Class of 1949

April 2007

Dear ’49ers,

We are moving to the end of another Alumni Fund year which ends on May 31^st. How fast the weeks and months go by.

Enid and I enjoyed our five months of living in Minneapolis. Three of our daughters and their families live near by and would drop in. We also had a chance to have dinner parties with several Gustavus friends, including Bob and Dot Colburn, Ole and Bonnie Bergman, Bob and Jean Johnson, and Dave and Joan Danielson. We also were invited to a luncheon at some good friends from Messiah. Again the weeks went too fast.

My medical appointments (2 or 3 a week) began to end and we began to think about getting back to the lake. It was a much bigger task than I expected. But we are here and it was great to see many of our good friends at church.

Janet (Englin) Janzen reported that she babysits her grandchildren ages 4 and 8.

Dale Lindall has had to go into a nursing home for special care.

Glen Holmquist has informed the Alumni Office that his wife, Betty, has cancer. Glen also sent several poems that he has written.

I’ll include one now and also in future letters. Thank you Glen.

Still Here

After all these years

Of “out of whack” and “out of gear”

It truly is a wonder

That we’re “still here”

When we rehearse the past

In old age you often do it

You often pause and wonder:

“Just how did we get through it?”

So – we call on TRUST and FAITH

We are justified and free!

Spirit power to “KEEP ON”

And to live in dignity.

Campus News

Alumni Awards Announced

The Alumni Association announces the following 2007 awards selected by the Alumni Board of Directors. Greater Gustavus Award – Given to those who, by deed, have notably advanced and aided Gustavus Adolphus College: Russ and Jan (Ledin) Michaletz ’74 ’74

Distinguished Alumni Citations – Recognizes outstanding and exceptional professional achievement

Paul Peterson ’94, principal, St. Peter High School, Minnesota State High School Principal of the Year.

Margaret Anderson Kelliher ’90, house speaker, Minnesota House of Representatives.

First Decade Awards – Recognizes early professional achievement

Jennifer Pleuss Spande ’97, diplomat, Political and Economic Section, U.S. Embassy, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Alexander Hill ’97, senior scientist, Medtronic, Inc.

The Greater Gustavus Award and Distinguished Alumni Citations will be presented at the Alumni Banquet on Saturday, May 26, and the First Decade Awards will be presented during Homecoming Weekend, October 13.

Linnaeus Symposium Celebrates Birth of Carl Linnaeus

In celebration of the 300^th anniversary of the birth of Carl Linnaeus, Gustavus will host its second Linnaeus Symposium, Linnaeus @ 300, on Wednesday, April 25, 2007. The daylong conference will feature presentations by ethnobotanists Mark Plotkin and Paul Alan Cox, and Linnaean scholars Hans Odoo and Paula Robbins. The day will also include tours of Linnaeus Arboretum, a special photography exhibition by Anders Bjorling, music, dance, and a Scandinavian feast. Visit <gustavus.edu/arboretum/> or call 507/933-6181 to learn more.

Lindau Symposium brings Richard John Neuhaus to campus

The Rev. Richard John Neuhaus, a well-known conservative Catholic intellectual, will address “Religion in American Public Life” at the inaugural Lindau Symposium at Gustavus on Tuesday, May 8, 2007, 7:30 p.m. in Alumni Hall. A gift to the College from Phil ’58 and Nancy Lindau given prior to Phil’s death last April established the symposium at Gustavus that bears his name. Lindau, a commodities trader and executive who served Gustavus as a board member, campaign chair, and longtime volunteer leader, was passionate about the faith-life intersection and the church-relatedness of his alma mater. The symposium, which the Lindau family and College officials anticipate will be an annual event, aims to provide a forum in which diverse intellectual voices and mainstream beliefs and values can be brought together in a liberal arts environment. The May 8 Lindau Symposium will be webcast (live video and audio) online at:
<gustavus.edu/events/lindau>.

“Community Food Security” is Theme of MAYDAY! Peace Conference

"Community Food Security" is the theme for this year's Gustavus MAYDAY! Peace Conference, to be held on May 2. This is an annual conference, devoted to a topic relating to human rights and social justice. Among other events, the daylong conference will feature presentations from author Janet Poppendieck, who wrote Sweet Charity?: Emergency Food and the End of Entitlement, and Mike Hamm, Ph.D., chair of sustainable agriculture at Michigan State University. For more information call the Office of College Relations at 507/933-7520.

Gustavus Choir Reunion to Celebrate 75 Years

Alumni and friends of the Gustavus Choir are welcome to attend a reunion on Saturday, May 5. The day will include an alumni choir rehearsal, a banquet for past and current members of the choir, and a full concert with both the alumni choir and the Gustavus Choir. For more information, contact the Office of Fine Arts Programs at 507/933-7013.

Celebrating 75 Years of Theatre at Gustavus

The Department of Theatre and Dance celebrates 75 years of theatre at Gustavus with a reunion on May 11 and 12. Highlights of the weekend will include an afternoon program sharing memories and monologs from the past 75 years and viewing the performance of The Tempest in Anderson Theatre. For more information and to register, go to the theatre reunion section of the Alumni website at <gustavus.edu/alumni> or call the Alumni Office at 800/487-8437.

Upcoming Alumni Events

Linnaeus Symposium - April 25

Gustavus Association of Congregations – April 28

MAYDAY! Peace Conference: Community Food Security - May 2

Celebrating 75 years of the Gustavus Choir - May 5

Lindau Symposium – May 8
Celebrating 75 years of Theatre Reunion - May 11-12

Class of 1962 - 45^th Anniversary Reunion – May 25 & 26

Class of 1957 - 50^th Anniversary Reunion – May 25 & 26

50 Year Club Reunion – May 26

If you haven’t made a contribution to the Alumni Fund – it closes on May 31^st. We need 14 more donors to equal last year’s number. Thank you for your gifts.

Sincerely,

Pete Erickson

1949 Class Agent