Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-10-14
STORY IS MISLEADING
Statements in a Chicago Paper
egarding Augustana COL
lege are Denied.
TO BE UNDER sEoTARIAN CONTROL
No Change Whatever to be
Made-.Manager Jesperson
Talks.

"Augustana college is about to NC
dergo a remarkable transformat' on, :"
says the Chicago Record-Herald of
yesterday in the course of half page
illustrated writenp of the R'ck Island
From theological SEM
mary it will bound into the station of
a full fiedged secular college From
a Swedish Lutheran school it will be
changed as if by magic into we'll
rounded. unsectarian, American in
stitution. The English language will
take the place of the Swedish tongue.
The foreign tinge will bs wiped out
and Augustana college will be an
American school for Americans.
Race and religion will no longer be
even so much as a sentimental bar to
young men and women wishing TO
enjoy it's advantages.
For the observer who wishes to
seek causes this change is full Of
meaning. and it must be full Of salts
faction to the patriotic American.
Augustana college is the most promi-
nent Swedish-American school in the
United States. 1t was founded
chiefly for the purpose of training
ministers for the pulpits of Lutheran
churches with Swedish congregations.
1t has fulfilled that mission nobly.
for it has graduated more than 500
young men from its theological de-
partment. but in the process of evo-
luton the time has come for change.
Change Is Asked
"All'over the northwest there are
now Swedish-Americans able to give
their children college educations, and
they have asked for broader curricu-
lum at Augustana The rising gen.
GRAFTON, born in America and being
Americans, has naturally exerted an
influence against the imposition of
foreign language in its education,
strongly as that may be endeared to
it in the home circle. The change
therefore means that the Swedes are
rapidly taking their rightful place as
full. fl dyed Americans and that an
increasing number of them is able TO
take a college course. These are the
significant things which must please
those who wish to see all classes
fused into a united, indivisible Amer
icanism-
The change will come with the in
stallation OF the new president, Prof
Gustaf Audreen, Phi. ID. This cere-
mony will take place Thursday, Oct.
II For 30 years the coll. ge has had
a clergyman at it's head. Rev. DR..
o son, the late president. died in
1900, and after a year of thoughtful
consideration, without an executive
head. the pc wers that be have reached
the conclusion that the scope of the
institution should be broadened.
President Andreen is not a theolog-
ian, but a trained educator He is a
progressive, liberal-minded, native
born American, not a theorist, but q
practical man of wide experience.
Authority on Languages.
''Dr. Andreen is leading authority
on Scandinavian languages and litera-
ture, and at Yale University was a
member of the faculty for that branch
of study. He is a mem Der of q we'll
known Swedish family whose men for
generations have been ministers of
the Lutheran church. Born at Bailey
town, Ind, 81 years ago. DR.. Andreen
passed through the preparatory
schools of his native town and then
the institution of which he
is now the executive head. In 1883
the young scholar was called 10 Beth
any college, the noted Swedish school
of Kansas, where he was given the
chair of languages. Eight years ago
he went to Yale, and there won q
doctorate of philosophy. Soon after
ward he was appointed to the Scandi-
navian chair in Yale, and to prepare
himself for his work he went abroad,
spending two years in postgraduate
study in the universities of Europe.
at must be apparent that the adj
vent of the new president marks an
epoch in the history of Augustans.
Yet there is a conservative element
among it's friends which deprecates
radical change. This is especially
the institution their moral support
and influence. Rather than invite
from this source Presi-
dent Andreen is disposed to minimize
The Importance of the change.
New Presidents Plans.
"In this connection he says:
"'My work and plans for the future
Of Augustana college will go along the
ines laid down by the fathers before
rs. They desire to rear an institu-
ion which would be of benefit to its
and also extend it's BEN |
sficent influence from sea to sea. |
They prayed and labored for the in
,titution and interested the hearts of
,he people everywhere in it's success |
They also hoped that the day would
,ome when tine Same 1--we of the peo-
pc which had supported 1t through
lines of need and trouble would also
richly endow the institution, and thus
insure its future for all time to come.
And this period seems now to have
arrived. From all sides we are
,heered with the assurances that q
fund win find many con-
;ributors.'