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Gustavus Adolphus College
Gustavus Adolphus College, the dream of Swedish immigrants, began as a humble secondary school in Red Wing with one student in 1862. Relocated to St. Peter in 1876, it has flourished as one of Minnesota's private liberal arts colleges.
In 1862, Swedish Lutheran immigrants donated twenty dollars to establish a church school in Goodhue County. The coeducational Minnesota elementarskola—Swedish for "secondary school"—opened in a Lutheran Church in Red Wing that fall. Reverend Eric Norelius served as the sole instructor of a single pupil.
The school moved to East Union in Carver County in 1863. It expanded in 1865 and became St. Ansgar's Academy. The churches within the Augustana Synod provided funding for the school, but resources fell short. In 1873, the Lutheran Minnesota Conference considered moving the school to Minneapolis in the hope of increasing church support. A financial panic that year caused the conference to move it to St. Peter instead.
The school reincorporated as the Gustavus Adolphus Literary and Theological Institute (later Gustavus Adolphus College), named for King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden. Educating teachers and clergy remained the school's primary focus. Classes began October 16, 1876, in a new stone building (later "Old Main") with fifty-one students and two teachers. Eight male students received the first bachelor's degrees awarded by the school in 1890.
Rising enrollment and more course offerings prompted ongoing construction. By the 1920s the college had added dormitories, an auditorium, a central heating plant, a student union, and a gymnasium. The post-World War II housing crunch called for temporary living space for veterans and more residence halls. The first coed dorm, later called Norelius Hall, welcomed students in 1967.
The Alfred Nobel Hall of Science, completed in 1963, hosted the first annual Nobel Conference two years later. During the 1970s–1990s the college renovated several older buildings, expanded student housing, built the Schaefer Fine Arts Center, enlarged the Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library, and much more. More recent additions include the Curtis and Arlene Carlson International Center and Beck Academic Hall.
Extracurricular activities in the early years consisted of literary and forensic societies. In the 1920s, these groups became fraternities and sororities with social and service functions. The Greys and the Reds, secret societies once banned from campus, became fraternities with official recognition from the college. In the wake of a harsh hazing incident in 1988, the Board of Trustees voted to revoke the charters of all Greek societies. Most frats and sororities were reinstated in 1993, with stricter rules governing activities.
Sports teams at Gustavus gained popularity in the early 1900s. The Golden Gusties football team won their first official game in 1902 against Mankato Normal School. The college's first basketball team—a women's team—lost its first game to Mankato in 1903. Admission to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 1920 prompted the construction of a football stadium and fieldhouse. Newer athletic facilities include the Lund Center for Physical Education and Health, the Swanson Tennis Center, and a new football stadium.
Gustavus has been closely identified with the Lutheran Church throughout its history. To appeal to a more diverse student population in the 1960s, the church connection became just one part of the school's mission. Student attendance at daily chapel services, formerly held in the old auditorium, became optional when Christ Chapel opened in 1962. Religion classes, reduced in number, reflected a variety of beliefs.
International students started coming to Gustavus in the 1940s. The Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s highlighted the need to further diversify the student body. School officials worked to recruit black students in southern states. The Black Student Organization, started in the late 1960s, provided a welcoming community for African American students and encouraged others to enroll. A Diversity Center opened on campus in 1999. ACT and SAT scores became optional for admission in 2006 partly to encourage diversity.
During spring break in March 1998, an F3 tornado devastated the St. Peter community. The storm downed more than 2,000 trees on campus and caused serious damage to many buildings. The college rebounded quickly, resuming classes within three weeks.
Gustavus celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2012. A visit from King Carl XVI Gustav and Queen Sylvia of Sweden kicked off the event in October 2011.

Bibliography
Anniversary Souvenir, 1862–1907. St. Peter, MN: Gustavus Adolphus College, [1907?].
Barth, Frank R. A Place Called Gustavus: The Protest Years: Selected Anecdotal Memoirs. Minneapolis: Primarius Promotion, 2006.
Collection of the Iota Beta Sorority, undated and 1941–1967
Gustavus Adolphus College and Lutheran Church Archives, St. Peter, MN
http://libguides.gustavus.edu/GACA018
Description: Invitations and programs for the Iota Beta sorority's events between the 1940s and 1960s, and an informal constitution of an organization listed as the I.B. Society of G.A.C., an early literary society on campus.
Gustavus Adolphus College.
https://gustavus.edu/
Gustavus Adolphus College and Lutheran Church Archives.
https://gustavus.edu/library/archives/college/
Gustavus Adolphus College Campus Map.
https://gustavus.edu/about/maps/gustavus_adolphus_map.pdf
Kenney, Dave. Gustavus Adolphus College: 150 Years of History. Stillwater, MN: Peg Projects, Inc., 2011.
Lund, Doniver A. Gustavus Adolphus College: A Centennial History, 1862–1962. St. Peter, MN: Gustavus Adolphus College Press, c. 1963.
Magney, Fredolph H. The First Student of Gustavus Adolphus College; From the Diaries of Jonas Magny, D.D. Duluth, MN: privately published, Arrowhead Printing Company, 1969.
Records of Nu Upsilon Gamma Fraternity, 1910–1981
Gustavus Adolphus College and Lutheran Church Archives, St. Peter, MN
http://libguides.gustavus.edu/GACA099
Description: Minutes, constitutions, programs, clippings, newsletters, member lists, and a wood plaque for the Nu Upsilon Gamma Fraternity, known as "The Greys."
Pamphlets Relating to Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, 1887–
Pamphlet Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
Description: Pamphlets and printed ephemera relating to the college's history, purpose, financing, campus, study programs, student life, and related topics.
Peterson, Conrad. A History of Eighty Years, 1862–1942. Rock Island, IL: Augustana Book Concern, 1942.
Waldhauser, Steve. "Songs of Thy Triumph": A Short History of Gustavus Adolphus College.
https://gustavus.edu/about/campushistory.pdf
Related Resources
Primary
Anderson, Mark, producer. Rebuilding a Greater Gustavus. Eden Prairie, MN: Lifetouch Video Creations; Minneapolis, MN: WCCO-TV, 1998.
Breidablick: Jubilee Annual. St. Peter, MN: Gustavus Adolphus College, 1912.
Bulletin of Gustavus Adolphus College. St. Peter, MN: The College, 1954–1956 and 1984–1985.
Catalogue of Gustavus Adolphus College. St. Peter, MN: The College, 1897–1907.
Greater Gustavus Association Quarterly. Minneapolis: The Association, 1944–.
The Gustavian. St. Peter, MN: Gustavus Adolphus College, 1917–.
Gustavian Weekly. St. Peter, MN: Gustavus Adolphus College, 1920– and 1973–.
Gustavus Adolphus College. Academic Catalog. St. Peter, MN: The College, 1985–.
Gustavus Adolphus College. Bulletin. St. Peter, MN: The College, 1904–.
Gustavus Adolphus College: The Heritage of our Fathers to the Youth of our Church. St. Peter, MN: The College, 1921.
Gustavus Adolphus Journal. St. Peter, MN: Gustavus Adolphus College, 1896–.
Gustavus Choir. Favorite Swedish Hymns vol. II. Chicago: Delta Records, 1987. Audio LP.
Gustavus Stage Band. The Gustavus Stage Band. Waseca, MN: Herb Streitz Recording, [1972].
Gustavus Stage Band. The Gustavus Adolphus State Band. Waseca, MN: Herb Streitz Recording, [1974]. Audio LP.
Gustavus Stage Band. The Gustavus Stage Bands 1980. New Ulm, MN: Herb Streitz Recording Co., [1980]. Audio LP.
Gustavus Stage Band. The 1982 Gustavus Stage Band. [United States]: Soundmasters Recording, [1982]. Audio LP.
Runes. St. Peter, MN: Gustavus Adolphus College, 1906.
Spire/Gustavus Adolphus College. St. Peter, MN: The College, 1967–.
Valkyria: Gustavus Adolphus Annual. St. Peter, MN: Gustavus Adolphus College, 1909.
Secondary
Hollingsworth, Lloyd. Gustavus Athletics: A Century of Building the Gustie Tradition, 1880–1980. St. Peter, MN: Gustavus Adolphus College, [1984].
Jarchow, Merrill E. Private Liberal Arts Colleges in Minnesota: Their History and Contributions. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society, 1973.
Miller, Virginia P. "A History of the Library at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minnesota." University of Minnesota, 1961.
Peterson, Conrad. "Fifty Years of Gustavus Adolphus College." In History of St. Peter, 53–55. [N.p.: N.p.,] 1912.
Peterson, Conrad. "Gustavus Adolphus College has a Splendid History." St. Peter Herald, October 1, 1930.
Peterson, Conrad. Remember Thy Past: A History of Gustavus Adolphus College, 1862–1952. [St. Peter, MN]: Gustavus Adolphus College Press, 1953.
Waldhauser, Steve. "About Gustavus Adolphus College." Bridge (Karlstad, Sweden) 14, no. 3: 81–88.
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Turning Point
In 1876 the Lutheran Minnesota Conference votes to move St. Ansgar's Academy to St. Peter and rename it Gustavus Adolphus College.
Chronology
May 1862
Fall 1863
1865
1873
1874
October 16, 1876
1890
1913
1946
1962
1963
1965
1983
1998
2012
Bibliography
Anniversary Souvenir, 1862–1907. St. Peter, MN: Gustavus Adolphus College, [1907?].
Barth, Frank R. A Place Called Gustavus: The Protest Years: Selected Anecdotal Memoirs. Minneapolis: Primarius Promotion, 2006.
Collection of the Iota Beta Sorority, undated and 1941–1967
Gustavus Adolphus College and Lutheran Church Archives, St. Peter, MN
http://libguides.gustavus.edu/GACA018
Description: Invitations and programs for the Iota Beta sorority's events between the 1940s and 1960s, and an informal constitution of an organization listed as the I.B. Society of G.A.C., an early literary society on campus.
Gustavus Adolphus College.
https://gustavus.edu/
Gustavus Adolphus College and Lutheran Church Archives.
https://gustavus.edu/library/archives/college/
Gustavus Adolphus College Campus Map.
https://gustavus.edu/about/maps/gustavus_adolphus_map.pdf
Kenney, Dave. Gustavus Adolphus College: 150 Years of History. Stillwater, MN: Peg Projects, Inc., 2011.
Lund, Doniver A. Gustavus Adolphus College: A Centennial History, 1862–1962. St. Peter, MN: Gustavus Adolphus College Press, c. 1963.
Magney, Fredolph H. The First Student of Gustavus Adolphus College; From the Diaries of Jonas Magny, D.D. Duluth, MN: privately published, Arrowhead Printing Company, 1969.
Records of Nu Upsilon Gamma Fraternity, 1910–1981
Gustavus Adolphus College and Lutheran Church Archives, St. Peter, MN
http://libguides.gustavus.edu/GACA099
Description: Minutes, constitutions, programs, clippings, newsletters, member lists, and a wood plaque for the Nu Upsilon Gamma Fraternity, known as "The Greys."
Pamphlets Relating to Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, 1887–
Pamphlet Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
Description: Pamphlets and printed ephemera relating to the college's history, purpose, financing, campus, study programs, student life, and related topics.
Peterson, Conrad. A History of Eighty Years, 1862–1942. Rock Island, IL: Augustana Book Concern, 1942.
Waldhauser, Steve. "Songs of Thy Triumph": A Short History of Gustavus Adolphus College.
https://gustavus.edu/about/campushistory.pdf
Related Resources
Primary
Anderson, Mark, producer. Rebuilding a Greater Gustavus. Eden Prairie, MN: Lifetouch Video Creations; Minneapolis, MN: WCCO-TV, 1998.
Breidablick: Jubilee Annual. St. Peter, MN: Gustavus Adolphus College, 1912.
Bulletin of Gustavus Adolphus College. St. Peter, MN: The College, 1954–1956 and 1984–1985.
Catalogue of Gustavus Adolphus College. St. Peter, MN: The College, 1897–1907.
Greater Gustavus Association Quarterly. Minneapolis: The Association, 1944–.
The Gustavian. St. Peter, MN: Gustavus Adolphus College, 1917–.
Gustavian Weekly. St. Peter, MN: Gustavus Adolphus College, 1920– and 1973–.
Gustavus Adolphus College. Academic Catalog. St. Peter, MN: The College, 1985–.
Gustavus Adolphus College. Bulletin. St. Peter, MN: The College, 1904–.
Gustavus Adolphus College: The Heritage of our Fathers to the Youth of our Church. St. Peter, MN: The College, 1921.
Gustavus Adolphus Journal. St. Peter, MN: Gustavus Adolphus College, 1896–.
Gustavus Choir. Favorite Swedish Hymns vol. II. Chicago: Delta Records, 1987. Audio LP.
Gustavus Stage Band. The Gustavus Stage Band. Waseca, MN: Herb Streitz Recording, [1972].
Gustavus Stage Band. The Gustavus Adolphus State Band. Waseca, MN: Herb Streitz Recording, [1974]. Audio LP.
Gustavus Stage Band. The Gustavus Stage Bands 1980. New Ulm, MN: Herb Streitz Recording Co., [1980]. Audio LP.
Gustavus Stage Band. The 1982 Gustavus Stage Band. [United States]: Soundmasters Recording, [1982]. Audio LP.
Runes. St. Peter, MN: Gustavus Adolphus College, 1906.
Spire/Gustavus Adolphus College. St. Peter, MN: The College, 1967–.
Valkyria: Gustavus Adolphus Annual. St. Peter, MN: Gustavus Adolphus College, 1909.
Secondary
Hollingsworth, Lloyd. Gustavus Athletics: A Century of Building the Gustie Tradition, 1880–1980. St. Peter, MN: Gustavus Adolphus College, [1984].
Jarchow, Merrill E. Private Liberal Arts Colleges in Minnesota: Their History and Contributions. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society, 1973.
Miller, Virginia P. "A History of the Library at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minnesota." University of Minnesota, 1961.
Peterson, Conrad. "Fifty Years of Gustavus Adolphus College." In History of St. Peter, 53–55. [N.p.: N.p.,] 1912.
Peterson, Conrad. "Gustavus Adolphus College has a Splendid History." St. Peter Herald, October 1, 1930.
Peterson, Conrad. Remember Thy Past: A History of Gustavus Adolphus College, 1862–1952. [St. Peter, MN]: Gustavus Adolphus College Press, 1953.
Waldhauser, Steve. "About Gustavus Adolphus College." Bridge (Karlstad, Sweden) 14, no. 3: 81–88.