Decorah-posten., 1902-10-31
Luther College.
SPEECH BY REV. 0. ]. KvALE
AT FESTIVAL Der. I4TH 1902.

Faculty, Students and Friends of Luther
College!
This is a day ofcongratulation, a day
OF rejoicing for all who arc in any way,
directly or indirectly, connected with
Luther College. Hundreds of alumni are
with us in our celebration to-day,
though they be thousands of miles re-
moved from us. And little wonder that
such is the case. Here they have spent
some of the happiest and most impor-
tant years of their life. Yon temple of
learning brings back to every true son of
Old Luther some of the most sacred of
memories. Yea, all the surroundings are
to him well nigh hallowed ground. |
should deem it easier for him to forget
the anniversary of his birth, than to al
low the I4th of October to pass by with
out a kindly thought of his alma mater.
And my sympathy goes out to the
graduate OF Luther College, il such there
be, who does not on this day above all
Others have a sincere longing to return
to the old haunts.
But the alumni of Luther College, it's
teachers and students, are not alone in
celebrating today. Thousands of our
people who have never seen this place,
but who have been with the school in
their prayers and in their material sup
port are rejoicing with us today; for
the I4th of October is a day rich in me
mories and pregnant with blessings TO
our Norwegian Lutheran Church IN
America. Few events, if indeed any,
among our people in the new world,
have had such far-reaching and noble re-
suits as the event which we especially
remember today, the dedication of the
first institution of higher learning
among Norwegian Lutherans this side
OF the Atlantic. And although it has
been said a hundred times before, this
day should not pass by without it's being
said again: All honor to the sturdy
Norsemen who did not shrink from the
labor and sacrifices necessary to build
this institution, an undertaking that
was stupendous, when we consider how
few they were and how meager their
earthly possessions, compared with con-
ditions as we now find them among our
people. They did not accomplish it in
one day, nor even in one year They
built carefully, they wanted to build for
the future. And this applies not only
to the house ofbrick and mortar which
they erected on Wonder %eminence, but al
so to the institution for which it was to
be a home. In laying this foundation,
they did not look for ornament, their
chief concern was to make it good and
lasting. 1t was a characteristic trait of
the Norwegian pioneer to be careful,
paintaking and thorough in all his un-
dertakings. AS a rule he was slow. but
what he undertook to do, he did well.
This trait he has, to a certain extent at
any rate, given as a legacy to his des-
cendants, and it has also, in no small
measure, been impaired to the schools
founded by him and his children. Lu
Their College is no exception. Indeed we
are grateful, that she has through these
many years borne the stamp of her
founders. l care not who should chal-
lenge or contradict it, | make the
statement, that the work of this school
has been characterized by thoroughness,
a true development of the moral and
mental faculties as opposed to superb
salty, and mere outward show. And
for this reason our gratitude will extend
not only to those who began the work,
but to all those who continue to build
upon that same foundation, to those
who have dedicated their lives to this
work, and to those who are still giving
their time and their energy, their labors
and their prayers to the upbuildng of
Luther College. Words are inadequate
to express what we owe to them.
We rejoice accordingly to find year after
year so many young men who have not
been blinded by the display made by so
many schools but have overlooked the
more or less u~npretentious externals
and placed themselves under the care of
Luther College. Yet if this were all, if
today we were simply remembering the
formal opening OF a school where Young
men were to receive their mental train
ing, were it ever so thorough. a certain
amount of instruction given in various
branches of learning. If this were all,
there would be little or no reason why
we should be especially grateful today.
But we have far greater reasons for re-
Numbering the I4th of October with
gratitude. We know that through an
other year some 200 young men on
whose shoulders will rest the burden of
church and state in the near future are
being instructed in the principles of eter-
nal truth, that in so manv a Young
heart seeds are being planted that will
bear fruit for time and eternity, that
principles are 1nstilled which must of ne
cessity show their effect in later wears,
that so many young men are given a
new impulse to a higher and nobler life,
so many steps are being directed into
the path that leads to true happiness
here and hereafter; in short, that so
many young men are being educated in
whatsoever things are true, whatso-
ever things arc honest, whatsoever
things are just, whatsoever things are
pure, whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are ofgood report.
This has been the work of Luther Col
lege in the past, and we know that it
viii continue to be the chief charac-
teristic of her work in th~esfuture.
But in view of the fact that YOU have
so often had pointed out to o what
Luther College has accomplished in the
past, might it not be profitable for us
this evening also to throw a hasty glance
at the Luther College of the future? We
know what the Luther College OF the
10th century has been. | trust it will
not be amiss to give a little attention
to the Luther College of the Goth cen
fury. We know what she has been in
the Norwegian world in America. We
kiIoN' THAT Lnc pTSsLlSc HJOgtu Dy Af1S-
ricans Of Viking descent is in a very
great measur owing to. the influence
welded by Luther College. But shall we
be satisfied with what has been achiev-
edg Indeed, it is not enough that our
college in the latter part of the 10th cen
fury gained for herself one laurel after
another. If she is TO retain her exalted
position in the Goth century, it win
require even greater afforts than it did
to attain it.