Augustana College (South Dakota)

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Augustana College


Motto	Verbum Dei manet in aeternum (The Word of God endures forever)
Established	1860
Type	Private
President	Mr. Robert C. Oliver
Students	1,650 Full Time
Location	Sioux Falls, SD, USA
Colors	Blue and Gold
Nickname	Vikings
Affiliations	Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Website	www.augie.edu

Augustana College is a private, liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and located on a rolling 100-acre (400,000 m²) campus in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Augustana’s name is from the origin of the Lutheran Church in the Confessio Augustana, the Latin name for the Augsburg Confession of 1530. Students, alumni, friends, employees, and those who know the College casually refer to it as “Augie.”

1 History
2 Athletics
3 Arts
4 Media
5 Notable alumni
6 External links

[edit] History

The institution was established in 1835 as Hillsboro Academy in Hillsboro, Illinois by Scandinavian immigrants. Its name was changed to “The Literary and Theological Institute of the Lutheran Church of the Far West.” The school was moved to Springfield, Illinois, where it was renamed Illinois State University. In 1860, Professor Lars Paul Esbjorn and a group of followers moved to Chicago because of differences over matters of doctrine. As the United States expanded westward, pioneers moved the school to Paxton, Illinois in 1863; Marshall, Wisconsin in 1869; Beloit, Iowa in 1881; and then to Canton, South Dakota in 1888. Three Lutheran synods united and merged with the Lutheran Normal School in Sioux Falls in 1918.

The Lutheran Normal School opened in 1889 with the purpose of educating teachers. In 1918, synod officials felt that having two institutions so close together was not fiscally prudent, and decided to merge the Lutheran Normal School and Augustana College in Sioux Falls under the name Augustana College. After the merger, the school site in Canton became the Augustana Academy. Despite the similarities in name, it was no longer affiliated with the college. The author O.E. Rølvaag attended the Augustana Academy.

[edit] Athletics

The Augustana Vikings participate in NCAA Division II athletics in the North Central Conference. In 2004-2005, Augie wrestlers finished second in the nation in NCAA Division II finals.

[edit] Arts

Augustana is well-known for its contributions to the arts. The Augustana Choir and Concert Band tour widely nationally and internationally, and the college is one of the few schools in America to house its own student-run improvisational theater groups, known as BNi, or Brand Name Improv. Augustana's concert band toured the People's Republic of China three times. (1999, 2003, and 2007)

The Augustana College Theatre Company (ACTS) presents four main-stage shows a year. The 2006-2007 season featured a Shakespeare festival, The Comedy of Errors, Kin: The Trial of Carrie Buck, and Baby: The Musical. Full-time staff include Dr. Julia Bennett, Dr. Ivan Fuller, & RJ Fitzsimmons. Chair of Performing & Visual Arts is Dr. Janet Brown.

[edit] Media

The college operates a radio station, 89.1 FM KAUR, which broadcasts 24 hours per day and specializes in alternative/college music but also offers a variety ranging from jazz and folk to rap and regional South Dakota musicians.

[edit] Notable alumni

Nancy Erickson, Secretary of the United States Senate
Myron Floren, accordionist
Mary Hart, television host (Entertainment Tonight)
Kevin Kaesviharn, defensive back, Cincinnati Bengals
Corbin Lacina, former NFL offensive lineman
Brett Szabo, former center, Boston Celtics
Troy Westwood, placekicker, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

[edit] External links

Augustana College, official website
Satellite photo, Google maps
Augustana Choir website
Augustana Computer Organization
KAUR FM website, Augie's on-campus independent music radio station.
Augustana Pre-Med Club
The Mirror, Augustana's student newspaper.

North Central Conference
Augustana • Central Washington^† • Minnesota Duluth • Minnesota State Mankato • Nebraska-Omaha • North Dakota • Saint Cloud State • South Dakota • Western Washington^† ^† Football-only member