Luther College - Pioneer Yearbook (Decorah, IA)

Page 16 text:

Developing character . . . Since the distinctive aim of Luther College is to develop Christian character in students, one of the more important departments is the DIVISION OF RELIGION AND PHI- LOSOPHY. The Rev. Gerhard E. Frost has been head of Bible and religious education since january of 1945. To meet graduation requirements every student must take I4 semester hours in this department. In Bible, courses are offered on the Old and New Testaments and on specific phases of the Bible. An attempt has been made to inte- grate religious instruction with certain other departments. For example, a course in church symbolism and architecture works in with the art department, Biblical archeology with the classics department, hymnology with the music department, literary treasures of the Bible and Christian literature with the literature depart- ment. Dr. O. A. Tingelstad serves as head of the philosophy department, which became recog- nized as a full department in the fall of 1944. Previously only a few subjects were offered under Dr. O. L. Olson. All courses are elective, with I5 semester hours required for a minor. A new instructor in Bible and Norwegian is the Rev. Pernie C. Pederson, on medical furlough from his duties as superintendent of the ELC's mission work among the Zulus in South Africa. Rev. Pederson graduated from Luther in 1926 and from the Luther Theologi- cal Seminary in St. Paul in 1932. ...rg . - -'L .li-2: -- ' nl lllll I., 3 ..,- il, il , H . A Su. 3-,,,,,,' 'rr gi 1 IJ V Z f .. N l., . 1 1...l .war 'Eggs X ig! gug' 3 gg '-'gigcgv f r -ff I -1' 'ii X 'Q L f i K gl M ,lvl - . . :ff A '- ' ' -I. x,.':.'...: -A,-.2 -. , - U. ., . - .,-.- - - f.,.-J :,'.. - - --' . ., . And leadership . . . Under the DIVISION OF EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY are several depart- ments: orientation, education, psychology, li- brary instruction and physical education, health and hygiene. Training for both secondary and elemen- tary teaching is offered in the department of education. For many years from half to two- thirds of Luther's graduates have become teachers. Serving as head of the department of edu- cation is Prof. A . O. Davidson, who graduated from Luther in 1931. In psychology a minor is offered to students preparing for such fields as teaching, theology, social service, nursing, medicine and business. In this department Miss Emily Frank serves as associate professor of education and psy- chology. With a rich heritage of infiuence in Ameri- can and European libraries, the library depart-- ment at Luther trains students to become teacher-librarians and also prepares them for graduate work in library science. Head li- brarian and professor of library science is Dr. Karl T. Jacobsen. Mr. Oivind IW. H ovde, '32, is associate li- brarian. As associate professor of library science he teaches cataloging and classification and school library administration. Also on the library staff is Mrs. Vera Thompson, assistant librarian, who graduated from Luther in 1941 and received her A.B.L.S. from the University of Michigan in 1942. Courses on reference, children's literature and book selection are thught by Mrs. Thompson. Mr. Hamlet Peterson, '22, is athletic direc- tor, coach of basketball and baseball and pro- fessor of physical education. He received his M. A. from the University of Iowa and has been at Luther since 1922. Also instructors in men's physical educa- tion are Mr. Robert Bungum and Mr. Lyle Beaver. Bungum, '32, has had high school teaching experience and at present is coach of football and track. Beaver, '47, is also assist- ant coach. On the women's physical education staff are Miss Myrtle Stokke and Miss Shirley Pos- son, Miss Stokke received her B. E. from La Crosse State Teachers in 1930 and her M. A. from the University of Michigan in 1940. Be- fore coming to Luther in 1946 she taught in Northern Michigan college at Marquette from 1940 to 1946. Miss Posson, '47, teaches be- ginning classes in physical education.

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5,1-theme,- As in so many other things the post-war period has also affected CLASSES in various ways. In the fall of 1947 students found them- selves in larger classes, with a more expanded curriculum and a wider variety of subjects. The very composition of the classes changed from a predominantly female nature to male or to a more evenly distributed basis. Some students, matriculating in 1941, or thereabouts, only to have their college careers disrupted by enforced military leave-of-absen- ces, have finally discovered themselves on the last lap toward graduation and that highly- coveted bit of sheepskin known as a diploma. In classes students have rubbed elbows with everyone from veterans of Okinawa and the Battle of the Bulge to green freshmen just out of high school. In between has been the group which enrolled in the slim war years and which has experienced the changes in social life and curriculum of the post-war world. Even with a widespread diversity in stu- dents, there has been a certain homogeneity and common interest to unite and integrate the stu- dent body. Values have remained fundamen- tally the same with everyone pulling for a common objective--a liberal and thorough Christian education for men and women.

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Accent on you . . . English, speech, ancient and modern lan- guages come under the DIVISION OF LAN- GUAGES AND LITERATURE. Heading the English department is genial, good-natured Prof. David T. Nelson, who en- joys a good chuckle along with his students. Dr. O. L. Olson, president emeritus, is a favorite with all students. Before graduation almost all students hope to get in one of his courses. Admired and respected by all students is Miss Clara f. Paulson, associate professor of English and former dean of women. Miss Paulson teaches erring freshmen the finer points of English and also attempts to guide future teachers with her English methods course. A new addition to the faculty this year, Miss Henrietta N ordsieck, graduated from Val- paraiso university in 1938 and has done gradu- ate work at Earlham college, Indiana State Teachers college and the University of Michi- gan. Blond and petite, she rules over freshman English classes at Luther. Mrs. O. D. Bremness is another freshman English instructor. She is a graduate of St. Olaf college and has had experience in high school teaching in Iowa. Holding forth in such courses as speech pathology, radio speech and oral interpretation of literature is Prof. Kenneth L. Berger, head of the speech department. Mr. Paul Barge, a Luther grad of 1947, keeps busy with his classes in speech fundamen- tals and play production. The Whip also serves as program director of radio station KWLC and directs aspiring young actors and actresses in hit play productions. Miss Barbara Bahe presides over classes in German as well as being popular resident head at Vanaheim. Senior women will remember her as always being ready to join in pre- holiday Christmas caroling, knitting sessions, breakfast hikes, IO o'clock coffee parties or gab fests. A rising tide of laughter emanating from a classroom indicates to a Luther student that Prof. I. Dorrum's Norse class is once again feeling the effects of his dry sense of humor. Romance languages are taught by Mrs. Jeanne Halzforson Peters, who just acquired the Mrs, prefix last October when she mar- ried a young naval lieutenant. Mrs. N. Lewis Fadness, the wife of another Luther faculty member, has taught Spanish and French at Luther since 1942. Two plus two . . . Slide rules . . . test tubes . . . microscopic slides are all familiar items identified with the DIVISION OF MATHEMATICS AND NATURAL SCIENCES, which has two main aims: to teach the student to understand the phenomena of the physical world and the in- fluence of science on the development of thought and institutions and to apply the methods of scientific study in the solution of concrete problems. Mathematics, pre-engineew ing, physics, chemistry, botany, zoology and geology are included in this division. Mr. Robert S. Jacobsen, a Luther grad of 1937, is associate professor of mathematics. Another mathematics instructor is Mr. Arie Gaalswyk, 142. He has taken graduate work at the University of Chicago and his M. S. at the University of WVisconsin. Physics classes are presided over by Prof. Emil C. Miller, a graduate of St. Olaf college in 1931. Dr. Adrian Docken, test tube expert, is professor of chemistry. His professional train- ing includes a B. A. at Luther in 1937 and a Ph. D. at the University of Wisconsin in 1941. Assistant professor of chemistry is Mr. George Knudson, a slender, wavy-haired peda- gogue. He graduated from St. Olaf and re- ceived his M. S. at North Dakota Agricultural college.