St. Ansgar's Academy, Board of Trusstees (Carver County, Minnesota)
Date Created:
1863 - 1875
Description:
St. Ansgar's Academy was opened in 1863 at East Union, Carver County, Minnesota, where it remained until 1876. It continued a parochial school founded in 1862 at Red Wing by Rev. Eric Norelius and served primarily as a preparatory secondary school for those wishing to enter teaching or the ministry in immigrant Swedish communities and congregations. It was owned and largely controlled by the Minnesota Conference of the Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod, which nominated members of its board of trustees for approval by the Synod, received annual reports from its principal and its board president, provided financial backing, and had a say in its operation. During its thirteen years at East Union, St. Ansgar's Academy was also known variously as Minnesota Elementar Skola, St. Ansgarii Skola, Minnesota Preparatory School, and sometimes simply as "Swede School". In 1876, the school moved to St. Peter, where it was renamed Gustavus Adolphus College. Written mostly in Swedish, with some entries in Norwegian or a mix of the two languages, by various appointed secretaries, the minutes constitute a single bound volume covering the period in Carver County, August 1863 to May 1875, with the exception of 1865, for which no minutes were entered. It opens with the school's Constitution, which had been adopted at the Augustana Synod meeting in Chicago on June 23, 1863. The minutes include committee reports and reports regarding the Bevens Creek Mill, which operated to support the school. Edi Thorstensson, Librarian and Lutheran Church Archivist, Gustavus Adolphus College, transcribed and translated the minutes in July 2006 for the Minnesota Digital Library.
The first published catalog for the school lists enrollees, 6 women and 59 men, and their home towns, as well as the first college curriculum, officers, trustees, and faculty.
Letter from Eric Norelius, founder of Gustavus Adolphus College, to Reverend Professor W. K. Frick, May 9, 1887. Written in English for the 25th anniversary of the founding of Gustavus Adolphus College, it summarizes the circumstances under which the college was begun and the conditions that existed in 1862. Prompted by the suffering experienced by many during the U.S. Civil War, the college was founded to train parochial school teachers who could also serve congregations as ministers.
Gustavus Adolphus College senior thesis, "Why Do Free Citizens Endorse Socialism?", handwritten by Adolph O. Eberhart in 1895 and submitted in fulfillment of a requirement for the Bachelor of Arts Degree. The content of the essay, written in English, reflects political questions of the time and is an articulately-written discussion. It was included in the commencement ceremony held on May 23, 1895 as the "Oration with Valedictory". Adolph O. Eberhart served in various public offices, then as elected representative in the Minnesota Legislature 1902 - 1905, Lieutenant Governor 1906 - 1909, and Governor 1909 -1914.
A drought, coupled with massive economic and social restructuring during the Russian Revolution, resulted in a devastating famine in 1921-1922 in the Volga region, which includes the City of Saratov. Gustavus students and faculty responded to an appeal from the National Lutheran Council in late 1921 with a contribution of $395.25 toward Russian relief. This letter of thanks, with parallel text in Russian and English, was written and illustrated by students of German ancestry enrolled at Saratov University. The Russian language version of this document is available at http://reflections.mndigital.org/u?/gust,371.
A drought, coupled with massive economic and social restructuring during the Russian Revolution, resulted in a devastating famine in 1921-1922 in the Volga region, which includes the City of Saratov. Gustavus students and faculty responded to an appeal from the National Lutheran Council in late 1921 with a contribution of $395.25 toward Russian relief. This letter of thanks, with parallel text in Russian and English, was written and illustrated by students of German ancestry enrolled at Saratov University.
A drought, coupled with massive economic and social restructuring during the Russian Revolution, resulted in a devastating famine in 1921-1922 in the Volga region, which includes the City of Saratov. Gustavus students and faculty responded to an appeal from the National Lutheran Council in late 1921 with a contribution of $395.25 toward Russian relief. This letter of thanks, with parallel text in Russian and English, was written and illustrated by students of German ancestry enrolled at Saratov University. The English language version of this document is available at http://reflections.mndigital.org/u?/gust,364.
A drought, coupled with massive economic and social restructuring during the Russian Revolution, resulted in a devastating famine in 1921-1922 in the Volga region, which includes the City of Saratov. Gustavus students and faculty responded to an appeal from the National Lutheran Council in late 1921 with a contribution of $395.25 toward Russian relief. This letter of thanks, with parallel text in Russian and English, was written and illustrated by students of German ancestry enrolled at Saratov University.