Luther College - Pioneer Yearbook (Decorah, IA)

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Guiding the way . . . A tall, distinguished figure . . . silvery- grey hair . . . a ruddy complexion . . . a slow, charming smile . . . twinkling blue eyes . . . all mark the appearance of one of Luther's best-loved personalities, Dr. O. J. H. Preus, who has served the college as president since the summer of 1932. It is his office in Larsen Hall which serves as the focal point of campus life from which stem all important administra- tive decisions and college activities. After completing his studies at Luther in 1901, Dr. Preus attended the Luther Theo- logical Seminary in St. Paul until 1904 and then spent a year at Johns Hopkins University where he was granted a scholarship. just be- fore returning to Luther in 1932 he served as president of Augustana College for several years. One of his most difficult duties is that of assembling and maintaining a good faculty which meets the requirements of the accrediting associations. According to Dr. Preus this has been accomplished by the nobility of the teach- ers themselves and their willingness to make sacrifices in salary and working conditions to serve in a Christian institution. Without that missionary spirit in the faculty, Luther would not be in the enviable position which it occupies today. To assist Dr. Preus in the work of keeping records, managing correspondence, and making appointments are his two secretaries, Miss Al- vira Lee and Miss Dorothea Ofstedal. In steadfast loyalty . . . Does he walk fast or just run slow P asks a curious and uninitiated green freshman in re- ferring to Dr. O. W. Qualley, one of the busi- est men at Luther College. This can readily be understood in view of the fact that Dr. Qualley holds four official positions: vice presi- dent, dean of the college, director of admissions and professor of classical languages. Dr. Qualley has been connected with the college ever since he received his B. A. degree in 1918, in point of service second only to Dr. O. L. Olson. He has done graduate work at Columbia university and received his M. A. and Ph. D. degrees in classical languages at the University of Michigan. As dean of the college Dr. Qualley is re- sponsible to the president and works under his general direction in the administration of the internal affairs of the college. His duties in- clude advising with the president in regard to teaching personnel, studying the curriculum and suggesting possible changes in regard to majors and minors, text books, tests and equipment, supervising admissions and aca- demic guidance of students and advisory sys- tem 3 and having general supervision of scholar- ship regulations. So, in view of these duties, perhaps Dr. Qualley has a right to walk fast or run slow. Registration wizard . . . Will you help me build my model air- plane, Daddy P is probably a familiar question often heard by Prof. R. A. H aatvedt, registrar, who returned to assume his duties at Luther in the fall of 1946. One of his favorite hobbies is that of helping his young son, Larry, build model airplanes. Mr. Haatvedt graduated from Luther in 1929, and in 1930-33 he served as a member of an archeological expedition sent to Egypt by the University of Michigan. In 1934 he re- ceived his master's degree at Michigan and is now resuming work toward his doctor's degree, which was interrupted by the war. Since his return to Luther, Prof. Haatvedt has streamlined the procedures of registration and has improved the system of records. As registrar he is custodian of all college academic records. Other duties which occupy his atten- tion are transcript service for students and alumni and the annual publication of the col- lege catalog. Prof. Haatvedt is also the chairman of the committee on student personnel services and secretary of the committee on curriculum and scholarship. On the academic side he teaches Biblical archeology in the division of religion and philosophy and classical literature, Latin and Greek in the division of languages and lit- erature. Assisting Prof. Haatvedt in his work as registrar is Miss Ruth Struxness, recorder. Also aiding in the work of this oflice are Mrs. Mary Inngbluth, secretary to the registrar, and various student assistants. With his boots on . . .' On January 27, 1948, a shocked Luther College faculty and student body were informed of the sudden death of Mr. Karl Hanson, the late business manager and treasurer. Mr. Han- son graduated from Luther in 1908 and took additional study at the University of Iowa. He carried out his duties at Luther from 1929 until the day of his death, dying with his boots on.

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0 I I Although the president of Luther is re- sponsible for the ADMINISTRATION of the college, it is impossible for any one man to per- form all these duties personally in a situation as complex as that of an American college to- day. He must therefore surround himself with men and women capable of carrying out these duties under his supervision. For this reason the college comes to have its various administra' tive departments including the deans' offices, the registrar's office, the placement bureau, the busi- ness office, the public relations service, the health service, as well as librarians, teachers and various supervisors. 'When all of these wheels in the machinery function properly and when the student body willingly cooperates with the administration, we then have a good college functioning for the general welfare of all. We believe that this is the case at Luther.

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Counting the pennies . . . Business Office? Sure, I can tell you. It's on the first fioor of Larsen Hall, the south end of the east wing. That's how I would direct a visitor to the business office but to a fellow stu- dent I would say, Just follow the beaten path down the corridorf' Or, if it was the middle of the afternoon I would say, Track down that coffee aroma and you'll be there. Or, if it was around the tenth of the month I would say, It's pay day! Follow me. Now at the head of the business office is Prof. David T. Nelson of the English depart- ment. After the sudden death of Karl Hanson last January the Board of Trustees requested Mr. Nelson to step in temporarily, pending the election of the new college president. Mr. Reuben Lerud, who works under Mr. Nelson as acting treasurer, started in the busi- ness office in 1940 as assistant treasurer soon after he graduated from Luther. Mrs. Marie F jelstad, who came to Luther in 1943, has the title of assistant treasurer. Her educational background includes a year at St. Olaf, a year at the University of Minnesota and a secretarial course at Winona Secretarial school. A look at the vital statistics about Mrs. Grayce Larson, cashier, reveals that she gra- duated from Luther Academy in Albert Lea, Minnesota, in 1918, after which she taught school for two years in Decorah. Two other members of the regular staff during the school year were Mrs. Dorothy Brunsvold and Miss Helen Haugen. It was largely through the efforts of the late business manager, Karl Hanson, that the college was able to procure 375,000 worth of government buildings now being used for class- rooms and a SIO0,000 government project com- prising Veterans' Village. Also under the su- pervision of the business office was the new S1 50,000 Ole Korsrud memorial heating plant completed last year. Nose for news . . . VVhen you read an account of a Luther basketball game in the Anytown Gazette, don't get the idea that every newspaper has a correspondent in the student body for chances are that the story was a product of the Luther College News Bureau. This department keeps close tab on all campus organizations and con- veys news about doings on the Luther campus to newspapers in the middle-west. Founded in 1928, the News Bureau is under the direction of Dr. C. N. Evan-son. llllllllllllllllll S 2 -'E 23325555 l 55:22:95 L 122'-2222 'QSQZS Headaches plus . . . May seniors have extra privileges such as I2 o'clock lights? May Mary and I room to- gether in Larsen next year ? May I be excus- ed from chapel next week ? These questions plus countless others keep the deans' offices in Larsen Hall humming with the activities and troubles of the student body. Both the dean of women, Iiliss Alice H ustad, and the dean of students, Mr. Clair G. Kloster, attempt to help students solve the various prob- lems which arise to baffie them during the year. The constant aim in counseling is to help each student achieve a balanced self-reliant maturity. Both deans have had extensive graduate school training in student personnel work be- fore coming to Luther. Miss Hustad studied at the Minnesota State Teachers' college in St. Cloud, received her master's degree at the Uni- versity of Minnesota in 1944 and was a coun- selor at Stephens college, Columbia, Mo., until she came to Luther in 1947. In addition to her duties as dean of women, Miss Hustad also teaches several classes in freshman English. Prof. Kloster graduated from Luther in 1938 and did further work at the University of Minnesota, where he also served as an instruc- tor in psychology and as a student counselor for several years. Here at Luther he is assis- tant professor of psychology as well as dean of students. To help the deans fulfill these tasks are Mrs. Esther Gilbertson, secretary, and other student assistants, who take care of the records and routine duties.