1938 Class Letter
Gustavus Adolphus College gustavus.edu alumni@gustavus.edu
Tom’s Tidy Den
October 2000
HAIL TO THEE…
Each of the noble 42 survivors who climbed College Avenue up to Old Main in 1934, three-score-and-six fleeting years ago!
Since last we met, writer and reader in April, the flow of our lives has ebbed somewhat, but we remember past persons and places of yore. We reflect on and relish what once was. For me that’s what memory is for, mentally to see, hear and embrace each schoolmate met. Yipes! That’s 66 years ago when we bashfully stopped by Anna C. Johnson’s and C.E. Sjostrand’s desk to enroll!
Many have "shuffled off this mortal coil" whom we gratefully call to mind most recently W. Stanley Nordstrom of Sun City West, AZ. His cheery demeanor and outgoing friendliness, a loyal Gustie, are gratefully remembered. To his lovely wife, Coral (Carter ’41) and family our sympathy and prayers. Our condolences and prayers also include classmate Ebba Lundquist Bergquist and family at the recent death of husband and father Don. He was a churchman, civic leader and loyal Gustie, class of ’37.
For the earth-bound, yet of sound mind-sets, I join the cadre of 116 other Class Agents responsible for keeping in touch with some 20,000 Gustavus alumni this fiscal year, in order to urge them to pony up (as in fork over) a chunk of their retirement income or holdings for the Gustavus Fund whose modest goal by May 31 is $1.775 million. Some of you will be called at Phonorama by myself or by a college student to contribute.
The Bible says, "Now, concerning the money to be collected for God’s people." That’s pretty straight- forward. I’ll build on that and talk how we collected money for the Fund. We living alums, in last year’s collection, gave nearly $30,000! Half given by one person, the balance by 26 of us. Sixteen gave nothing. The good news is that the giving "Life to Date" for us survivors was nearly $600,000, largely due to two gifts of property or cash totaling $250,000. A large part of fund income really goes "for God’s people," students needing financial aid.
Hey, let’s get with the philanthropic trend across America! In 1999, charitable gifts by Americans totaled $190 billion, about 2% of our national income. Yet, we are the most generous with our time and our money of any other nation. Yes, a big chunk of it comes from the super rich who have an enlightened self-interest at work in the philanthropy. Said a recent TIME article; "Our generosity may be the best measure of our humility."
In a current women's fashion magazine, were these surprising words: "It used to be inelegant to talk about money. Now people have a new attitude. They’re not embarrassed to talk about it anymore." (Vanessa von Bismark, N.Y. CEO of a public relations firm). So…let us think, talk and give away money to Gustavus in thanksgiving for blessings and in loving care for students and the Gustavus family and their home on the hill!
Now to people in our family of ’38ers. I single out three of note plus a group: Richard L. Hillstrom, Carl Roger Freberg, Eunice Backen Blomberg, and our members in the Gustavus Heritage Partnership.
1. Rick Hillstrom. In his honor the new Hillstrom Museum of Art is open in the Jackson Campus Center (where the bowling alley, Three Crowns Room and the coffee shop used to be). Large wrought iron letters at the entrance wall invite viewers to see some of the mounted several dozen paintings of his extensive collections, parts of which have gone to the Minneapolis Institute of Art and the American Swedish Institute, plus liberal endowment grants. Since 1982 this philanthropist has been art consultant-curator at Lutheran Brotherhood¾ Old Master Drawings and 700 Old and Modern Master Prints. Rick and his collections are treasures to this church and college and to corporate America. What a heritage he has built to give away!
2. Carl R. Freberg of Los Angeles attended Gustavus for the year 1934-1935 when he transferred to the University of Minnesota in engineering and was a university prof until recent retirement. He has been a consistent giver to the annual fund and told me Gustavus was in his will. We were Phonorama conversationalists. He wrote to ask me to meet him after a 10 o’clock service on September 27 at Mt. Olivet in the courtyard. We did meet then after 65 years. He was tall and professional, handsome and with class. His strikingly beautiful wife, Virginia, accompanied him. ’Twas a delightful event to be so long bound by college loyalties and immediate friends. Classmate Hillstrom was also along. Thanks, folks, for the reunion!
3. Eunice Backen, as we knew her in college, lives in Rockford with husband Richard. They have been upper-bracket annual givers to the Gustavus Fund. She sought me out at a recent Gustavus Heritage Partnership dinner to express appreciation for receiving these class letters across the decades. Imagine that! A pat on the back from a reader! I glowed with satisfaction. Katherine Graham wrote: "To love what you do and feel that it matters—how could anything be more fun?" Dear readers: you responded to Gustavus’ needs for money year after year because it matters—that makes these annual class letters fun to compose and send. Thanks for responding!
If you have Gustavus in your estate plan, but have not notified the college or if you want information on ways to provide a future gift to Gustavus, call (507) 933-7512, fax (507) 933-6270, or e-mail development@gustavus.edu. Please "think about these things." Arnold "Smokey" Carlson preached in chapel one morning back then on that phrase from Philippians 4:8-9. It’s still good counsel!
Here I gladly surrender space to the Alumni Office to fill us in on goings-on at the fabulous Gustavus campus, all abloom, neatly mowed, squeaky-clean, and a bustle with maximum numbers of brilliant and high-ranking students, splendid faculty, loyal staff and dedicated grounds keepers…
Campus News:
The 2000-2001 academic year opened with a record enrollment of 2,510 full-time students (compared with the previous record of 2,490 set last year), including 675 first-year students. When students arrived on campus in early September they were welcomed by the newly completed Carlson International Center/Swedish House, a new outdoor track/soccer field, and a newly completed Courtyard Café in the lower level of the Jackson Campus Center. This new café offers specialty coffees, bagels, pastries, and sandwiches, and opens to an outdoor eating area on the Johns Courtyard between the Jackson Campus Center and Lund Center.
Gustavus Adolphus College is once again ranked among the best of all national liberal
arts colleges in U.S. News and World Report's 14th annual "America's Best Colleges" rankings. Gustavus is again in the top 80 of the overall quality listings for national liberal arts colleges. Ranked again in the second tier in the national liberal arts college category, Gustavus is one of only two Minnesota colleges included in the tier two listing and one of four Minnesota colleges ranked in the top 80.
Gustavus recently received the results of a comparative alumni survey that measures alumni responses to a series of questions about their college experience. The study provides comparisons to other groups of colleges including Lutheran colleges, member colleges of the Minnesota Private College Council and, most importantly, with large public universities. We will share with you results of the survey in class letters this year. A sampling of responses to remembrances of college academic life include the following:
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Alumni agree that professors often challenged them, but also personally helped them to meet the challenge. Gustavus alumni agree 78%, large public universities 38%.·
Alumni agree that a large majority of classes were taught by professors as compared to teaching assistants. Gustavus alumni agree 90%, large public universities 32%.·
Alumni remember a high quality, teaching oriented faculty. Gustavus alumni agree 61%, large public universities 25%.·
Alumni remember many small classes with fewer than twenty students. Gustavus alumni agree 50%, large public universities 9%.Gustavus has received word from the Lilly Endowment that it was one of 20 awardees (out of a pool of 31 colleges and universities) of a $1,963,425 implementation grant. It is the largest program grant the College has ever received. The award will support a comprehensive initiative to more effectively carry out some key aspects of the College's mission statement and encourage theological reflection and moral questioning that forms character, shapes lives, and guides career choices. It will build upon the ethos and climate of Gustavus by supporting already-existing programs, adding new ones, and creating a center to coordinate and intensify those vocation-oriented activities. In doing so, it will provide students with the foundational tools necessary for a lifelong exploration of their calling and a lifetime of community leadership and service to others.
G.I.V.E. (Gusties In Volunteer Endeavors), a day of community service, is scheduled for Saturday, October 7. Numerous sites have been identified in the Twin Cities and alumni in other cities around the country are participating in the event. Contact the Alumni Office at 800-487-8437 or alumni@gustavus.edu for more information.
Christmas in Christ Chapel, Heaven and Nature Sing, is December 1-3. A ticket order form was inserted in the Summer Quarterly. Contact Office of Public Affairs at 507-933-7520.
I return to thank each of you for your Gustavus-love, your responses with gifts, your current or to-come remembrance of Gustavus in your estate plans and to say, "Thanks for the memories!" Speaking of which a poet wrote: "Memories are the little fires of our lives that never go out, the little sparks that warm us in a darkened room." My "little fires" of you, dear reader, do not die, but often warm my heart to invoke God's blessings upon you.
I close following the wisdom of Will Rogers, "Never miss a good chance to shut up." Now done!
Remember always, God loves you!
Tom Wersell
1938 Class Agent