Luther College (Iowa)

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For other places with the same name, see Luther College (disambiguation).
Luther College
The Luther bell, which stands in front of the Dahl Centennial Union
Motto: SOLI DEO GLORIA
Glory to God Alone
VERBUM DEI MANET IN AETERNUM
The Word of God endures forever
Established: 1861
Type: Private
President: Richard L. Torgerson
Faculty: 202 full time
Students: 2,550
Location: Decorah, Iowa, USA
Campus: 175 acres (708,000 m²)
Colors: Blue and White
Nickname: Norse
Affiliations: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Website: http://www.luther.edu/

Luther College is a private, selective, four-year liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Located in Decorah, Iowa, USA and founded in 1861 by Norwegian immigrants, Luther College today has an enrollment of approximately 2,550 students representing 39 states and 34 countries. The college confers the Bachelor of Arts degree in more than 60 majors, as well as certificate programs. Luther College is a Phi Beta Kappa institution.

Contents

[edit] History

The path to founding Luther College began on October 10, 1857, when the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church (NELC) decided to create a college to supply ministers for Norwegian congregations in the Upper Midwest. Until the college was completed, students would study at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. On October 14, 1859, the Rev. Peter Laurentius (Laur.) Larsen was appointed professor to the Norwegian students at Concordia by the NELC.

Upon the closing of the seminary in April 1861, at the start of the Civil War, the NELC decided to open its own college that fall in a former parsonage at Halfway Creek, Wisconsin, just north of La Crosse, Wisconsin and close to present day Holmen, Wisconsin. On September 1, 1861, classes officially began with an enrollment of 16. The following year classes moved to Decorah, Iowa, with NELC Pastor Ulrik Vilhelm Koren successfully arranging the college's relocation and permanent settlement.

It did not take long for Luther to build an exceptional music program. In 1905, Dr. Carlo A. Sperati, an 1888 graduate of Luther, became the music director of the college and developed the Luther College Concert Band, founded in 1878, on the model of the wind ensemble pioneered by John Philip Sousa. Under Sperati, the band undertook several tours of Europe, their first in 1914, earning international acclaim for their musical talent. Sperati remained on the faculty until his death in 1945.

In 1932, Luther College dropped its mandatory study of the classics and fully embraced the modern concept of the liberal arts education. The 1930s marked another milestone in the college's history with its decision to become coeducational, which happened in 1936 due primarily to financial reasons. During the 1960s Luther again experienced significant change with the construction of several new campus buildings and the adoption of a 4-1-4 semester schedule.

In 1964, Luther's museum collection became separate from the college and was established as the Norwegian-American Museum. Now known as Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, it is the largest and most comprehensive museum in the United States devoted to a single immigrant group.

[edit] Campus

Located in the Oneota Valley, Luther's campus contains a mix of buildings. Larsen Hall, Loyalty Hall, and the Koren Building, built in 1907, 1916 and 1921, respectively, add the character of a small college on an Iowa prairie. During the last decade the college has engaged in extensive building and renovation projects. The Franklin W. Olin Building (1995), Baker Village (1999), the Jenson-Noble Hall of Music (ren. 2002), and the Center for the Arts (2002) paint Luther to be a modern school with facilities equipped to offer innovative ideas in learning. An extensive renovation of the Centennial Union was completed in October 2006, and the college is finishing a major renovation and addition to the Valders Hall of Science this year. Luther is host to a variety of housing options, including residence halls, houses, and community-style townhouses (Baker Village) for upperclass students; renovations are being undertaken in the residence halls as well. The Center for Faith and Life is Luther's largest and primary performing arts facility, seating about 1,450 people, and housing the 62-rank Rost Memorial Organ.

[edit] Academics

Luther operates on a 4-1-4 academic schedule, where students usually take four classes in the fall and spring semesters, and 1 class during an intensive January Term (colloquially referred to as "J-term"). Summer sessions are also offered.

Luther employs 202 full-time teaching faculty, 89% of whom hold a Ph.D. or other terminal degree. The ratio of students to faculty is 12.6:1.

An important part of the common curriculum at Luther is Paideia, a two-part interdisciplinary program named after the Greek word for "education." Paideia I is a year-long common course integrating English and History; Paideia II courses are semester-long interdisciplinary seminars for upperclassmen which concentrate on the process of making ethical decisions.

Luther offers more than 60 majors, minors, and pre-professional programs.[1]

[edit] Recognitions

Luther has consistently been recognized as a leader in liberal arts studies. In the 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007 editions of the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings, Luther was listed as one of America's "Top Liberal Arts Colleges." [1] In 2004 Luther was named one of the Colleges of Distinction, a list of schools emphasizing student engagement, strong teaching, a vibrant community, and successful outcomes. Luther is also listed by the Princeton Review as one of the 170 "Best in the Midwest" colleges. In March 2005 Luther was named by the Teagle Foundation as one of America's top 13 liberal arts colleges based upon its strong utilization of resources, high graduation rate, and large number of alumni that pursue advanced degrees. And in 2006 Luther was ranked 90th in Washington Monthly's list of top liberal arts institutions in the United States. [2] Luther ranks as a "more selective" institution and has a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious academic honor society in the United States. The college has also been recognized by multiple national television shows for its co-ed naked soccer, a final exam week tradition that has for years been discouraged by the administration and is now formally banned. [3]

[edit] Music

Luther is arguably most famous for its music organizations[citation needed], which have acquired international recognition through their annual concert tours and recordings. Nordic Choir, Concert Band, Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Orchestra are the college's four internationally touring ensembles, which have performed in many of the major concert halls and music centers of Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, China, Japan, Mexico, and the Caribbean. About 40% of the student body participates in at least one of the college's six choirs, three concert bands, three orchestras, and two jazz ensembles. "Christmas at Luther," Luther's annual Christmas musical celebration, is televised nationwide.

Much of Luther's musical heritage can be largely attributed to the influence of two individuals. It was the 40-year tenure of Dr. Carlo A. Sperati, Class of 1888, who fostered the college's Lutheran musical tradition beginning in 1905, and quickly developed the Luther College Concert Band into one of the nation's finest touring music ensembles. History shows that the Sperati's Concert Band quickly achieved notoriety, even to the point that famed bandmaster John Philip Sousa cancelled a performance of his touring ensemble just so he could attend a performance of the Luther College Concert Band, which was scheduled to appear nearby.

Sperati's foundation would later be strengthened and steadily built upon by Weston Noble '43, himself a student of Sperati. Following three years of military service in World War II, Noble returned to his alma mater to conduct the Concert Band and Nordic Choir, direct Christmastime performances of Handel's Messiah, and teach in the Music Department. Noble's bands (which he conducted until 1973) and choirs achieved critical acclaim for their coast-to-coast tours and international appearances. Ensembles under his direction performed at such venues as Lincoln Center in New York; the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City; Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the Walt Disney Concert Hall, both in Los Angeles; the Ordway Music Theatre in St. Paul; and Orchestra Hall in Chicago and Minneapolis. Under Noble's direction, Luther ensembles also appeared at historic cathedrals and concert halls throughout Europe, Russia, and Scandinavia, as well as on the programs of several national conventions of the American Bandmasters Association, the American Choral Directors Association, and the Music Educators National Conference.

Nordic Choir was featured in the film "The Joy of Bach," and in four weekly international broadcasts of "The Hour of Power" from the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. Weston Noble retired from the faculty at the close of the academic year in 2005, having served continuously for 57 years, from 1948 to 2005.

Nordic Choir, which tours internationally, is the most well known choral ensemble beyond the Luther College community. However, the ensemble is only one of the six traditional choral ensembles at Luther. Collegiate Chorale is a mixed choir composed of juniors and seniors. Cathedral Choir is a mixed choir composed of sophomores. Aurora (formerly known as Pike Kor which is norwegian for "young women's choir") and Norsemen are gendered choirs composed entirely of first-year students. Cantorei is a women's choir drawing membership from all classes, primarily sophomore through senior. In addition to the six traditional choirs, there are two chamber ensembles: Collegium Musicum, an early music ensemble of vocalists and instrumentalists, and the Vocal Jazz Ensemble, which often performs jointly with Luther's instrumental jazz ensembles.

Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Orchestra also tour internationally. Symphony Orchestra establishes residency in Vienna every four years, and Jazz Orchestra has toured in the Caribbean.

As of 2006, Frederick Nyline continues to conduct the Concert Band, and Dr. Craig Arnold has succeeded Weston Noble as Director of Choral Activities and conductor of Nordic Choir. Dr. Daniel Baldwin conducts the Luther College Symphony Orchestra, and Dr. Juan-Tony Guzmán directs Jazz Orchestra.

In 1996, musician Dave Matthews appeared in concert with Tim Reynolds at Luther College in the Center for Faith and Life, the site of their 1999 album Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds Live at Luther College.

In 2002, the Empire Brass, with college organist William Kuhlman, appeared in concert and recorded an album, Baroque Music for Brass and Organ, in the Center for Faith and Life.

In 2008, musician Ben Folds appeared in concert at Luther College in the Center for Faith and Life. During the concert crowd tracks were recorded to be incorporated into a not yet released next album.

[edit] Study abroad

Luther's approach to internationalizing the campus curriculum is to build on the international expertise of its faculty and to support and encourage faculty development through study abroad program and course development. Since 1990 over 110 Luther faculty have led Luther students on an overseas program. These experiences have resulted in the insertion of many international topics into academic disciplines and syllabuses across the curriculum. Luther faculty are strong advocates for student study abroad experiences and serve as valuable advisors to students.

The diverse international experiences of faculty enables development of study abroad courses and programs directly with overseas friends and colleagues, who become key resource people in other nations. These valuable contacts move students closer to the culture, improve the academic quality of courses, decrease student program costs and reduce the touring mentality. Since 1990 Luther has operated its own courses and programs in 64 nations.

[edit] Athletics

The Luther Norse have been a member of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (commonly called the Iowa Conference or IIAC) since its founding in 1922. Luther has won more conference championships than any other school in the history of the IIAC.

[edit] Distinguished alumni

[edit] External links

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