Background of the Peace Prize Forum

In 1986 two cousins, one Norwegian, one American, were enjoying a visit with each other in Oslo, Norway. The Norwegian was Jacob Sverdrup, director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute. The American was Mike Roan, director of Project Tandem, a Minneapolis based non-governmental organization that specializes in work supporting the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights. Their conversation touched on ways the Nobel Peace Prize, the only Nobel Prize awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee and presented in Oslo, might become better known in the U.S. (Nobel prizes for medicine, literature, economics, physics, and chemistry are presented in Stockholm, Sweden.)

On returning to the U.S. Mr. Roan contacted David Preus, then Presiding Bishop of the American Lutheran Church, to discuss how Americans of Norwegian background might help extend the work of the Nobel Peace Prize. Roan suggested that the senior colleges founded by Norwegian immigrants - Augsburg, Augustana, Concordia, Luther, and St. Olaf - might be interested in developing a mutually beneficial program.

Preus agreed that the college suggestion had merit. He first contacted Dr. Sidney Rand, former St. Olaf College president and former ambassador to Norway, who was then serving an interim at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D. Rand thought the possibility worthy of consideration by the five college presidents.

Preus then wrote to those college presidents outlining the possibility of a Peace Prize Forum. The presidents indicated interest in pursuing the idea, and subsequently met to solidify plans for a five-year cycle of forums. The American Lutheran Church Board of Trustees provided an initial $10,000 grant for start-up costs.

Former U.S. Vice-President Walter Mondale, former Minnesota Governors Al Quie and Fritz Rolvaag, former U.S. Ambassador to Norway Sidney Rand, and Vice President of Augsburg College Jeanne Narum accepted appointment to an ad-hoc Peace Prize Forum Committee. Their contributions were essential to the successful development of the programs.

Mike Roan served as coordinator for the first five-year cycle. Each college hosted a forum and each had at least one recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize as a speaker. In addition, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Norwegian and American ambassadors, consul generals, Norwegian deputy foreign ministers, American assistant secretaries of state, U.N. directors, and other key personnel shared the speakers rostrums. Lutheran Brotherhood provided key funding for the forums, and Northwest Airlines assisted greatly by providing air transportation for Forum speakers.

Cooperation with the Norwegian Nobel Institute staff and board has been outstanding. Institute Director Geir Lundestad has been a major speaker and participant in several of the forums in addition to helping in many other ways. Institute Board chairs have also been Forum speakers and workshop leaders.