Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-05-28
S25O,OOO FUND
NEARLY RAISED
Jubilee to Mark Completion OF
Greatest Work Ever At
tempted for Augustana.
CREDIT TO DR.. ANDREW
Undertaking First Broached in 1908.
and Is Started With King Oscar
Fund of IOO,O 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.
600. Announcement has been made by
DR.. Gustav Andreen, president of to
college, that the goal has nearly been
reached, and strenuous efforts are be-
Ing made in the trIcities 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 1t 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 DIR. 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
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 ut 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 $4O,-
900; the Illinois conference, $4,000;
the Minnesota conference, $4,000; the
New York conference, $4,000; the Ne
braska conference, $4,000; the Kan
sas conference, $1,000, and the Califor-
MIA conference, $1,000. During the
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.
Used to raise their respective amounts
themselves.
Denkmann Iabrnry 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-
Spouse to the endowment fund appeal
in every quarter.
The addition of this magnificent strlc-
ture to the college buildings makes
the total valuation of the college prop
critics approximately 100000. When
the college was moved from Paxton 10
Rock Island, tract Of 1s% acres wac
purchased. In 1886 DR.. A. w. william.
son added TO this tract by donating
IlNe dIIGS SOulu inc GOl-
lege grounds TO the institution.
other Gifts TO College.
The college grounds were further en-.
largeG in 1900 through splendid dcn9-
ton by the Augustana University ago.
citation, which seized upon the oppor-
tunity Of purchasing for sum of $25.-
geo a beautiful tract of land consisting
of 10 acres north Of the college. Sen.
ator c. ]. A. Ericsson Of Boone, Iowa.
contributed $12.s00 toward securing
this land, which was named Ericsson
park" in his honor.
When the new college buildin5 vrs
erected in 1855, P. L. Cable o. .;.....
Island aided the enterprise with a g.
Of $685. 900, in remembrance Of which
the executive hall of the building WIS
dedicated Gable hall" The new build
ing, which cost 800 900, is a magnif
cent stone structure Of pure renais
sance style.