Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1921-10-19
LULHER COLLEGE CELEBRATES
SIxTIETH ANNIVERSARY
Beautiful New K0ren Library Dedicated Friday
Afternoon by Prof. o. E. Brandt of Luz
ther Theological Seminary.
Governor j. A. O. Preus, Of Minnesota, of the
Glass of 1908, Delivered the Opening
Address of the Festivities

Even the most daring prophecies
as to the probable attendance at
the Luther festivities last week were
far overtopped by the crowds who
poured into the city from all sides.
Already on Wednesday the first ones
started coming in and on Thursday
evening the hotels were full day
before the festivities were to start.
A large number Of advance registra-
tions had been made by mail and
these were greatly augmented by
the large number who came without
registrations or who came from the
surrounding country for the pro-
grams returning home in the even
ing.
At $3.50 Friday afternoon the pro-
gram for the three days was open
ed with the dedication of the Koren
Library. The Luther College Concert
, Band played a number of selections
after which the large audience sang
"Thee God We Praise" and President
j. Nordby of the class of 1873 pro-
nounced the Invocation. Three adj
dresses followed, the first by Cover
nor j. A. o. Preus of the class of
1903. Governor PEus spoke of the
ideals of Luther College as exempli-
| fed in the life of DR.. Martin Luther.
The ideals in government and rel
igion which were laid before the
world by Luther at the Diet at
Worms, in 1921, were transplanted
to Norway by the apostles of the
reformation and were brought to
America, in 1853 by U. ". Koren and
his co-workers and laid down as the
, guiding principles of Luther College.
To these she has chung through
sixty years of history and now un-
!, dor the guidance of the second and
third generation is. still holding
forth.
Prof. 0. +. Brandt, ID. ID. of the
Luther Theological Seminary deliver
led the dedicatory address. Both as to
/ language and contents his address
was a masterpiece. He spoke par
ticularly of two of those men who
in the last sixty years have worked
for Luther College, namely Dr. u.
Nv. Koren and Prof. C. X. Preus.
DR.. Brandt gave as the reason for
placing the name "Koren Library"
on this building that DIR. Koren was
I of all the pioneers the one who was
most of all interested in books and
good literature. However, the main
reason for thus naming the new lib
rary must be that Koren's name re-
presents that spirit which must gov
ern the use of this. treasury. of books
and historic monuments. And here,
| he said, he referred not to DIR. Kor-
ems well known hatred of sham in
matters educational, but to the
thought which is best expressed in
DIR. Koren's favorite prayer from
Psalms Sc, IL: Unite my heart, Oh
God, to fear Thy Name" DIR. Kor-
ems highest purpose in life was to
do honor to the name of God. The
Word of God was his most highly
priced possession and for him all
1 BOOKS were of value as they sup
ported or explained the Scriptures.
In this spirit DIR. Koren, the man
of the Word, laid the foundations of
/ this library in the Scriptures.
1t was the work of President C.
! X Preus to build on this foundation
the work shop which was being dedi-
Gated. Although keenly realizing
! that it was largely due to the eff
/ forts of DR.. Larsen and Prof. Mas
, seth that Luther College has its
excellent collection of books for
which the building was erected, still
: it was given to Prof. Preus to COM
plete the work for the new build
ing, which it was not his lot to see
in its finished form.
! THereupon DIR. Brandt pronounced
the words of dedication: "By the
authority of the Board of Trustees
of Luther College of the Norwegian
Lutheran Church of America, how
do set apart and consecrate this IL
brary and museum in memory of
! Ulrik Wilhelm Koren in gratitude to
/, Christian Keyser Preus to the SER
vice of sacred learning in the spirit
of Luther for the advancement of
Luther College and the Norwegian
/ Lutheran church of America and to
Glory of God i'm theohame of the
Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Ghost"
| Professor j. c. M. Hansen, Assoc.
late Director of the University OF
Chicago Libraries and an alumni;
of the class of 1882, then spoke or
the more practical phases of the lib
rary work and shortly traced the
growth of the library from the
founding of the college to the pre-
sent day and expressed it as his
opinion that as far as Norwegian
history and literature is concerned
the college has the best collection
of books in the United States.
In the evening the buildings were
illuminated according to the time
honored custom at the college. Be
sides the regular lighting on sucl