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Participating in His Estate Gift

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<em>Augsburg students in Vanuatu, including Mark Johnson 鈥75 and Professor Tim Pippert</em>
Augsburg students in Vanuatu, including Mark Johnson 鈥75 and Professor Tim Pippert

A few years ago, Mark Johnson 鈥75 updated his estate plans to include Augsburg. He wanted his estate gift to honor Professor Joel Torstenson, the 鈥渇ather鈥 of Sociology at Augsburg who started the Metro-Urban Studies program at Augsburg in 1971. Mark was one of the first students to graduate from Augsburg鈥檚 Metro-Urban Studies program, now called Urban Studies. He also went on Augsburg鈥檚 first Scandinavian Urban Studies Semester trip to Oslo, Norway. Mark鈥檚 gift will fund a professorship for faculty in the Urban Studies or Sociology departments.

Mark has been very involved at Augsburg since graduating in 1975. Along with joining the Board of Regents, Mark has been in constant contact with the Urban Studies and Sociology departments. And his connection has gone above and beyond monetary gifts.

鈥淐ommunity involvement is important,鈥 Mark said. 鈥淢y job was a chance to encourage people to reach out beyond themselves and to seek ways to be a bridge builder of relationships.鈥

As Mark witnessed the impact of quality faculty in today鈥檚 educational environment, he wanted to support the transformational effect of an education rich in experiences. This is why he started the Torstenson Scholars in 2015.

Professor Joel Torstenson
Professor Joel Torstenson

Joel Torstenson came to Augsburg as a history major from rural West Central Minnesota. After graduating in 1938, he worked in education for farmer鈥檚 co-ops. He began teaching part-time at Augsburg upon earning a master鈥檚 degree in history and sociology. During the war years, he became involved in the peace movement and participated in establishing a cooperative farm community, which led to employment with Midland Cooperatives as an educational director and community organizer. In the fall of 1947, President Christensen invited him back to Augsburg to develop its programs in social work and sociology while completing his doctorate in sociology at the University of Minnesota.

Today, the legacy of Joel Torstenson lives on through the Torstenson Scholars program, sociology and metro-urban studies majors, the Strommen Center for Meaningful Work, HECUA, and the college-wide 鈥淓ngaging Minneapolis鈥 requirement. Torstenson鈥檚 work also gave birth to the college-wide requirement that started as the 鈥淯rban Concern,鈥 which was succeeded by the 鈥淐ity Perspective,鈥 and is now known as the 鈥淓ngaging Minneapolis鈥 requirement.

Students in the Torstenson Scholars program are financially supported for one academic year, which includes a research trip with the Sociology or Urban Studies department. Mark鈥檚 funding has been used in four significant trips: a research trip to Vanuatu in September of 2018; two research trips to Williston, North Dakota, in 2017 and 2019 to study the effects of the oil boom on a small town; and a community research project in Two Harbors, Minnesota, Mark鈥檚 hometown.

As a Regent, Mark came to understand the significant positive impact of philanthropy at Augsburg.

鈥淭he question always has been: How can we manage change for the good of all?鈥 says Mark.

He didn鈥檛 want to wait for the day when the estate gift would arrive at Augsburg’s door. Instead, he decided to launch the Torstenson Professorship now so he can actively participate in the things that will be supported by gifts in his estate plan. Mark also wants to encourage his fellow Auggies to join him in honoring Professor Torstenson.

Mark has seeded the endowed professorship fund with a gift of $50,000 and an available match of another $100,000. He hopes others will join him by giving to the fund to remember Joel’s legacy.

鈥淛oel touched many lives and I think a contribution to the professorship is a great way to commemorate that. All contributors to this fund 鈥 a small gift or large gift 鈥 will be acknowledged equally,鈥 says Mark.

Until the endowed fund reaches $250,000, Mark is funding the professorship annually.

Briana Mitchell 鈥19, Britta Andress 鈥19, and Sociology Professor Tim Pippert in Vanuatu
Briana Mitchell 鈥19, Britta Andress 鈥19, and Professor Tim Pippert in Vanuatu

“We are so grateful to Mark Johnson for his generosity and vision in honoring the Torstenson legacy at Augsburg with this professorship,鈥 says President Paul Pribbenow. 鈥淚t is particularly meaningful to me that Professor Tim Pippert will be the first incumbent of the Torstenson Endowed Professor. I have had the privilege to teach with Tim and to witness his commitment to our students.鈥

Professor Timothy Pippert joined the Augsburg faculty in 1999.聽 He holds bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚, and doctoral degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His teaching interests center on family systems, juvenile delinquency, homelessness and affluence, statistics, research methods, and race, class, and gender. In 2011, he received the Distinguished Contributions to Teaching and Learning – Excellence in Teaching Award.

If you would like to donate to the Torstenson Professorship, or are interested in funding a new professorship, please contact Amy Alkire at alkirea@augsburg.edu or 651-323-4844.

Life Lessons Through Study Abroad

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Dennis and Anita King
Dennis and Anita King

Dennis King 鈥70 credits Augsburg with helping him develop the tools and mind-set needed to succeed in life.

鈥淚 did not fully realize this during my professional career. It hit me when I retired and looked at my life in retrospect.鈥

His career, first in Spanish Language Education and then International Business in Latin America, stretched his mind to work successfully in other cultures, languages, and with divergent points of view.

Dennis studied at Augsburg in the late 60鈥檚 when the Canadian Philosopher, Marshall McLuhan, was widely read regarding media. He coined the phrase 鈥淕lobal Village鈥 and in many respects predicted the World Wide Web and the inevitable move toward globalization.

鈥淎ll of this transformed me along the way.鈥

Dennis established the Dennis and Anita King Endowed Fund to honor his wife, Anita. Dennis met Anita at Augsburg before she transferred to the University of Minnesota. Anita supported and participated in Dennis鈥檚 professional journey throughout their 42 years of marriage. Dennis hopes that this gift will help other Auggies on their path to find the same kind of fulfillment that he found.

鈥淚 believe the Study Abroad Program at 绿茶直播 is the vehicle to do this.鈥

Inspiration That Lasts a Lifetime: Naomi ’81 and Steve Staruch

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Naomi (Christensen) '81 and Steve Staruch with an Augsburg Water Droplet
Naomi (Christensen) ’81 and Steve Staruch with an Augsburg Water Droplet

When alumna Naomi 鈥81 and her husband, Steve, updated their will this past April, they knew 绿茶直播 would be part of their legacy.

鈥淎ugsburg and the people who have become my lifelong friends 鈥 both fellow students, alumni colleagues, and faculty 鈥 have been a large part of how my life continues to be molded and shaped.”

Naomi grew up in a family dedicated to faith. When she was a child, her father would often speak about stewardship and using what God gives us to continue God鈥檚 purposes here on earth.

鈥淚 recall a small white church coin bank that I received as a child. I collected my coins in that bank until it was time to make the gift to the church. Emptying the whole thing was exciting. I can see it as cathartic now, liberating in a way.”

Naomi graduated from Augsburg in 1981 with a degree in Elementary Education. As a student, she was captivated by Leland B. Sateren鈥檚 dedication to all things Augsburg music, especially in the context of sacred texts.

She reflects that, “singing for Lee made the scriptures come alive!” That experience, as well as 40+ more years of singing in several metro area choirs, is the reason she and Steve made a significant gift to the Leland B. Sateren Choral Music Scholarship.

Naomi also fondly remembers working for both President Oscar Anderson and President Chuck Anderson. “Despite their leadership responsibilities, both presidents made a point to have a working relationship with me as a student.” In addition, she was spellbound learning from and about Bernhard and Gracia Christensen through their devotion to the institution. These examples of leadership are inspiration to Naomi, enlightening how to best approach relationships of all sorts and informing the legacy gift to the Bernhard Christensen Center for Vocation.

The Staruch鈥檚 are photographed here with an Augsburg Water Droplet. Benefactors who choose to invest in an endowed scholarship receive a handmade glass water droplet crafted by Anchor Bend Glassworks.

Donors Seek to Remove Cost as a Barrier to Education with the Paul ’84 and Nancy Mackey ’85 Mueller Presidential Scholarship

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Nancy Mueller, President Paul Pribbenow, and Paul Mueller. Photo courtesy of Coppersmith Photography.

Ask Nancy Mackey Mueller 鈥85 about her family鈥檚 planned giving history and philosophy, and her answer will be succinct: 鈥淲e鈥檙e all in.鈥

Indeed they are, for reasons that both she and her husband, Paul Mueller 鈥84 articulate clearly. Their commitment goes deep. Paul served on the Augsburg Board of Regents for 12 years and currently chairs Great Returns: Augsburg鈥檚 Sesquicentennial Campaign. Nancy was named to the Board in 2018. They have donated often over many years, including a previous bequest to support the Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion, and most recently designated a planned gift to create the Paul ’84 and Nancy Mackey ’85 Mueller Presidential Scholarship, valued at $1,000,000.

鈥淲e both felt that our experience at Augsburg gave us the keys to success for our future,鈥 explains Nancy. Their college experience was not only positive but also rigorous, preparing them for challenging graduate work and distinguished careers. 鈥淲e were both encouraged in different ways. As the only woman in the physics department at the time, I was always very much supported. I never felt I had to prove myself any more than the guys in my major, and that gave me the confidence to stretch myself.鈥

Coming to Augsburg

Nancy became a structural engineer, earning a master鈥檚 degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Maryland and helping the U.S. Navy design submarines before eventually becoming a physics and chemistry teacher at Mayo High School in Rochester. She had followed her father and her aunts to Augsburg, where she first met her future husband when she was a nervous sophomore tutoring juniors and seniors in physics. He remembers being smitten; she remembers just trying to get through the intimidating hour. Dating came later, but the scene had been set.

鈥淲e have a deep affection for Augsburg. It鈥檚 where we met,鈥 Paul says. 鈥淲e also appreciate the values of the institution鈥攊ts academic rigor, its vision, its commitment to the Cedar-Riverside community. Augsburg transforms lives.鈥

Paul had already won a scholarship to the University of Minnesota when a visit to Augsburg鈥檚 campus altered his trajectory. Impressed by the warmth, welcome, and undivided attention he received that day, especially from chemistry professors, he chose Augsburg. Now-retired chemistry professor John Holum became his mentor and inspiration. Paul went on to earn his MD and MPH at Johns Hopkins University and is now an internist and professor of medicine and biomedical ethics at Mayo Clinic and the regional vice president of the Mayo Clinic Health System鈥擲outhwest Wisconsin.

What Sets Augsburg Apart

Both Muellers have fond recollections of Augsburg support and inclusion. 鈥淚t felt like family. Somebody was always looking out for you. If you missed class, the professor would see you later and ask where you were. That was one of the things that set Augsburg apart, then and now. No matter who you were, or what interests or inclinations you had, you felt very welcomed,鈥 Nancy says.

That Augsburg 鈥渧igorously retained its Lutheran heritage while at the same time welcoming everyone is very important and appealing to us. It鈥檚 the idea that we are called to love and serve each other, without regard to personal characteristics such as race, religion, or sexual orientation,鈥 adds Paul. 鈥淚n today鈥檚 world, it seems like the focus is more on what separates us than what brings us together.鈥

He also notes that these days, more than half of the student population are people of color. 鈥淚t didn鈥檛 look that way when we were there, and I love that about it,鈥 he says.

Nancy points to the unusual number of programs designed to help students with special needs and talents, from StepUP to URGO. 鈥淎s parents, we鈥檝e been on many college campus tours, and nowhere else offers the programs that Augsburg does,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a unique place, and we so believe in their mission.鈥

Their oldest son, Luke, majored in math and history at Augsburg before pursuing a graduate degree in statistics from Harvard. His mother notes that his presidential scholarship made a big difference to him, both financially and by providing opportunities he may not otherwise have had. Endowing such a scholarship for future generations made perfect sense.

鈥淩emoving cost as a barrier to education鈥攖hat was our intent,鈥 Paul says. 鈥淲e very much wanted Augsburg to be able to attract top-notch students without regard to expense. To have brilliant, talented, gifted students be able to come to Augsburg without having to worry about how to pay for their college education? Now that is changing lives.鈥

Bruce Olson ’71 Pays it Forward with Olson Peterson Wiggins Scholarship

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Bruce Olson ’71 (center), his brother Brad Olson ’73 (left), and scholarship recipient Nick Thompson (right).

When Bruce Olson 鈥71 was a youngster in Brooklyn Center, he was not sure what he wanted to be when he grew up. He was sure of a couple of things, though. Active in the Lutheran church, he knew he wanted to attend a Lutheran college, and he preferred being in the city, where 鈥60s activism meant things were happening. He also knew that his rural extended family would support him fully, although they could provide little more than love and encouragement.

鈥淚 came from a family of modest means. I needed a lot of help,鈥 says Olson. He was grateful to receive an Augsburg legacy scholarship but wished he could have met his benefactors. 鈥淚 wondered about the history of it, but I never really knew,鈥 he recalls.

The financial cushion served him well. He participated in student government and played all four years on the golf team, which won both conference and state championships. He changed majors four times, abandoning religion after nearly flunking his first theology class, contemplating a future as a high school math teacher, succumbing to the inverse multiple-choice question challenges in his sociology exams, and, finally, plugging a gap one semester with an accounting class.

鈥淚 loved it,鈥 he says.

Accounting became his major and business his forte. Right out of college, he worked for a small mobile home finance company, then Josten鈥檚, then a series of successful entrepreneurial ventures in various fields, from insurance and computer services to light manufacturing and retail. He retired at 45 and moved to Florida to play golf, including with such luminaries as Arnie Palmer, but 10 years of retirement sufficed. Now a Kansas City resident, he is back at it, officially the owner and president of the HRS Group.

鈥淚 love the challenge of taking a new idea or a new product and making it work,鈥 he says.

Olson also loves the idea of establishing the Olson Peterson Wiggins Scholarship. It is named for his family, including his grandfather Olson, who owned the five-and-dime back in Afton, Iowa; his grandfather Peterson, the town mechanic and truck and tractor repair whiz in Tracy, Minnesota, where he was born; and his near and dear great uncle Walt Wiggins, Walnut Grove鈥檚 town barber, who offered shaves and haircuts there along the banks of Plum Creek. And it will grant $25,000 to someone like him.

Olson was delighted to meet the first recipient, Nick Thompson, when the initial $5,000 installment was awarded. 鈥淗e鈥檚 real nice, an athlete who plays baseball and a reasonably good student who aspires to become a physical therapist. But who knows? I told him I hoped he would be lucky enough to hold onto that dream but reminded him that it would be crazy to guarantee it.鈥

Olson hopes, too, that Thompson will enjoy the same Augsburg benefits he found: a good education, both academic and social, and important lessons about how to conduct one鈥檚 life. He also points to Augsburg鈥檚 growth and progress, demonstrated in part by the much-expanded economics and business department in the impressive Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a pay-it-forward sort of story,鈥 Olson says. 鈥淚 was lucky to come from a great family, get a good education, and have some success in life. Now I鈥檓 finding a way to honor my family by honoring somebody else in the same situation.鈥

Exercising Friendship and Funding Movement: Endowed Fund Established to Honor Joyce Pfaff 鈥65

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Kathie Erbes ’70, Joyce Pfaff ’65, and Karen Johnson ’66

To hear Karen Johnson 鈥66 speak about her longtime Augsburg friend, Joyce Pfaff 鈥65, it鈥檚 easy to understand what led her to make a commitment to start an endowment fund in Joyce鈥檚 honor. Her admiration for Joyce runs deep. While Joyce and Karen met as students at Augsburg, the story of how Karen found her way to Augsburg serves as an example in fiscal discipline and vision.

鈥淚 am an only child. My mother lived through the depression and she wanted me to go to the U of M. When I was in first grade she opened a bank account for me and set aside one quarter a week. I was not to spend one penny of that money.鈥

Karen goes on,” By the time I got to high school we had saved $800, the same as Augsburg鈥檚 tuition at the time. I was not excited about the prospect of attending the U. In fact, it scared me right out of my tree!聽 I visited Augsburg and felt welcome there. My mother wondered why I would spend all that money on my first year of college. But she realized it was my choice.鈥

That was the year Karen met Joyce at Augsburg.

Creating Memories Together at Augsburg

鈥淲e both lived at home as tuition money was tight and it was a good option. Darryl Carter from Columbia Heights also lived at home. Darryl and his old Chevy would make the Northeast Minneapolis rounds to pick up Joyce, myself and four others every day. We paid him a minimal amount of maybe聽$1 a week for that ride. It seemed like his car was held together with nothing but wire and duct tape. We pushed it out of snow drifts during many winter storms,鈥 she laughed. “We were really bunched into that car, but it got us through.鈥

鈥淲e met our physical education instructor Mrs. LaVonne Peterson (Mrs. Pete), who was Joyce鈥檚 first mentor. She was our fun teacher. She inspired in all her students the attitude that movement and activity were not only fun and important now, but also for life. She was herself, an inspiration.鈥

鈥淢odern dancing was not allowed at Augsburg in those days so we had square dances and all school group activities designed by Mrs. Pete and organized by students in the physical education department. She was the only female physical education professor at Augsburg in the 60s and the women had only one sport, basketball. They were called Auggiettes or Little Auggies. What the heck is that?鈥

Karen studied Elementary Education with a minor in Physical Education. Joyce majored in Physical Education. After they graduated Joyce returned to Augsburg where Judy Olson, another of their classmates, was already teaching. According to Karen, the college was looking for a gymnastics instructor. Joyce was it. Little did they know how that hire would work out.

鈥淛oyce didn鈥檛 really have any gymnastics experience but she put a team together. It was the first sport she coached. They were terrible, but they all learned a lot and had a good experience. And Joyce made sure they got their due.鈥

The Dawn of Title IX

This was before the advent of the federal law declaring that women must have equal access to sports. Joyce Pfaff pioneered the meaning of that law before it was enacted.

According to Karen, “If the men鈥檚 teams got money to go on a bus, the women had to find the money to get themselves to their competitions. Joyce was all for physical education equality. Whether an athlete or not, her mission was to make sure that women at Augsburg had all the opportunities to participate and better themselves.鈥

Then along came Title IX. And Karen reports, “Joyce ran with it!鈥

One of the stories she tells in Joyce鈥檚 efforts to equalize athletics for women is a story of running.

“She would invite the Dean to run with her. She鈥檇 run with him until he was breathing hard and she thought he was ready for serious talk or he was out of time. Then she would ask him for money or improvements for women鈥檚 programs. It often worked.鈥

For Joyce, physical education was both physical and mental. She advocated that everyone was a student first, then an athlete, and everyone should reward his or her body with exercise.

鈥淪he never wavered from her mission and vision that athletics or activity are for everyone. She made a big dent on the men. Over the years she had many encounters with the men鈥檚 programs and scheduling. Her positive and sometimes courageous attitude helped build the women鈥檚 athletic program of today.聽 She never gave up!鈥

Giving in Joyce’s Honor

The idea to make a gift to Augsburg to honor Joyce came recently.

In Karen鈥檚 words, 鈥淚nitially, I thought I would keep my estate planning idea to myself. But then I learned about Great Returns -the effort to increase Augsburg鈥檚 endowment and I thought, I can help do that!聽 So I met with a committee of Joyce supporters, plus Donna McLean (of the Augsburg Advancement team) and Jeff Swenson 鈥79 (Athletic Director) and made it official. I鈥檓 giving a portion of my estate to help fund the Joyce Pfaff 鈥65 Endowment fund!鈥

The goal for the fund is to add $500,000 to the endowment.

Karen summed it up, 鈥淛oyce has dedicated her life鈥檚 work to all the women of Augsburg to improve their lives through physical education and movement. Her passion for the importance of lifetime activity and women鈥檚 sports can live on through this endowment. The goal of the fund will help convey to all students and faculty the importance of healthy exercise and to include it in their lifelong activity. The endowment gives us a chance to recognize Joyce鈥檚 efforts and encourage more people to follow her example.鈥

Success Leads to Success: Announcing the Sundquist Endowed Professorship in Business Administration for 绿茶直播

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Dean Sundquist with Hagfors Center artist Greta McClain in January 2018.

鈥淚t takes a long time to create success and business is no exception,鈥 says Dean Sundquist 鈥81, an Augsburg Regent and chairman and CEO of Mate Precision Tooling. 鈥淚鈥檓 investing in the long view and success of Augsburg.鈥

As a businessman and entrepreneur, Dean Sundquist 鈥81 and his wife Amy have made . Their most recent commitment will add to the Augsburg endowment as a leadership gift to Great Returns: Augsburg’s Sesquicentennial Campaign. Great Returns will support Augsburg鈥檚 mission by securing gifts to strategic priorities including endowments, distinctive faculty, and key programs. The Sundquists鈥 gift will endow the third professorship for Augsburg in the largest department at the University.

鈥淭he things I was looking for when I went to college are still relevant to the reasons I invest in Augsburg. I wanted a smaller school in the city. Minneapolis is a good city for business. Being so close to downtown offered me access along with a close community feeling on campus. That continues to be a competitive edge for Augsburg.鈥

In addition, Dean appreciates the importance of great teaching and faculty.

鈥淎s a student I majored in and loved business. Yet the most influential professor for me was a political scientist, Myles Stenshoel. He taught constitutional law which drew me in. He taught me how to write, to love history, and to understand and embrace freedom. Those lessons stayed with me through graduate school and in my life as a businessman.鈥

Investing in聽Business

While working at Mate Precision Tooling in the time between Augsburg and the University of Minnesota, Dean was asked to research a product that Mate found hard to get. 鈥淭hen we realized we could make it ourselves just as well. So we started Command Tooling Systems to do that. I sold that company in 1997.鈥

鈥淎t first the business was just me, and then it grew. We kept our focus on a customer and market orientation. We鈥檝e been able to maintain stable growth and that keeps me interested. I love the whole discipline of business.鈥

Investing in the department of Business Administration is a dream of Dean鈥檚.

鈥淏usiness Administration is the largest department with the most majors on campus. Business is a positive and good for society. I鈥檓 investing in promoting the power of capitalism. I want the faculty who hold this position to be pro-capitalism, pro-business, and pro-freedom.鈥

According to Monica Devers, Dean of Professional Studies, 鈥淎n Augsburg education is based on excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies. This generous gift from Dean Sundquist to create an endowed professorship will play a significant role in recruiting and retaining the very best faculty to our Business Administration department at Augsburg.鈥

鈥溌滩柚辈 has a long tradition of highly engaged teachers and scholars. Recruitment of the best faculty supports and enhances our academic excellence and that, in turn, attracts students to our institution. This endowed professorship will elevate the visibility of the faculty and the unique aspects of our undergraduate and graduate business programs.鈥

As a Regent Dean keeps his attention on building a great future for Augsburg.

鈥淚 see the Augsburg leadership team rising to the challenges of higher education. President Paul Pribbenow keeps learning new ways to work. He has done really well to stay aggressive and to invest in going to the next step. The fundamentals are in place. I have a lot of faith in the way Augsburg is moving forward. They do a lot with the resources they have. I say to others, Take Note! Augsburg has worked hard to position itself. They are on the edge in a good way. There鈥檚 no coasting at Augsburg and I like that. I say, let鈥檚 keep the momentum going and keep our foot on the gas!鈥

One of Dean鈥檚 hopes in making this major gift to Augsburg is that it will encourage others to make similar and even more significant gifts.

鈥淥ther places have gotten really big gifts to their endowments鈥攇ifts of $25 million or more. I want Augsburg to receive more transformative gifts because an Augsburg education is a transformative one.鈥

Department chair Dr. Jeanne Boeh declared, 鈥淒ean is a superior role model for our students as they begin their vocations with a career in business. We thank him for the hard work and vision which has enabled this very much appreciated gift.”

Trinity Lutheran Scholarship honors George Sverdrup Michaelsen 鈥31

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Kristine聽(Michaelsen) Wickens 鈥73 says Trinity Lutheran Congregation and 绿茶直播 have been inseparable for a long time. She should know: Her family tree includes two Augsburg presidents, great grandfather聽Georg Sverdrup (1876-1907) and his son, George Sverdrup (1911-1937), and five generations of Trinity members and leaders. In 1993,聽Trinity celebrated its 125th聽anniversary by creating the Trinity Lutheran Scholarship at Augsburg. The endowed scholarship also remembers life-long Trinity member George Sverdrup Michaelsen 鈥31,聽Kristine鈥檚 father. Michaelsen, a professor of public health at the University of Minnesota, was president of Trinity,聽chairman of the board of Lutheran Deaconess Hospital, and聽chair聽of the Augsburg Board of Regents. The scholarship fund was later augmented with an estate gift from聽Michaelsen鈥檚 sisters, Katherine and Else Michaelsen聽鈥31.

Serving immigrants since 1868

The Trinity鈥揂ugsburg connection goes back to 1868, when Norwegian and Danish immigrants formed Trinity Lutheran. The congregation soon built a small wooden church at the corner of 12th聽Avenue and 3rd聽Street South, where US Bank Stadium now stands. Trinity leaders encouraged Augsburg Seminary to move from Wisconsin to the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood in 1872, and their collaboration led to the creation of Lutheran Deaconess Hospital in 1888. The trio of institutions became indispensible to the immigrant community, and by the 1890s Trinity had over 1,200 members. In 1897, Trinity earned the nickname, 鈥淭he Mother of the Free Church,鈥 when Trinity, Augsburg and a handful of other congregations formed the Lutheran Free Church, a group of independent congregations committed to congregational autonomy and personal Christianity.

鈥淗omeless congregation鈥 finds a place at Augsburg

In 1966, Trinity鈥檚 1000-seat building on 20th聽Avenue was demolished to make way for I-94 construction. 鈥淩ather than disbanding,聽the congregation accepted offers from Riverside Presbyterian Church and then Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church for worship and office space,鈥 explains Wickens. 鈥淭here was a tremendous commitment to Cedar-Riverside, just as Augsburg has always been committed to its inner-city location and community.鈥 Augsburg began providing Trinity with聽worship space in the 1990s. The two institutions and other partners host community suppers at Trinity鈥檚 common space, and Augsburg students volunteer at Trinity鈥檚 drop-in tutoring program for K-12 students from the neighborhood, many of whom are Muslim immigrants.

Campus Connections

The lives of the Sverdrup and Michaelsen families have been intertwined with Augsburg and Trinity for five generations. 鈥淭he campus was so familiar to me,鈥 remembers聽Kristine, who grew up six blocks from campus. 鈥淓verything we did had some kind of Augsburg or Trinity connection.鈥 She remembers visiting her grandmother, Else Sverdrup Michaelsen (Georg鈥檚 daughter) who, after the death of her husband Michael Michaelsen 鈥檟x continued to live on campus until her own death in 1965. Today,聽Kristine聽and two of her siblings, Jennifer (Michaelsen)聽Windingstad聽鈥67 and George Michaelsen聽II, remain members of Trinity. Another sister, Mary (Michaelsen) Garmer 鈥69 and聽her husband Reverend Gregory Garmer 鈥68 live in Duluth.聽Peter Windingstad studied at Augsburg before transferring to the University of Wisconsin.聽Many members of the family are donors to Augsburg.

Looking back on the two institutions鈥 shared history, Kristine聽sees theirs as a story of immigration; from the Scandinavians of the 19th聽century to the East African and other immigrants living in the Cedar-Riverside area today, and all those in between.聽鈥淢y family were immigrants,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 essential that we welcome new people, include them in our lives and help them get established.鈥

 

A Deep Augsburg Connection

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Jon Thorpe’s connections with Augsburg run deep and across many generations. So it’s not surprising that in thinking about the gift of art he and his wife, Dr. Suzette Peltier M.D., made to the Art and Identity initiative for the Hagfors Center, they decided to do something that honored the Thorpe family’s deep rivers of ancestry.

“My father, Rev. Gordon Thorpe 鈥52, and mother, Gloria (Parizek) Thorpe 鈥53, met at Augsburg.
“My grandfather on my father’s side, Antone Julius Thorpe, was born in 1895 and was very Norwegian, born to immigrants. His education never went beyond 8th grade, but somehow both of his children attended Augsburg (Gordon Thorpe 鈥52 (Jon鈥檚 father) and Glenn Thorpe 鈥56(Jon鈥檚 uncle)). Antone was a man of modest means, a dairy farmer living in central Wisconsin. But he understood the importance of an education.

鈥淚 have a very early memory of our family gifting to Augsburg through a gift of property. I was around seven years old when I heard the story.

鈥淚n 1960 Antone purchased a piece of lake property to enjoy in his retirement. It was a large enough property to create some additional lake lots to sell, but he also wanted to support the mission of Augsburg. A friend of his, Miss Elvie, walked the lakefront and chose two lake lots for her cabin, which Antone first gifted to Augsburg, then Miss Elvie purchased her lots from Augsburg. If there is a will to give, there is a way 鈥 he didn鈥檛 have much cash, but he had property.鈥

Jon reports that upon his death, his grandfather, Antone, left a modest endowment to his church to fund scholarships to Lutheran colleges for children of Bethany Lutheran, a rural church just east of Wausau which was founded by his father, and Jon鈥檚 great-grandfather, Karl Thorpe.

“Over time the endowment has grown. Because such a small church congregation did not have the resources to be the best stewards of the investment, Augsburg generously took on management of this endowment, and it is still managed by Augsburg to this day to fund scholarships for Bethany students to attend any institutions related to the Lutheran Free Church tradition.”

Jon commented, 鈥淚 know that my father Gordon and my uncle Glenn Thorpe then created an additional Thorpe Family Scholarship endowment specific to Augsburg to be used at Augsburg’s discretion.”

On the day Jon spoke about his passion for art and Augsburg and his family’s recent gift, he noted the significance of the date.

“It’s an auspicious day. Today is All Saints Day! Yesterday was All Hallows Eve, along with Reformation Day, the day when Martin Luther ostensibly nailed his manifesto to the church doors. And tomorrow will be All Souls Day. Together all three days form the triduum of 鈥淎llhallowtide鈥. In many Hispanic cultures, this is also Dia De Los Muertos, the three days when many Hispanic cultures honor the dead. I sThorpe family at graduationee these three days as holding great significance relative to the art work we funded for the Psychology Department.”

“I see these three days as reflecting the power of transformation, renewal, and reformation. I see Augsburg as a Lutheran institution that has embraced these themes to include many cultures in its purpose and focus.”

When Jon and Suzette saw the artwork by artist Tina Tavera they were excited; it speaks to themes present in the study of the human mind, of our individual psychology, while also connecting culturally to the notion of celebrating our ancestry. Jon was serving on the Augsburg Art and Identity task force to determine both the ways art would infuse and inform the new building, and the range of artists whose work would be added, through sponsorships, to the building.

As the artist says, “My woodblock illustrations are meant to document narratives often told for centuries orally, and without visual representation as time passes, some may otherwise be lost.”

Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and its functions focused on understanding, explaining and predicting human behavior, emotions and mental processes. The six woodblock prints represent universal concepts in psychology with an emphasis on those areas within Augsburg: clinical/counseling, social, biopsychology, developmental, cognitive, law and forensic. (link to artist statement and images?)

“We can choose to remember where we’ve come from and who has come before us. One of our relatives, the late Dr. Neil Thorpe, taught science here at Augsburg when my sister, Dr. Amy Jo Thorpe Swenson studied here in the 1970鈥檚. She met her husband Rick Swenson here at Augsburg. My late mother Gloria met my father here. Recently, it was also the 60th anniversary of my father Rev. Gordon Thorpe’s ordination from Augsburg Seminary, and we hosted a class reunion here on campus in the very room these seminarians studied in all those years ago.

“My father was thrilled when our son, Rennesoy Peltier Thorpe, decided to attend Augsburg.

Suzette and I are so excited we could make this gift of art to celebrate and honor his 2017 graduation with a bio-psych major.鈥

Making our gift in his honor let’s us make explicit how excited we are to be a multi-generational family of Auggies.

A Strong Belief in Education

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Eric Browning-Larsen 鈥75 believes in education. That belief is strong, persistent, and broad, compelling him to champion learning that takes root in college but continues to grow through travel, career challenges, and creative pursuits. Already a contributor to the Mary E. Larsen International Studies Scholarship and the Murphy Square Literary Award, Browning-Larsen has designated estate gifts to benefit both causes.

Mary E. Larsen is Browning-Larsen鈥檚 mother, a feisty 92-year-old who still lives on her own in Park Rapids, the small town where Browning-Larsen was born and raised. Widowed when her husband died in his early 鈥30s, she worked for more than 30 years in customer service at Minnesota Power, then retired to her lake home, where she continued to do the yard work and maintenance well into her 80s. Although she did not go to college, she imbued her son with global curiosity, perhaps through their subscription to National Geographic and her opinionated, and continuing, monitoring of current events around the world.

Browning-Larsen chose Augsburg for simple reasons. 鈥淚 wanted to go to the big city. And my father was a Lutheran,鈥 he says, noting with a chuckle that his mother was a Methodist, but he didn鈥檛 hold that against her. As a freshman, he embraced numerous activities, serving in the student senate, becoming editor-in-chief of the student newspaper and editor of the Murphy Square Journal, and participating in politics and the anti-war movement. His busy extracurricular schedule left little time for travel, but that soon changed.

His business ambition led him to combine a master鈥檚 degree in industrial relations from the University of Minnesota with a law degree from then William Mitchell (now Mitchell Hamline) School of Law. After his first year of law school, he participated in an international study program at Oxford University.

鈥淚 enjoyed it so much I went back the following summer, to Exeter. One of my scholarship goals is to encourage people to study abroad, which is an education in and of itself. Fortunately, I had that opportunity early on,鈥 he says. 鈥淭ravel is a wonderful educational experience. You hear other languages, you meet people from different cultural backgrounds, and you learn what works well in other countries. I have been traveling nonstop ever since.鈥

Browning-Larsen鈥檚 corporate career in human resources included stints at The Toro Company, Graco, and Comserv in Minneapolis and Eddie Bauer in Seattle. He was vice president of international operations for Flow International, which took him to Europe one month and Asia the next. In his late 30s, he left the corporate world to start his own Asia-focused management consulting firm, which he headed for eight years. He also launched several Great Clips for Hair beauty salon franchises in the Pacific Northwest during this period, and somehow found time to write a book, Lucky at Love: Stories and Essays from Asia, which perhaps inspired some of his scholarship generosity.

鈥淚 want to encourage people who are doing creative writing, and the Murphy Square Literary Award is a way of providing some recognition for them,鈥 Browning-Larsen says. 鈥淚 also see higher education as a chance to level the playing field for people. Not everyone was born a Trump.鈥

After the 9/11 attacks, when the economy forced an end to his gig with a wireless software start-up company, he became a foreign service specialist with the State Department and was posted to Bosnia, India, Nepal, Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Iraq, and Italy. Currently serving in Rome as the senior human resources officer for U.S. embassies, Browning-Larsen hopes to do more writing when he retires next January. He is also looking forward to hiking, gardening, political activism, and, yes, more international travel. Call it continuing education, a passion he aims to pass along through his scholarships.

鈥淚 benefitted from the education I received at Augsburg, and I have a sense of obligation, a need to give back. My objective is also to provide more than I received,鈥 he says. 鈥淥ver time, I hope that other people will benefit as well.鈥