St. Olaf College, 1874-current
The Start of St. Olaf
St. Olaf was founded on November 6, 1874 in Northfield, Minnesota. Bernt J. Muus, pastor of Holden Lutheran Church in Kenyon, Minnesota, was influential in starting the college. Muus, along with Rev. Nils A. Quammen and Harald Thorson, petitioned their parishes to donate money to create a school that supported liberal education while drawing on values from the Norwegian Lutheran Church. It’s important to note, that at the time of the founding of St. Olaf, there was no church affiliation.Two years after the college was founded, they purchased 30 acres on Manitou Heights for the new home of the college – where it resides today. By 1889, St. Olaf was officially recognized as a college, and shortly after received sponsorship from the United Norwegian Lutheran Church. However, that sponsorship didn’t last long. In a dispute with Augsburg Seminary over who would be the school for the church, the United Norwegian Lutheran Church split its ties to St. Olaf. For nine years, the college had no official church connection. This challenged the college financially during that time. Professor Halvor Ytterboe worked for the school to raise money to ensure the college continued.
A Co-Educational Institution
From the start St. Olaf was a co-educational institution. The first graduation took place in 1877 with only two graduates: Marie Aaker and Esther Thompson. The next year, there was only one graduate: Berit Hoverstad. One of the most important and well-known institutions of the college is the St. Olaf Choir which was founded in 1912 by F. Melius Christiansen. The choir toured abroad and developed its annual Christmas Fest – an event that is still happening today! In 1932, Red Wing Seminary was merged into St. Olaf College.Presidents of St. Olaf
The first president of the college was Thorbjorn Mohn (1874-1899) – a Norwegian-born Norwegian Synod pastor educated at Luther College and Concordia Seminary (St. Louis). The next president was John N. Kildahl (1899-1914), a Luther Seminary graduate ordained by Bernt J. Muus. Kildahl was instrumental in recruiting Ole Rølvaag and F. Melius Christiansen to teach at the college. Laurtiz A. Vigness had a brief presidency that secured accreditation, and the merger into the new Norwegian Lutheran Church in America (1917). During this time, there was also a wave of nationalism sparked by the U.S. entrance into World War I.Lars W. Boe was a long-serving president of the college from 1918 to 1942 – 24 years! Boe had a vision of a “Greater St. Olaf” that includes keeping well-known faculty and increasing the student body size. Most importantly, in our opinion, Boe provided leadership to the Norwegian-American Historical Association and provided support to Ole Rølvaag when he went on sabbatical to write I de dage (Giants in the Earth).
Bernt J. Muus
However, one of the most well-known and discussed figures was the founder, Bernt Julius Muus. Muus was not only influential in starting St. Olaf but also in establishing numerous congregations throughout southern Minnesota. Muus, Kildahl, and Mohn started the Anti-Missourian Brotherhood in 1887 after leaving the Norwegian Synod over a disagreement with their predestination position. During those years, St. Olaf College established its seminary to support the Anti-Missourian Brotherhood. By 1890, the Anti-Missourian Brotherhood joined with two other synods to form the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America. Today St. Olaf College is associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.Muus, however, had a highly publicized and lengthy divorce in 1883 from his wife Oline Pind. Divorce during this time in Minnesota’s Norwegian Lutheran community was rare, especially between a leading pastor and his wife. The Muus v. Muus case presents an early case of a married woman's legal rights. More can be read about this in Muus vs. Muus: The Scandal that Shook Norwegian America (NAHA, 2024) =.
St. Olaf College Today
Today St. Olaf is a private liberal arts college with an affiliation to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The mission of the college is to “challenge students to excel in the liberal arts, examine faith and values, and explore meaningful vocation in an inclusive, globally engaged community nourished by Lutheran tradition.”Sources to explore in the NAHA Archives:
Agnes M. Kittelsby Papers
Bernt J. Muus Papers
Friedrich August Schmidt Papers
Ole G. Felland Papers
J. Jørgen Thompson Papers
Esther Gulbrandson Papers
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- Norwegian-American Education Kristina Warner