General Science. PreaMedieal. and the Mathematical. The primary purpose of the institution has not. however. been lost sight of. A thorough course in Christianity is obligatory in the pursuit of any of these six groups of study. A strong course in the Swedish language and literature may also be taken in connection with any of the groupsv The Swedish language has always been a strong factor at Augustana and will remain so as long as conditions in the congregations of our Synod demancl ex- l2