Bethel University - Spire Yearbook (St Paul, MN)

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• • • oux Triumfs Sanger, and Fridsroster. Among his other writings are the histories of the First Swedish Baptist Churches of Chicago, St. Paul, and Minneapolis. Dr. Hagstrom was active in establishing the first home for the aged among Swedish Baptists at Fridhem, Morgan Park, Illinois. To him also belongs the honor of being one of the three founders and original owners of the Bethany Beach Summer Assembly at Sawyer, Michigan, the first summer assembly among Swedish Baptists in America. Among the many offices Dr. Hagstrom holds at the present time is the combined office of trustee, secretary, and treasurer of the Northwestern Baptist Hospital Association. He is also secretary of the Baptist Hospital Fund, Inc. end a trustee of the Twin City Baptist Union. He holds a life membership in the Minnesota Historical Society and is a member of the Scandinavian American Foundation, the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Language and Literature, the Swedish Historical Society of America, and Pi Gemma Mu. Confidence in his executive ability has been shown by the fact that he has been elected six times as the president of the Swedish Baptist General Conference of America and is serving his fourth consecutive term as president of the Minnesota Baptist Convention. As The Watchman-Examiner for December 12, 1940, states, in both the Swedish General Conference and in the Northern Convention, he has filled so many offices and performed so many duties that it is difficult to know hew one man could accomplish so much. It is a sign of the fruitfulness of his valuable life. And so we have a partial picture of Dr. Hagstrom as mirrored in his accomplishments. We have a portrayal of a literary man, a minister, an educator, and an executive. But there is a very personal side not yet seen. And that phase of man's life is best seen in his home life and in his use of leisure time. Dr. Hagstrom possesses a library of mere than two thousand volumes and is constantly adding to that number. Much of his spare time is spent in reading and writing. He still contributes material to some religious paper almost weekly. On his free evenings he usually works in his library or study until after midnight and never goes to bed until he feels tired. Once Dr. Hagstrom remarked, “I have golfed regularly for the last ten years—about once a year. His days are too busy to permit the leisurely enjoyment of hobbies. Once each summer, however. he travels to one of Minnesota's ten thousand Eleven

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uos man aUULu • • • that m Among the other duties that devolved upon Dr. Hagstrom was the securing of the present campus. The raising o: needed funds for the purchase. the erection of the buildings, the purchase of needed equipment, and the support of the school were not easy tasks. When President Hagstrom made a visit, yes, more then one, to Hon. James J. Hill, president o: the Great Northern Railroad, he received the premise of ten thousand dollars, the largest sum ever received from one person. Through the efforts of the president approximately seventy-five thousand dollars has been received for the work o: the Institute from the Eccrd of Education of the Northern Baptist Convention. As Dr J. O. Backlund states in his bock, Swedish Baptists in America, at the time when Dr. Hagstrom became president no duties comparable to those now laid on Dr. Hagstrom's shoulders had ever been placed on any man in the history of the Swedish Baptist denomination. In addition to ably discharging his duties at school. Dr. Hagstrom has served in a number of other positions. He was a member of the executive committee o: the Northern Baptist Convention from 1914 to 1919 and was elected to their Board of Promotion in 1920. He is a life member and director of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society and has served on their Board of Managers since 192C. In addition, he has held a membership in the Commission of Baptist Ecdies Using Foreign Languages of the Northern Baptist Convention since 1923. Dr. Hagstrom has also been sent as a delegate to several conventions of the Baptist World Alliance. In such capacity he has attended the meetings of the Alliance in Philadelphia; Stockholm, Sweden; Toronto, Canada, and Atlanta, Georgia. During his travels he has made three trips to Europe, visiting twelve different countries on the continent. The General Conference honored Dr. Hagstrom further in 1930 by appointing him their general and promotional secretary, which office he held until 1933. Further responsibilities were added to Dr. Hagstrom's already numerous duties in 1931 when the present Junior College was founded as an integral part of Bethel Institute. As already evidenced by the foregoing, it is apparent that our president has written prodigiously. While he was pastor in St. Paul, he served as an editor of Veckobulletinen for five years. He also served as a department editor of the Swedish magazine Hemmets Van and of Barnens Tidning, a Sunday School paper printed in Swedish, and as co-editor of three Swedish hymnals. Valda Hymner, Ten

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unto (Ajiiclom. n lakes for a period of complete relaxation. He finds a bit of fishing and meditating good for body, mind, and soul. Outstanding even above all his physical and mental attributes is the remarkable character possessed by this minister and educator. No one who has studied in his classes can fail to appreciate his depth of Christian experience. What lov ly freshman does net thrill when this man, who has been accorded a place in Who's Who in America, will stop in his hurry to classes and csk kindly concerning that humble one's welfare. Few men ever reach such pinnacles of greatness; fewer men remain as humble as he. Perhaps no one is more familiar with Dr. Hagstrom's lovable character than those members of the Bethel faculty who have worked with him for many years. Almost without exception each instructor mentions, first of all, our president's remarkable ability to put one at complete ease in his presence. He has the confidence of all his wide circle of friends and greatly enjoys the opportunities he has for counseling young people. Dr. Hagstrom is capable of taking ready command of any situation. He feels as much at home with a lcrge audience as with a single individual. As a presiding officer he is unexcelled. With the utmost courtesy and unending patience he listens to every contribution. In private conversation he is every bit as courteous and seems a deep, never-ending source of gentleness and sympathy. His is truly a character without reproach. And now, though Dr. Hagstrom is retiring from the presidency of Bethel Institute, he is still planning for the future. He has been asked by the school board to continue to serve or. the faculties of both the Seminary and college departments. In addition to his duties as professor he intends to continue the conducting of Bible conferences. For twenty-seven years Dr. Hagstrom has presided over Bethel Institute. During this long end successful administration many changes have taken place in the school cr.d many students have felt the uplifting influence of his quiet, unassuming personality. To really knew the man is to love him; tc love him is to want to be like him. Even as the pebble thrown into the sea causes never-ending, ever-widening ripples, so shall the influence of this mighty man of God reach out even into eternity. Our echoes roll from soul to soul, And live forever and forever. T iCelve