| 1977 |
Abigail McCarthy, author of Circles and Private Faces, Public Spaces |
| 1978 |
Maria von Trapp, of the family immortalized by The Sound of Music |
| 1980 |
Isaac B. Singer, Nobel laureate in literature |
| 1981 |
Czeslaw Milosz, Nobel laureate in literature |
| Fall 1982 |
Irving Stone, biographical novelist, author of The Origin (Nobel Conference) |
| 1983 |
June Goodfield, author of Playing God |
| 1984 |
Barbara Flanagan, columnist for Minneapolis Star Tribune |
| 1985 |
Susan Allen Toth, author of Blooming and Ivy Days |
| 1986 |
Jim Gilbert, Minnesota author & naturalist |
| 1986 |
Kathryn Christenson, poet/writer |
| 1986 |
Elmer Suderman, poet/writer, author of What Can We Do Here? |
| 1987 |
Lois Walfrid Johnson, inspirational author of Just a Minute, Lord |
| 1987 |
Betty Westrom Skold, inspirational author of Me, Too, Zacchaeus |
| 1988 |
Catherine Nelson Feste, motivational author of The Physician Within |
| 1988 |
Birgit Hamburg, nutritionist/writer from Stockholm, Sweden |
| 1988 |
Eskil Hemberg, composer of Saint Erik’s Crown |
| 1990 |
Jim McPherson, historian, Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Battle Cry of Freedom |
| 1990 |
Herbjørg Wassmo, Norwegian writer (Out of Scandinavia) |
| 1990 |
Karlis Kaufmanis, “Star of Bethlehem” lecturer |
| 1991 |
Bill Holm, poet/writer, author of Coming Home Crazy |
| 1992 |
Marilyn Johnson Boe, poet, author of The 17th Avenue Poems |
| 1992 |
Per Olov Enquist, Swedish novelist/dramatist/essayist/columnist (Out of Scandinavia) |
| 1993 |
Ann Burckhardt, Star Tribune food columnist |
| 1993 |
John Najarian, physician, author of more than 1,100 articles in all areas of transplantation |
| 1994 |
John and Anne Murray, medical team, authors of numerous articles on their research in Central Africa |
| Fall 1994 |
Oliver Sacks, neurologist, author of Awakenings and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (Nobel) |
| Dec. 1994 |
Tom Hegg, author of A Cup of Christmas Tea (St. Lucia) |
| 1995 |
Janet Martin and Suzann Nelson, humorists, authors of Cream Peas on Toast |
| 1995 |
Max Von Sydow, Swedish movie and stage actor (Out of Scandinavia) |
| 1996 |
Andrew Farkas, biographer, author of Jussi |
| 1996 |
Theodor Kallifatides, Swedish novelist/dramatist/poet/critic (Out of Scandinavia) |
| 1997 |
Loreli Steuer, First Lady of Gustavus, breakfast chat on Toni Morrison |
| 1997 |
Toni Morrison, Nobel laureate in literature, author of Beloved |
| 1997 |
Einar Kárason, Icelandic novelist/poet/screenwriter (Out of Scandinavia) |
| Fall 1998 |
Ann Patchett novelist, author of The Patron Saint of Liars |
| Spring 1999 |
Faith Sullivan, novelist, author of The Cape Ann |
| Spring 2000 |
Sandra Benitez, novelist, author of A Place Where the Sea Remembers |
| Fall 2000 |
Jeanne Ray, novelist, author of Julie and Romeo |
| Fall 2000 |
Linn Ullmann, Norwegian journalist/critic/novelist, author of Before You Sleep |
| Dec. 2000 |
Tom Hegg, author of A Cup of Christmas Tea |
| Spring 2001 |
Patricia Hampl, novelist/essayist/memoirist, author of I Could Tell You Stories |
| Spring 2002 |
Bill Holm, poet/writer, author of Eccentric Islands: Travels Real and Imaginary |
| Spring 2002 |
Ylva Eggehorn, Swedish poet, author of Child of the Sea (Out of Scandinavia) |
| Spring 2003 |
Stewe Claeson, Swedish novelist/short story writer (Out of Scandinavia) |
| Spring 2003 |
Kevin Kling, playwright/humorist/storyteller |
| Spring 2004 |
Thomas Friedman, New York Times columnist, author of From Beirut to Jerusalem |
| Fall 2004 |
Judith Guest, novelist, author of The Tarnished Eye |
| Spring 2005 |
Pete Hautman, young-adult novelist, author of Godless, and Mary Logue, poet, author of Settling |
| Spring 2005 |
Susan Leaf, essayist, author of Potato City |
| Fall 2005 |
Roger A. MacDonald, M.D., physician, author of A Country Doctor’s Casebook |
| Spring 2006 |
Robert Alexander, historical novelist, author of Rasputin’s Daughter |
| Fall 2006 |
Chuck Logan, thriller writer, author of Homefront |
| Dec. 2006 |
Lisa Lunge-Larson, children’s writer/storyteller, author of Noah’s Mittens (St. Lucia) |
| Spring 2007 |
Matthew Sanford, author of Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence |
| Spring 2008 |
Arvonne Fraser, author of She's No Lady: Politics, Family, and International Feminism |
| Fall 2008 |
Leif Enger, author of Peace like a River and Lin Enger, author of Undiscovered Country |
| Spring 2009 |
Deborah Keenan, poet of Willow Room and Kingdoms and Joyce Sutphen, poet of Naming the Stars and Straight Out of View |
| Spring 2010 |
Susan Busch Leaf, author of The Bullhead Queen: A Year on Pioneer Lake |
| Fall 2010 |
William Kent Krueger, author of the award-winning Cork O'Connor series of mystery thrillers |
| Spring 2011 |
Lise Erdrich, author and storyteller, Heid Erdrich, poet and playwright |
| Fall 2011 |
Laurie Hertzel, journalist |
| Spring 2012 |
Rebecca Fremo, writers workshop |
| Spring 2013 |
Peter Geye, author |
| Spring 2014 |
Sarah Stonich, author |
| Fall 2014 |
Kristin Swenson, religious scholar |
| Spring, 2015 |
Eric Dregni, author |
| Fall 2016 |
Allison McGhee, author |