Gifts made to the Annual Fund this year and next year will directly support our ability to provide student scholarships (merit- and need-based). Support of the Gustavus Annual Fund guarantees that current and future students receive the best education possible, and that they are enriched and empowered through their Gustavus education.

It is the commitment and support of alumni, parents, and friends of Gustavus that guarantees that the College will continue to excel in a highly competitive market and educate leaders who will make their mark in our communities. Now is the time to invest in the future of Gustavus Adolphus College.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Commission Gustavus 150 is a planning process established by the Board of Trustees designed to involve all the College’s constituents in integrating and expanding the College’s strategic plan and making recommendations for the College’s future advancement. Chaired by Gustavus Trustee and past Board Chair Warren Beck ‘67, the Commission comprises eight task forces that are examining all aspects of the College’s strategic mission, core values, and future aspirations. With input from a series of 16 National Summit meetings of alumni across the country, the task forces will make recommendations to the Gustavus Board of Trustees this spring.

“The Commission’s important, future-focused work will benefit enormously from the Greater Gustavus Fund’s support,” said Gustavus President Jack R. Ohle. “Throughout its history, the Fund has been at the forefront of innovative investments in the College’s future. This gift will not only continue that tradition but will ensure the College’s financial viability. It is fitting, too, that this support will enable us to appropriately commemorate our Sesquicentennial, which is sure to be a joyous celebration as well as an historic 150th anniversary of the College’s founding in 1862.”

The Greater Gustavus Fund is an 81-year-old, independent foundation that supports Gustavus programs and projects of its choosing. Since its inception, the Fund has now committed more than $5 million to boost major initiatives ranging from the Myrum Memorial Field House in 1939 to $1.5 million for endowed scholarships in 1994, and, most recently, a $250,000 commitment to support the Kendall Center for Engaged Learning.

“This generous gift comes at an ideal time for Gustavus,” said President Ohle. “The necessary elements of planning, constituent engagement, and funding are coming together in a very important way for us as we work to strengthen the College’s position as a leading liberal arts institution and to ensure the fulfillment of our mission and core values for future generations of Gustavus students.”

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

This is an extraordinary opportunity to double your support of the Gustavus Annual Fund. Gifts to the Annual Fund help the College achieve important goals such as better educational opportunities, highest quality faculty, new technologies, and green initiatives. Unlike the stock market, a Gustavus education will never decrease in value and your investment always remains strong. Your rate of return is seeing 2,500 students receive an excellent education and become leaders in our world today!

To take advantage of this match, go online to gustavus.edu/give/ between Dec. 15-31. Gifts may also be made by mail or telephone.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

From left to right: President Jack and Kris Ohle, Adeline and the Rev. Drell Bernhardson, James and Susan Peterson.

Gustavus Adolphus College is pleased to announce that the Reverend Drell and Adeline Dekko Bernhardson have made an endowment gift of $2 million that will support the Nobel Conference.

This generous gift will solidify the core funding of the renowned Nobel Conference which is in its 44th year of existence at Gustavus. In addition, the gift will give the college increased flexibility to respond to Nobel Conference related initiatives and will enhance the intentional relationship between the conference and science education at Gustavus.

“We are grateful to the Bernhardsons for their continued support of Gustavus,” President Jack Ohle said. “This gift will ensure that the Nobel Conference will continue to be a premier educational conference.”

The Bernhardsons, parents of four Gustavus alumni, have a long history of generosity toward the College. In the late 1950s Reverend Bernhardson was among those who led efforts to raise funds to build Christ Chapel. In 1996 a major gift helped to establish the first fully endowed chair at Gustavus – the Bernhardson Chair in Lutheran Studies, currently held by Dr. Darrell Jodock.

More recently they made the first significant gift to endow the Kendall Center for Engaged Learning with its emphasis on student and faculty scholarship, learning, and research. Other gifts made by the Bernhardsons have supported the Christ Chapel endowment, Church Relations programs, and a scholarship fund that has made more than 900 awards since its inception during the 1993-94 academic year.

In 1997 the college recognized them with the Greater Gustavus Award – the highest honor given by the Alumni Association to those “who by deed, have notable advanced and aided Gustavus Adolphus College.” At the 2008 commencement ceremony, the college conferred on both of them the degrees Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

“Raising $12 million represents an increase of 17.4 percent over the last fiscal year’s overall fundraising mark and raising $12 million in outright gifts outside of a tornado or capital campaign has never before been achieved at Gustavus,” said Teresa Harland, associate vice president for institutional advancement at Gustavus. “What a way to celebrate Jim Peterson’s tenure as president and welcome new President Jack and Kris Ohle.”

“It is all thanks to our philanthropic partners — alumni, parents, friends, corporations, foundations, and others — who contributed the funds needed to surpass our $11.87 million overall gift income goal,” Harland said.

The college also experienced the largest unrestricted giving total in history with $1.97 million contributed to the college’s annual fund. The annual fund goal for 2007-08 was $1.95 million.

“The Gustavus Board of Trustees played a decisive leadership role in the annual fund success,” said Harland. “Toward the end of the fiscal year, three Gustavus trustees committed an additional $75,000 over and above what they had already given. This inspired others to give.”

Gustavus alumni are proud and loyal “Gusties” and this year the alumni annual fund participation rate was 31.46 percent.

Ending the annual fund year with a total of $1,978,404 in outright unrestricted gifts represents a 15 percent increase over last year’s total. The annual fund is included in the overall annual fundraising numbers. More details and statistics on the Annual Fund/Gustavus Fund are online.

“We are pleased to celebrate this accomplishment, and more importantly, we look forward to continuing and building upon this greater sense of philanthropy as we propel Gustavus into the future,” said President Jim Peterson.

Future gifts may be made online at gustavus.edu/giving, by calling 866-487-3863, or by mail to the Office of Institutional Advancement, Gustavus Adolphus College, 800 W. College Ave., St. Peter, MN 56082.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

“What a way to celebrate Jim Peterson’s tenure as president and welcome President Jack and Kris Ohle,” said Teresa Harland, associate vice president for institutional advancement. “Raising almost $12 million in outright gifts outside of a tornado or capital campaign has never before been achieved at Gustavus.”

Part of the college’s overall fundraising goal includes the Gustavus Annual Fund goal of $1.95 million. When reached, it will be the largest unrestricted giving total in the history of the college. To help achieve the annual fund goal, which is for college operating expenses, this week three Gustavus Board of Trustee members committed an additional $75,000 over and above what they had already given. “This is the type of leadership that we love to see at Gustavus,” Harland said.

“With their support, we are within $20,000 of reaching our goal.” It is that close. said Harland.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

At its December meeting, the Greater Gustavus Fund Board of Trustees announced an additional $50,000 challenge grant. The new grant will match new and increased unrestricted gifts of $5,000 or more made by May 31, 2008. Gifts at this level qualify for the President’s Leadership Circle giving society. The goal is to encourage 10 new members to join this society which currently has 54 members.

Unrestricted gifts to the Gustavus Fund play an important role for the College as they provide Gustavus students with needed financial assistance. “While supporting the Gustavus Fund may not be the sexiest thing, it is the true nuts and bolts of what makes a college great,” said Brett and Gretchen Taylor, parents of three Gustavus alumni and supporters of the Gustavus Fund. “Long ago, we decided to support education and Gustavus continues to surpass our expectations.”

For more information about this grant or to make a contribution call the Gustavus Fund office at 866-487-3863 or go online at gustavus.edu/giving.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Walter L. Youngquist at this year’s Nobel Conference.

Walter L. Youngquist, a 1942 alumnus of Gustavus Adolphus College, recently made two separate gifts to the college totaling $500,000.

One gift in the amount of $200,000 will be added to the Robert Eric Youngquist Memorial Scholarship Endowment which was established earlier this year to assist students who have overcome physical or mental handicap to be successful at Gustavus.

The second gift in the amount of $300,000 will honor Youngquist’s father by establishing the Walter R. Youngquist Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund. Specifically, this new gift will be awarded to students with financial need, taking into consideration the qualities of dependability, persistence, and stability in personally adverse circumstances.

Walter R. Youngquist overcame humble beginnings to build a lengthy resume of impressive and respected positions in society. After spending days walking behind a plow pulled by oxen and trapping muskrats to sell their skins for ten cents each in Saskatchewan, Youngquist decided to enroll at Gustavus.

Completely self-supportive, the elder Youngquist graduated from Gustavus in 1916 and briefly taught history and served as superintendent of schools in Taylors Falls, Minn. After serving in the Army during World War I, Youngquist entered the savings and loan business in Minneapolis, where he eventually expanded the First Federal Savings and Loan Association to a $160 million organization.

Through all of his success in Minneapolis, the elder Youngquist never turned his back on Gustavus. He established and raised funds for the Greater Gustavus Endowment Corporation (now the Greater Gustavus Fund), served on the college’s board of trustees, and provided the first $5,000 to establish an arboretum on campus. He also sent his two children — Walter L. and Jeanne ‘52 — to Gustavus, from which they both graduated.

Walter L. Youngquist is now responsible for five different endowed funds at Gustavus. Besides the two endowment funds associated with this most recent gift, Youngquist has also established the Chester O. Johnson and Walter L. Youngquist Geology Student Research/Field Study Endowment Fund, the Chester O. Johnson Geology Scholarship Endowment Fund, and the Elizabeth Pearson Youngquist Music Scholarship Endowment Fund, which is part of the Jussi Björling Music Scholarship.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Bill Soderlund, Jr. (right) and his father, Bill Sr., pictured at this year’s Nobel Conference.

Bill Soderlund and Soderlund Village Drug of St. Peter recently made a major gift of $205,000 to the Department of Chemistry at Gustavus Adolphus College. The gift will enable the college to purchase a Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometer, to be used in instructional laboratories and faculty/student research projects.

The instrument helps to identify and quantify trace levels of organic compounds. It is particularly well-suited for investigating pesticides and the byproducts of their breakdown (both chemical via microorganisms in soils and waters, and with light in rivers and lakes). It is also the method of choice in nearly all studies of pharmaceutical metabolism and the analysis of impurities in medications. In the environmental field, this instrument helps analyze organic compounds at concentrations below the 1 part-per-trillion level and detection of some materials at levels of about 100 parts-per-quadrillion.

In addition to this gift, Bill Soderlund and Soderlund Village Drug served as one of the sponsors of the 2007 Nobel Conference.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Karin and Robert Moe have made a $1 million commitment to the John S. Kendall Center for Engaged Learning

Gustavus parents Karin and Robert Moe believe in the power of focused philanthropy. They direct much of their giving toward liberal arts education, where they feel that individuals and society will reap the greatest benefit from their efforts. Gustavus is fortunate to be among the institutions to receive their major support.

Recently, the Moes made a $1 million commitment to the John S. Kendall Center for Engaged Learning. This leadership gift brings the College closer to its goal to fully endow the center, which is dedicated to advancing active and interdisciplinary learning across the campus. When fully funded, the Moes’ contribution will generate funds to support two main areas: faculty development and student-faculty research.

“We are honored by this generous gift,” said Gustavus President Jim Peterson. “This support will make a tremendous difference to the depth, breadth, and vitality of Gustavus learning and development for many years into the future.”

The Kendall Center’s mission is to assist faculty in two specific areas: disciplinary expertise and pedagogical proficiency. As academic fields continually develop and change, new ideas emerge, new texts surface, and new connections among theories are forged. The Kendall Center, named in honor of the beloved psychology professor and president of the college who died in 2002, administers funding for faculty to stay engaged, read and research, and share discoveries with other scholars. It sponsors faculty travel for research presentations and creative work. It makes internal grants for faculty-student research collaboration. It also provides support for faculty to develop new teaching methods and strategies that consider how students’ varying learning styles influence educational success. Working across disciplinary boundaries, faculty members learn from each other through the Kendall Center’s many teaching and learning workshops.

“We are grateful to the Moes for their continued support of Gustavus,” said Gustavus Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Mary E. Morton. “Student-faculty research and faculty development are two key components of the College’s developing strategic plan and this endowment gift has energized our community to move forward in that aspect of the planning more quickly than we had anticipated. The generosity of the Moes will enable us to double the number of annual student and faculty awards provided through the Kendall Center. This will have a significant impact on our ability to strengthen and foster the work of generations of students and faculty.”

The Moes have made major gifts to several leading colleges and universities. In 1996, they launched Gustavus’s acclaimed Moe Lectures series, which brings internationally-known speakers to the College each year in service to students and also the wider regional community.

The robust, engaged, interactive, and interdisciplinary “Kendall” approach to learning resonates with the Moes, whose daughter, Kris, attended Gustavus during John Kendall’s tenure as Gustavus president. They know Gustavus to be a place where student-faculty work flourishes and relationships are warm and inspiring.

Robert and Karin feel that faculty who give so much to students need the opportunity to grow and develop themselves. “One of the great things about Gustavus is that it fosters strong faculty and student relationships. Those great individuals who make a difference in the lives of young people need the resources and time to develop their own work,” Karin said. “We support the Kendall Center because it is our opportunity to ensure this tradition remains strong.”

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510