May 2004
Dear ’58ers,
It would seem that the writer could do better
in completing a letter for you, but age and procrastination, and lack of news
all play a role in no letter since December.
Spring is here in Minnesota. The trees in front of my office window are
fully leafed, the crab apples blossoms are done, and the campus planting of
flowers is about to beginning.
I am ending my 44th year and it seems like
such a short time. But then, as the
memory fades, the years appear to go by more quickly! Unlike Bob Robinson, I do not plan to be working until I
am 70, and most of you say rightly so!
Our friends in the class of 1959, Paul Magnuson and Paul
Youngdahl show no signs of slowing down, but they are younger and smarter than
I am.
President Jim Peterson ’64 is marvelous to
work for, filled with good ideas, enthusiasm, humor and recognition that his
first job at Gustavus, as a student, was a tour guide in Admissions when I was
a young counselor. Just for another bit
of personal history, this is the sixth president that I have worked for, plus three
acting presidents, one of them twice. I
liked them all!
Thanks to the 100 plus of you that have made
your gift to the Gustavus Fund this year!
Great! My count, however, shows
45 classmates that gave last, but year have not done so this year! Time is counting; please try to make your
donation before the end of the month.
You must have one of those eternal return envelopes somewhere.
NEWS, such as what we have...
Carolyn (Clogston) and Tom ’56 Engquist moved to Prior
Lake this fall and now live in a townhouse at 4642 Priorwood Street, S.E.,
enjoying the view in their new location.
The author of the history of Lowry,
Minnesota, Ellwood Johnson, continues to work on his two web sites, one
on Lowry and another on political connections.
He says he is okay. Char
(Bukkila) and Rod ’57 Westrum are retired and divide their time
between Park Rapids and The Villages in Florida. Both are retired educators.
We had not heard from Dean Fredlund in a long time and thank him
for his note. Dean has been retired
from teaching for seven years (biology and geology) in British Columbia. His daughter is a designer for IKEA and his
son is studying criminology.
Doug Moe, a member of our class for a few years sent a nice note with his
annual gift. (He graduated from the
University.) Doug's son, Scott ’95, is
the men's and women's golf coach at Gustavus and also the assistant men's
hockey coach. The men's golf team again
won the conference title and is competing, as we write, in the national
Division III tournament. Another former
classmate, Meryl Nelson Jessen has retired to Cleveland, MN. She was an R.N. and they have four
grown children.
AND MORE NEWS...
Marlene Isensee Thomas and her husband, John, are retired and enjoy
seven grandchildren. Jim McPherson
is completing his term as president of the American Historical Association and
will be retiring from full-time teaching after forty-two (42!) years at
Princeton University. A remarkable
career!
Thanks to Arlene Jornlin Ramberg and Morna
Pell Traffas for their recent gifts.
Arlene and her husband, Harland, live in Chisago City, while Morna
continues to work in Wyomissing, PA and enjoys her five grandchildren.
I see local residents, Anders and Jan
Neidt Bjorling, Steve Hilding, Bob Peterson, Marlys
Johnson Johnson and Dennis Erickson on campus as well as visitors
like Phil Lindau, Mark Wiberg, Lee Anderson and Dick
Eklund on campus. And someone I am
sure I missed.
For those of you who have given, thanks!
For those of you who will be sending in your
gift in the next few weeks, thanks!
For the rest of you, I am sorry we could not
get together.
Cheers!
Owen Sammelson
For the Class of 1958
P. S.
The Alumni Office will add some other campus news here:
James Peterson ’64 was inaugurated during a ceremony in Christ Chapel on Friday, April 16. Other inaugural events scheduled April 15-18, included a symposium featuring Rev. Dr. Martin Marty, tree dedication, Gustavus Association of Congregations meeting, G.I.V.E. community service day in St. Peter, music concert, art exhibition, and an alumni reception preceding the Nobel Symphony Concert at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.
50th Anniversary Alumni Fund
Closes May 31
The 2004 Alumni Fund will close May 31 with a
goal of 50 percent alumni participation. Thanks to everyone who has already
participated with a gift. If you
haven’t given, please think about sending a gift along with your news in the
enclosed gold envelope. Gustavus alumni have a long tradition of strong alumni
participation. Help maintain our
national ranking by participating in the 50th anniversary year of
the Alumni Fund.
Did
you know that scholarships and financial assistance for Gustavus students
totals $18M, almost 25 percent of Gustavus’ annual budget? Alumni Fund gifts, including designated and
unrestricted gifts, help enable students to receive a Gustavus education. Gustavus offers two types of scholarships to
students -- merit awards given to recognize academic achievement, and tuition
grants are used to assist students with recognized financial need. Endowed scholarships are an important part
of the Gustavus grant program and currently nine percent of scholarship funds
come from the endowment.
An
alumni survey was sent to 2,000 members of reunion classes. Approximately 600 have responded as of April
1. Questions on the survey consist of
how well Gustavus prepared them for employment and graduate education,
activities involved in while at Gustavus, personal growth skills, alumni events
and services, and overall satisfaction with the College. Results of the survey will be included in
the Fall Quarterly.
Winter sports summary
Women’s basketball finished third in the MIAC and advanced to
the semifinals of the MIAC playoffs. Men’s
basketball won the MIAC regular season and playoff championship titles
before losing to eventual national champion UW-Stevens Point in the NCAA
national tournament. Men’s hockey
posted a third-place finish in the regular season and advanced to the semifinals
of the MIAC playoffs. Women’s hockey
finished second in regular-season MIAC play, but won the post-season tournament
and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Men’s swimming won its third consecutive MIAC championship
and completed their season by finishing ninth at the NCAA championships. Women’s swimming won the MIAC
championship and completed their season by finishing 13th at the NCAA
championships. Men’s Nordic skiing
won its first-ever MIAC championship and finished fourth at the NCAA Central
Region meet. Women’s Nordic skiing
claimed their third consecutive MIAC title and completed their season with a
fourth-place finish at the NCAA Central Region meet. Gymnastics posted a 6-1 dual meet record and a
second-place finish at the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA)
West Regional. The women’s indoor
track and field team finished second and the men fifth at the MIAC
championships.
●Nearly 80% of Gustavus students graduate in four years, compared with 56% of students from other Minnesota private colleges; the national average is 17%.
●There are seven choral ensembles and 23 instrumental ensembles, two jazz, four woodwind and three brass ensembles.
●More than 40 percent of Gustavus students volunteer through the Gustavus community service center on a regular basis.
●For student safety, the campus is well-lit, there is 24-hour Safety and Security patrol and escort service, residence halls are locked 24 hours a day, and there are blue light emergency phones throughout campus linked directly to Safety and Security.
●And looking back -- during the college’s early years, students were awakened by a bell at 5:45 a.m. and all lights had to be out by 10:30 p.m.
Upcoming events
Class of 1954 and 50-Year Club Reunions – May
28 & 29
Commencement – May 30
Alumni Fund closes – May 31
Class reunions on Homecoming & Family
Weekend – October 1 & 2