Gustavus Adolphus College - Gustavian Yearbook (St Peter, MN)

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- vm 0 1. f .1 if 46 The Old Main bell tower - in the background rises the new College Chapel Spire. 17

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In my grandfatlzeriv time was the pure word of God taught among us, ana' man-made precepts done away with ERMANY'S Reformation was touched off in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his famous ninety-five theses to the door of Wit- tenberg's castle church. Swedenis reform followed soon after. As in England a few years later, this upheaval came about more as a political expedient than as the result of a religious awakening. The turn of the sixteenth century found Sweden smarting under the self- imposed ties which bound her to the alliance of Scandinavian states known as the Union of Kalmar. When the king of Denmark sought to perpetuate this union and to establish his sovereignty over Sweden, a wave of revolt swept over the land. - Gustav Eriksson, a young noble of the influential Vasa family, was the flaming Hgure around whom the forces of freedom rallied. After victory had been won, he was offered the crown of Sweden. Gustav accepted but re- fused coronation until Sweden should become Lutheran. Although truly in- terested in the new teachings recently carried to Sweden from Luther's lecture hall in Wittenberg by Lars and Olav Petri, he saw the change to Lutheranism as an opportunity to gain for the crown the vast landhold- ings of the Church of Rome and to remove the antagonistic Roman clergy from his opposition. Many years after his death, Gustav I had a grandson - his name was Gustavus Adolphus. The faith which the grandfather had thrust upon Sweden would someday be defended by his grandson with his life! Ille faciet - This one will do it! 16

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COLLEGE PRESIDENT DR. EDGAR M. CARLSON OOD fortune came to Gustavus Adolphus Col- lege when Dr. Edgar Carlson chose to accept the call to administer its affairs. There were some at the time who were puzzled that a brilliant young Lu- theran theologian should elect to become president of a liberal arts college. There were others who asked how a gifted preacher of the Gospel could have been persuaded to exchange his pulpit for an administrator's desk. Actually, there was no inconsistency in his decision. It must always be remembered that this college, namesake of the pre- server of the Reformation, is an institution of the Church, having been cre- ated and now being sustained by it. The church is dedicated to the cause of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. The college shares this dedication. Our college exists - and Dr. Carlson says this over and over again - for the primary purpose of maintaining a Christian witness in the field of higher education. His years of accomplishment at Gustavus - the ele- vation of academic standards, the strengthening of the faculty, the provi- sion of new and better facilities for teaching - are evidence that he also regards it as important that this witness be strong and untarnished by any stain of mediocrity. Dr. Carlson has followed his vocation well and, in so doing, has bright- ened the name of both his church and his Alma Mater. He has, thereby, done it also to his own. Robert W. Holmen, M.D., '28 Meniber of the Executive Counczl Augustana Lutheran Church 18