St . Olaf College St . Olaf College is a coeducation al , residential , four - year , private liberal arts college in Northfield , Minnesota , United States . It was founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian - American immigrant pastors and farmers , led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus . The college is named after Olaf II of Norway , former king and patron saint of Norway . History . Founding . Many Norwegian immigrants arrived in Rice County , Minnesota , and the surrounding area in the late 19th century . With nearly all the immigrants being Lutheran Christians , they desired a non - secular post - secondary institution in the Lutheran tradition that offered classes in all subjects in both Norwegian and English . The catalyst for founding St . Olaf was the Reverend Bernt Julius Muus , and he sought out the help of the Rev . N . A . Quammen and H . Thorson . Together they petitioned their parishes and others to raise money in order to buy a plot of land on which to build this new institution . The three men succeeded in receiving around $ 10 , 000 in pledges , and thus went on to form a corporation and to buy a plot of land and four buildings ( old Northfield schoolhouses ) for accommodations for the school . St . Olaf , then called St . Olaf ' s School , opened on January 8 , 1875 at its first site under the leadership of its first president , Thorbjorn Mohn , a graduate of Luther College . Herman Amberg Preus , President of the Norwegian Synod , laid this foundation stone of the St . Olaf School on July 4 , 1877 . During 1887 the " Manitou Messenger " was founded as a campus magazine and has since evolved into the college ' s student newspaper . Campus . Known as “ The Hill , ” St . Olaf College ’ s picturesque campus is home to 17 academic and administrative buildings , 29 student residences and 10 athletic facilities . St . Olaf is a residential college ; 96 percent of St . Olaf students reside in one of the 11 residence halls and 18 academic and special interest group houses . Adjacent to campus are of restored wetlands , woodlands , and native tall grass prairie owned and maintained by St . Olaf , and a utility - grade wind turbine that supplies up to one - third of the college ’ s daily electrical needs . Two buildings on the campus are listed on the National Register of Historic Places : Old Main , designed by Long and Haglin ; and Steensland Library , designed by Omeyer and Thori . Steensland Library presently houses International and Off - Campus Studies . Academics . Curriculum . Before graduating , St . Olaf students complete nearly 20 required courses in foundation studies ( writing , a second language , oral communication , mathematical reasoning , physical well - being , as well as other courses ) and core studies that include studies in Western culture , human behavior and society , biblical and theological studies , artistic and literary studies , and studies in natural science . Many of the courses are interdisciplinary . St . Olaf offers 39 major areas of study for the bachelor of arts degree , four for the bachelor of music degree and nineteen areas of concentration . The average student - to - faculty ratio is 12 . 8 : 1 . The average class size is 22 students . Study abroad . St . Olaf College is recognized nationally for the quality of its international studies programs and the Open Doors 2009 Report on International Educational Exchange ranks St . Olaf No . 1 nationally out of bachelor - degree institutions in the number of students who study abroad . The college offers more than 120 international and U . S . off - campus study programs in Hong Kong , Japan , Costa Rica , Vietnam , the Czech Republic , London , Florence , Oxford , Aberdeen , Manhattan , Russia , and many other locations . Unique faculty - led study - abroad programs offered by the college include " Global Semester , " " Term in the Middle East , " and " Term in Asia " that take students to a variety of countries within each program . Academic distinctions . According to the National Research Council ’ s " Survey of Earned Doctorates " , St . Olaf ranks eighth among bachelor degree colleges in the number of graduates who go on to earn doctoral degrees . ( This represents the years 1995 – 2004 . ) St . Olaf was also first among baccalaureate colleges in mathematics , second in religion and theology , seventh in chemistry , third in foreign languages , third in art and music and fifth in life sciences as an undergraduate supplier of Ph . D . s . " U . S . News & World Report " s “ America ’ s Best Colleges 2009 ” ranked St . Olaf among the nation ’ s top liberal arts colleges in graduation rate performance ( 33rd ) , academic reputation ( 35th ) , freshman retention ( 25th ) and percentage of incoming students who graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class ( 53rd ) . The school ' s overall " US News " ranking is 47 . Campus life . Student organizations . More than 180 registered student organizations are registered at St . Olaf , including academic , athletic , awareness , multicultural , political , religious , service ( Alpha Phi Omega ) and other special interest groups . Club sports include men ' s and women ' s Ultimate Frisbee , men ’ s and women ’ s rugby , men ’ s and women ’ s lacrosse , badminton , cycling , judo , fencing , and rowing . The " Manitou Messenger " is the student newspaper and KSTO 93 . 1 FM is the student - operated radio station . Other groups include an on - campus organic farm ( STOGROW ) , an improv comedy troupe ( Scared Scriptless ) , and an EMT ( emergency medical technician ) organization that is the first responder for campus emergencies . Student government . St . Olaf ’ s Student Government Association ( SGA ) finances many student activities and organizations on campus . It operates through 10 branches , each of which is managed by an elected executive : Diversity Celebrations Committee , Volunteer Network , Music Entertainment Committee , Student Activities Committee , Student Organizations Committee , Board of Regents Student Committee , Student Alumni Association , The Pause , After Dark Committee and Political Awareness Committee . Besides these committees , students can serve on Student Senate to vote on issues such as constitutional bylaws changes and dorm capital improvement funds and communicate with college administrators about campus issues . SGA also maintains Oleville . com . Music program . St . Olaf ' s world - renowned music program was founded by F . Melius Christiansen in 1903 . Its band , choir and orchestra tour the continental U . S . annually and have made many critically acclaimed international tours ( that occur every three years ) . The St . Olaf Band , currently under the direction of Timothy Mahr ' 78 , was the first American college musical organization to conduct a concert tour abroad when it traveled to Norway in 1906 . In March 1997 , the St . Olaf Band toured California for nine days . They were one of four college or university bands invited to perform at the prestigious American Bandmasters Association National Convention in San Diego . Most recently , the band conducted a study tour of Japan in 2010 . The St . Olaf Orchestra is conducted by Steven Amundson . Under Amundson ’ s direction , the Orchestra has performed demanding scores seldom attempted by amateur groups , including Mahler ’ s Symphony No . 2 ( " Resurrection " ) , Stravinsky ’ s " Petrouchka " and " Rite of Spring " , Ravel ’ s " La valse " , and tone poems by Richard Strauss . The orchestra has also premiered several new compositions in recent years . The St . Olaf Choir , conducted by Anton Armstrong ’ 78 , was founded by Christiansen in 1907 as the St . John ’ s Lutheran Church Choir in Northfield . It is recognized as one of the premier collegiate ensembles in the United States . It has toured Europe several times , as well as China , Korea , and Australia , performing before heads of state and producing more than a dozen recordings . The choir performs in the nationally broadcast annual St . Olaf Christmas Festival , along with the St . Olaf Orchestra and four of the college ' s other choirs . In 2005 the St . Olaf Choir was invited to perform at the White House for President George W . Bush , First Lady Laura Bush and guests to commemorate The National Day of Prayer . The St . Olaf Jazz I ensemble was recently awarded the prestigious Downbeat magazine award for top undergraduate large ensemble in 2011 . This is particularly worthy of note as St . Olaf has no jazz studies department or jazz program . Other student musical ensembles include Chapel Choir , Cantorei , Manitou Singers , Viking Chorus , Collegiate Chorale , Philharmonia , Norseman Band and many smaller vocal and instrumental ensembles . There are also four student - run music ensembles at St . Olaf : Valhalla Band , Naknefeler Orchestra , and the men ' s and women ' s a cappella groups : " The Limestones " and " Agnes , " respectively . These groups are not a part of the college ' s music program and operate independently . In 2005 the St . Olaf Band , St . Olaf Orchestra , and St . Olaf Choir toured throughout Norway to celebrate its centennial of independence from Sweden . A few ensembles that sprouted their roots at St . Olaf include the Minnesota Symphonic Winds and the a cappella choral groups Cantus , Inpulse and Magnum Chorum . Athletics . St . Olaf College is a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference ( MIAC ) . St . Olaf athletic teams and students are nicknamed the " Oles . " St . Olaf ' s Swimming and Diving team is one of its strongest of its sports teams , having won a majority of its MIAC conference championships , and is strongly competitive at the national level , often finishing within the top ten NCAA Division III schools at nationals . Along with them , the St . Olaf Ski Teams carry a tradition of winning all divisional and regional races . They consistently qualify for the USCSA Division III National Championships and have been constant competitors for the top three team podium spots for the nation . In the past the ski team has brought home national wins and consistently brings home the national nordic / alpine combined victory called The President ' s Cup . The St . Olaf Men ' s Alpine team is currently ranked 2nd in the United States for DIII and the Women ' s Alpine team is currently ranked 4th for DIII . St . Olaf competes in the following sports : St . Olaf also has many student coached club and intramural teams that compete within the student body and also inter - college . Most notable are the St . Olaf Ultimate teams , The Berzerkers and Durga , which make an annual trip to a national collegiate tournament ( Spring Ultimax ) in North Carolina . This year Durga played at the Division III Nationals tournament in Buffalo , NY , finishing at 7th place . Rivalry with Carleton College . St . Olaf is a traditional athletic rival of its crosstown neighbor Carleton College . Each year in American football , Carleton and St . Olaf compete in a contest recently dubbed the " Cereal Bowl " in honor of the Malt - O - Meal production facility that is located in Northfield . In this contest , the Oles had a winning streak 1995 – 2007 before losing 21 – 7 in 2008 . The annual winner receives the " Goat Trophy " ( created by a St . Olaf carpenter in 1931 ) as well as the silver Cereal Bowl trophy . The rivalry between St . Olaf and Carleton , which began with a Carleton victory over St . Olaf in 1919 , is one of the oldest in all of college football , and the only to feature two colleges from the same ZIP code . A lesser known fact about the Cereal Bowl is that Northfield ' s Civil War Veterans ' Memorial ( located in Bridge Square ) features an eagle that is turned to face the college that wins the annual football match between the two schools . These football teams are also significant for constituting the only NCAA - sanctioned metric football game in history ( which St . Olaf won ) . Fight song . Based on a Norwegian folk tune , the college song , " Um Yah Yah " , is the only college fight song in the United States to be in 3 / 4 ( waltz ) meter . It is also one of the few college songs to mention another college in its lyrics . Other fight songs that mention rival schools include those of Texas A & M University , the University of California , Los Angeles ( UCLA ) , the University of Alabama , the University of Texas , Georgetown University , Williams College , Georgia Institute of Technology , the United States Naval Academy , and Boston University ( in the " unofficial " lyrics to the fight song ) . The lyrics to the St . Olaf song include the unofficial St . Olaf " battle cry " — " Um Yah Yah ! " . The most common version uses the name of traditional cross - town rival , Carleton College , but the current opposing institution ' s name is inserted when sung at athletic competitions . We come from St . Olaf , we sure are the real stuff . Our team is the cream of the colleges great . We fight fast and furious , our team is injurious . Tonight Carleton College will sure meet its fate . Um Yah Yah ! Um Yah Yah ! Um Yah Yah ! Um Yah Yah ! Um Yah Yah ! Um Yah Yah ! Um Yah Yah YAH ! Um Yah Yah ! Um Yah Yah ! Um Yah Yah ! Um Yah Yah ! Um Yah Yah ! Um Yah Yah ! Um Yah Yah YAH ! Presidents . St . Olaf has had 11 presidents since its founding : Kierkegaard Library . Inside the campus , this library was established with funds from St . Olaf College and Kierkegaard scholars Howard and Edna Hong . As curator , Howard Hong acquired books actually owned by Kierkegaard , books that are the same edition of those owned by him , Kierkegaard ' s complete works in many languages , and secondary bibliography about Kierkegaard . Subsequent curators of the library have also been renowned scholars ; they include theologian Stephen C . Evans and philosopher Gordon Marino . Each year there is a summer fellowship program where St . Olaf College provides housing in campus dormitories or student honor houses ; the Library provides a small stipend to cover living expenditures . Activities in the summer include Danish courses and a symposium every other year . There are also year - long Kierkegaard Fellowships , and these Kierkegaard scholars live in the Kierkegaard House . Notable alumni . Notable St . Olaf alumni include Minnesota Gov . Al Quie ' 50 , television news anchor Roger Grimsby ' 50 , chemist Robert J . Angelici ' 59 , Oscar - winning screenwriter Barry Morrow ' 70 , Pulitzer Prize - winning journalist Gretchen Morgenson ' 76 , Conductors René Clausen ' 74 , Anton Armstrong ' 78 , and Timothy Mahr ' 78 , politicians Andrew Volstead 1881 , August H . Andresen ' 12 , Arnie Arnesen , Arlen Erdahl ' 53 , David Minge ' 63 , John Marty ' 78 , and Steve Sviggum ' 79 , and writers Ole Rolvaag 1905 , Siri Hustvedt ' 77 , Traci Lambrecht ' 89 ( of P . J . Tracy ) , and Alexander Bery ' 94 . In popular culture . St . Olaf is mentioned in the works of Minnesota author F . Scott Fitzgerald , whose character Jay Gatsby of " The Great Gatsby " attended the college briefly and worked as a janitor . The college is also frequently mentioned in Garrison Keillor ' s radio program " A Prairie Home Companion " , which broadcast its show from St . Olaf on Nov . 17 , 2001 and Nov . 19 , 2011 . The fictional Minnesota city of St . Olaf was the hometown of Rose Nylund in the TV show " The Golden Girls " . In the TV show the fictional city ' s sister city was St . Gustav , Minnesota , a nod to Gustavus Adolphus College , located in nearby St . Peter , Minnesota . Betty White , the actress who played Rose , visited the St . Olaf campus on one occasion and was given an honorary membership in St . Olaf ' s chapter of the theater honorary society . The St . Olaf Choir can be heard performing Mozart ' s " Requiem " with the St . Paul Chamber Orchestra in Nike ' s " Jordan XXII - Takeover " commercial . The St . Olaf Choir was also heard on the soundtrack of the 1972 film " The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid " . In October 2008 the Coen Brothers shot scenes at St . Olaf for their film " A Serious Man " . After a long search of many campuses , the Coen brothers chose St . Olaf ' s old Science Center because it had the late 1960s look of the movie . St . Olaf has built a new science center and has remodeled the old building .