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

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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

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Suki . wtwh tensive Swedish work. In the early days Swedish Was the only medium of instruction. Now the English language is the medium of instruction in all branches except in the Swedish which is taught as a special branch. As a special chair the Swedish language will always continue to be taught. As the courses of instruction have gradually been extended anti their scope en- larged. there has been from time to time an enlargement along the lines of departments. The Theological department was naturally the primary and for some years the oniy department, Out at the Theological the College and Academic departments developed through a natural process of growth. In addition to these departments we have new five others: The Normal, Conservatory, Alt, Elocution. and the Business Departments, The Normal course is pursued in connection with the Academy and the College with special attention given to such subjects as constitute Normal work. As early as l576 instruction began in book-keeping but it was not until i885 that we had a complete business course in a separate department. The musical element has aiways been One of the characteristics of Augustana. The first musical organization macie its appearance in the early clays at Paxton. Vocal music has been especially prominent, and as early as 1880, an Oratorio Society was organized through the efforts of Dr. 0. Olssnn. Dr. Olsson was at the time one at the professms of the Seminary. He later, in 1891 was elected to the presidency to succeed Dr. Hasselquist. Dr. Olsson had during a visit in England had the opportunity of hearing Handel's Messiah rendered; He returned with enthusiastic determination to organize an Oratorio Society here at home. The society was organized. The first tour was made in IBM, the chorus rendering pmgrams at Rock Island. Moline and towns in the vicinity. The fullcwing year more extensive tours were made, a trip being made even as far as Lindshurg. Kansas. It is from this organization that our Conservatory of Music had its beginnings, though any mention is not made in the College catalogue until the year 1356. lnstructicn in singing haul, hy the way, been given as eariy as l873. The musical organizations which for a longer or a shorter time Hourished have been various in nature and plentiful in number. Among those now existing the must prominent are, perhaps, the Wennerherg Chorus, the Chapel Chair. and the College Band. Very Closely connected with the Conservatory are the Art and Elocution depart- ments. Instruction has been given in bath departments since the year 1897. The entire numher nf students who have attended Augustana. is 12,000. From the College department, theie have been 542 graduates. The hrst class to graduate with the degree of Bachelor of Arts was the class of '577. The class was composed of six members. The largest number of graduates from any one department has been from the Business depattmcnt,f740. and the smallest number has been from the Normal department-i32. From the Theological department. there have been 659 graduates and from the Conservatoryefll Several Master of Arts degrees and two l4