Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-05-28
$25O,OOO FUND
NEARLY RAISED
Jubilee to Mark Completion OF
Greatest Work Ever At
tempted for Augustana.
CREDIT TO DR.. ANDREW
Undertaking First Broached I'm 1908.
and Is Started With King Oscar
Fund of 100, 900 Crowns.

The jubilee celebration will mark the
completion of the greatest work ever
attempted for Augustana college-the
raising of an endowment fund of sac.
900. Announcement has been made by
DIR. Gustav Andreen, president of to
college, that the goal has nearly been
reached, and strenuous efforts are be-
ing made In the tri-cities to bring the
fund TO the quarter of a million mark
before the jubilee commences.
The first step toward raising an en-
dowment fund was taken at a meeting
OF the Augustana synod at Paxton, ILL.,,
in 1903, but It was not until the meet
ing OF 1907 that the movement took
definite form. II was then decided &c
raise an endowment fund of $250,000
among friends and supporters of Au-
gustana college.
To DR.. Andreen belongs the honor of
having taken the initiative In the work.
Several years before he became the
head of the local institution, while yet
professor at Yale university, he had
seen the necessity of such a fund for
Augustana and conceived plans for the
solution of. the problem. Accordingly.
he went to Sweden and consulted with
Bishop Won Scheele, Consul Ekman,
and other influential men Of the father
land, the result of which was king
Oscars fund" of 100000 crowns for a
professorship at Augustana. To this
fund the king himself contributed
5000 crowns and Consul Ekman So
900 crowns.
Proves Incentive mt Home.
This fund given by the people OF
Sweden proved an incentive TO the
Swedish Lutherans in this country to
continue the work. DR.. Andreen had
In the meanwhile become president OF
the local institution and pushed the
work with great vigor, aided by Rev.
Theodore Ekblad and Professor An
drew Kempe
The Iowa conference promised s4O,-
900; the Illinois conference, $4,000;
the Minnesota conference, $4,000; the
New York conference, 10000; the Ne
braska conference, $4,000; the Kan
sas conference. $1,000, and the Callfor-
MIA conference, $1,000. During the
past three years the solicitors have
been working In the Iowa, Illinois, New
York and Kansas conferences, the re-
suit being that the promised amounts
have been practically realized in each
conference. The Minnesota. Nebraska
and California conferences have prom
ised to raise their respective amounts
themselves.
Denkmann Abrnry Gift.
The gift by the F. c. A. Denkmann
heirs of a 100000 library building.
coming during the midst Of a great en-
dowment fund campaign, was a great
aid in gathering the sum. The news
of the gift thrilled the hearts of every
member of the synod and friend of
Augustana, and caused a generous re-
sponse to the endowment fund appeal
in every quarter.
The addition of this magnificent struc-
ture to the college buildings makes
the total valuation of the college prop
critics approximately 100000. When
the college was moved from Paxton TO
Rock Island, tract OF 1Sal acres was
purchased. In 1856 DR. A. w. William
son added TO this tract by donating
five acres Immediately south Of the col
lege grounds to the institution.
Other Gifts to College.
The college grounds were further en-
large6 in 1900 through a splendid dona-
ton by the Augustana University ac-o-
citation, which seized upon the oppor-
tunity of purchasing for a sum of $25..
geo a beautiful tract OF land consisting
of 10 acres north OF the college. Sen
ator c. J.. A Ericsson of Boone, Iowa.
contributed $12,S0O toward securing
this land, which was named Ericsson
park" in his honor.
When the new college building -Gs
erected in 1855, P. L. Gable ol d..
Island aided the enterprise with a g.
Of S25, 900, in remembrance OF which
the executive hall OF the fbuilding was
dedicated Gable hall" The new build
ing, which cost 100000. is a magnif-
cent stone structure Of pure renais
sance style.