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St. Olaf honors its heritage

By Linnae Stole '10
May 8, 2009

Most Oles are familiar with the basic history of St. Olaf: Norwegian Lutheran immigrants established the college in 1874 to give their children and future generations a solid education that would prepare them for careers in business, politics, the clergy and other professions.

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One hundred and thirty-five years later, St. Olaf -- while embracing the rapidly changing world by encouraging its students to take on a global perspective -- continues to honor its Norwegian roots. Two upcoming events encouraging students and alumni to reflect on the legacy of their school include a Norwegian Heritage Day May 8 and the Syttende Mai celebration (Norway's Constitution Day) May 17.

Annual events like these are conspicuous reminders of the college's Norwegian ties, but many other examples are present on campus all year long. To name a few:
  • St. Olaf is one of only a few American colleges and universities that offers a major in Norwegian. Classes such as "Viking and Medieval Scandinavia," "Rolvaag's America" and "Modern Scandinavia" also cater to students with a wide variety of interest in all things Norwegian.
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  • Should a student desire to learn more about the traditional folk music of Norway, St. Olaf is the only school in the country where students can take lessons on the Hardanger Fiddle for academic credit. Professor of Music Andrea Een has been teaching violin and viola since 1977, and began offering lessons on the Hardanger Fiddle in 1979.
  • The college recently established a January Interim program at the University of Tromso that combines the school's musical heritage with its roots in Norwegian culture. Students spend a month studying the history of Norwegian art and music from the 19th and 20th centuries and focus particularly on the traditions of the Sami people, an indigenous group native to northern Scandinavia.
  • The North American admissions office for the Oslo International Summer School has been located at St. Olaf since the Norwegian school's program was founded in 1948. Oles have also been studying at the summer school for more than 60 years, taking in the six-week session that offers students the chance to study various aspects of Norwegian culture, from art to language to literature.
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    St. Olaf President David R. Anderson '74 (left) talks with Norwegian Ambassador to the United States Wegger Strommen.
  • St. Olaf's Norwegian heritage is occasionally honored by a brush with royalty. King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway visited St. Olaf in 1995, followed by their son, Crown Prince Haakon, in 2005 and their daughter, Princess Martha Louise, in 2006. Norwegian Ambassador to the United States Wegger Strommen also stopped on campus last year as part of his tour through the Midwest.
  • Then, of course, there are the little things that serve as day-to-day reminders of the college's heritage. For example, meeting rooms in Buntrock Commons bear the names of figures such as Munch, Ibsen, and Grieg. And really, what other school would give their annual spring concert/outdoor festival a name like Lutefest?

Contact Kari VanDerVeen at 507-786-3970 or vanderve@stolaf.edu.