Gustavus Adolphus College

Gustavus Adolphus College is a private liberal arts college founded in Red Wing, Minnesota, in 1862 by Eric Norelius and was originally named Minnesota Elementar Skola. In 1865 on the 1,000th year anniversary of the death of St. Ansgar, "the Apostle of the North," the college was renamed and incorporated as St. Ansgar's Academy. In May of 1873, the college was again renamed and reincorporated as Gustavus Adolphus Literary and Theological Institute in honor of King Gustavus Adolphus the Great of Sweden. On October 16, 1876, it opened as Gustavus Adolphus College in its new location in St. Peter, Minnesota. Gustavus is the oldest of several Lutheran colleges in Minnesota. It is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Gustavus consistently ranks high among U.S. liberal arts colleges, currently placed among the best 100 national liberal arts colleges by U.S. News & World Report. Gustavus students choose from over 50 major subject areas, ranging from physics to religion to Scandinavian Studies. The College is lauded for its Writing Across the Curriculum program, which fosters strong writing skills in all academic disciplines. Since the 1980s Gustavus has had a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious academic honor society in the United States.

The vast majority of Gustavus' 2,700 students ("Gusties") live in residence at the College, in traditional dormitories, College-owned houses, and theme areas, such as the International House and the Swedish House. Campus life is enhanced by the many musical ensembles which perform throughout the year, including the Gustavus Choir, Christ Chapel Choir, the Lucia Singers, the Gustavus Adolphus Symphony Orchestra, Gustavus Wind Orchestra, Jazz Band, etc. Theatre is also a regular part of campus life and there are two art galleries on campus, the Hillstrom Museum of Art and the Schaefer Art Gallery. Additionally, the college is home to KGSM, an Internet college radio station operated by students.

The Gustavus campus features state-of-the-art science facilities, several computer and language labs, and a large, new dining facility which has improved the cafeteria food from that endured by previous generations of students. The College's majestic Christ Chapel, which seats 1500 people, stands in the center of campus. Gustavus' first building in St. Peter, Old Main, originally housed the entire college. Major renovations to the building, such as the addition of an elevator, have recently been completed. The campus is well-landscaped with every tree indigenous to Minnesota in the Linnaeus Arboretum and it is further graced by a number of remarkable sculptures by the late, well-known, Minnesota sculptor, Paul Granlund--an alumnus of the College who for many years was sculptor-in-residence. Recently Gustavus announced that they will no longer require an ACT or SAT score for acceptance into the college. It is the first private college in Minnesota to no longer require either test.

Notable alumni

Kurt Elling, Jazz vocalist
Paul Granlund, Sculptor
Steve Heitzeg, Emmy Award-winning composer
Paul D. Hanson, Harvard professor, archaeologist, and writer
Ryan Hoag, NFL Football player for the Minnesota Vikings
Bill Holm, Poet and writer
Kevin Kling, Actor and writer
Peter Krause, Actor
Allison Rosati, News Anchor for WMAQ-TV in Chicago

Core Values

The College's mission statement describes five core values:

Hauntings

According to urban legend, the campus is the home to numerous ghosts. Allegedly haunted sites include:

Old Main (with 3 ghosts)
The Dive entertainment center in the Jackson Campus Center
The Anderson Theater
The Fine Arts Center Arts Wing
Björling Recital Hall
Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library
The Peterson House
Rundstrom Hall
Wahlstrom Hall (demolished in August 2005)
Norelius Hall

Nobel Conference

Gustavus has been host to the annual Nobel Conference since the first conference in 1963. The conference has a focus on scientific topics such as "The Legacy of Einstein" (2005), "The Science of Aging" (2004), "The Nature of Nurture" (2002), "Virus: The Human Connection" (1998), and "The New Shape of Matter: Materials Challenge Science" (1995). The conference is open to the public and geared toward lay persons. The 2006 conference topic is "Medicine: Perscription for Tomorrow" and will take place on Oct 3-4.

Disasters

On January 8, 1970, the Auditorium was completely gutted by a fire.
On March 29, 1998, the College's campus was hit by a mile-wide F3 tornado that broke 80 percent of the windows, leveled nearly 2,000 trees, toppled the chapel's spire, and caused more than $50 million in damages.

Attractions

Athletics

Gustavus is a member of the MIAC and is well-known for excellence in both men's and women's tennis. Other key sports at the College are basketball, golf, and hockey. Gustavus has had two players drafted in the NFL Draft. They are Kurt Ploeger in the sixth round to the Dallas Cowboys in 1985, and Ryan Hoag in the seventh round to the Oakland Raiders in 2003.

Performance

In recent years, the Gustavus football team has had below average performace under coach Jay Schoenebeck. Conversely, both the men's and women's swim teams have placed in the top 10 at NCAA Division III Nationals. In addition, the women's hockey team, coached by Mike Carroll, is consistently strong, and has placed third and fourth at the last two NCAA national tournaments.

External links

Historically Swedish-American colleges | Lutheran colleges and universities | Universities and colleges in Minnesota