Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1921-04-20
CORNER Stone
LAID MONDAY
New Koren Library Building at
Luther College Now Under Way
And Big Crowd Attended
Corner Stone Laying.
". REV. HI. G.. STUB
DELIVERED ADDRESS
And Formally Laid the Corner Stone.
Other Prominent Speakers Were
On The Program.
(By College Correspondent

(By College correspondent
The 18th of April was undoubt.
edly the biggest day of the year fol-
Luther College. The 400th anniver-
sary of the appearance of Luther be.
fore the Diet at Worms would in
itself have been an occasion worthy
of more than ordinary notice. Oh
this day, President Warren G. Hard.
ing wrote under date of March 20
1921 to Rev. Howard r. Gold, as
follows.
March 20, 1921.
The White House,
Washington.
My dear Mr.. Gold:
On the occasion of the 400th
celebration of Luther's stand be-
fore the Diet of Worms,
think there will be general
agreement that Luther's firm
advocacy of unfettered opinion
deserves commemoration as one
of the notable contributions to-
ward mankind's emancipation.
It's fitting celebration will be
testimony to the fact that the
world has, since his time,
travelled far on the way to real
izing his ideal of full individual
liberty.
Very truly yours,
(Signed)
WARREN G. HARDING.
Sent to Rev. Howard r. Gold,
Secretary National Lutheran
Council.
The building operations on the
new Koren Library of Luther Col
lege had advanced to such a stage
that by special arrangements with
the architect it was made possible
10 have the corner stone LAYING Of
the new building on the anniversary
day. The program for the day was
as follows:
Selection-Luther College Concert
Band.
Hymn-Thee God we praise, (Tt
Deum)
Prayer-President H. c. Holm.
Hymn--A mighty fortress is oul
God.
Address-President H. G. Stub
d. ID.
Hymn-Praise to. the Lord, the
History-Rev. Paul Koren.
Hymn-Al verden nu raaber til
Herren.
Laying of the Cornerstone, Presi-
dent H. 6. Stub, d. d.
Hymn-Behold os HERE, we'd dit
ord.
Address-Rev. ]. Linnevold.
Hymn-Now thank we all our God
Hallelujah Chorus from the "Mes-
siah", Messiah chorus.
The address of the day was de-
livered by the Rt. Rev. III. C. Stub
ID. ID. President of the Norwegian
Lutheran Church of America, speak
ing the text from Cor. Sill: For
other foundation can no man lay
than that is laid, which is Jesus
Christ. Doctor Stub opened his ad-
dress with short explanation of his
text. Jesus is the foundation of all
true human happiness, spiritual, TEN
poral, and eternal, so all that we do
should be done in Jesus name. So
also should the erection of such a
building as a new library be con-
secrated at the start in Jesus name
For a library is in no way differ
ent from school building itself in
this respect, that it is built to aid
in the free distribution of knowl-
edge, though it is not the library
things which should prepare them
for their lives, but the instruction
and direction of a Christian faculty
behind the work of the students
This day is especially appropriate
for such a ceremony as this. The
events which took place at Worm:
in Germany on the 18th of April
1921, are directly responsible for the
privilege which we enjoy in being
able TO erect schools and libraries
unfettered by the dictates of pre-.
judic and superstition. From Nthe
man who on that day unfettered the
conscience of the civilized world Lu.
ther college has its name. Doctor
Stub closed his address with short
references to Doctor Koren, who wa.
responsible for locating the College
in Decorah, and for whom the new
building is being named, to Docto,
Larsen, the first president of the
college, to Professor Naeseth, the
first librarian of the college, and t.
President Preus, whose untirin9 eff.
forts have made the new huik}in @
possible.
Rev. Paul Koren wrote the history
which was placed in the corner
stone and read it during the pro,
gram. He called attention to the
first cornerstone laying at the Col
lege, that of the main building il
1864, and to the successive building.
which have been erected on the
campus, especially Larsen Hall il
1906 and Loyalty Hall in 1916.
Doctor Stub then formally laid tn,