Augsburg College has maintained a strong academic reputation defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies since 1869. A safe and welcoming campus in the heart of Minneapolis, Augsburg offers undergraduate and graduate degrees to more than 3,500 diverse students.
Augsburg offers many ways to engage, connect, and belong. Students and parents receive support and resources. Alumni use their college degrees to live out their callings. Visitors cheer on Auggie athletics, attend live performances, complete service projects, and embrace other opportunities to learn.
History
Augsburg was the first seminary founded by Norwegian Lutherans in America, named after the confession of faith presented by Lutherans in Augsburg, Germany, in 1530. Augsburg opened in September 1869, in Marshall, Wisconsin, and moved to Minneapolis in 1872. The first seminarians were enrolled in 1874, and the first graduation was in 1879.
August Weenaas was Augsburg’s first president (1869-1876). Professor Weenaas recruited two teachers from Norway—Sven Oftedal and Georg Sverdrup. These three men clearly articulate the direction of Augsburg: to educate Norwegian Lutherans to minister to immigrants and to provide such “college” studies that would prepare students for theological study.
In 1874 they proposed a three-part plan: first, train ministerial candidates; second, prepare future theological students; and third, educate the farmer, worker, and businessman. The statement stressed that a good education is also practical. Augsburg’s next two presidents, Georg Sverdrup and Sven Oftedal, also emphatically rejected ivory tower concepts of education. This commitment to church and community has been Augsburg’s theme for over 130 years.
Keeping the vision of the democratic college, Georg Sverdrup, Augsburg’s second president (1876-1907), required students to get pre-ministerial experience in city congregations. Student involvement in the community gave early expression to the concept of Augsburg’s motto, “Education for Service.” Following Sverdrup’s death in 1907, Sven Oftedal (1907-1911) became president. Like Sverdrup, Oftedal was a supporter of what became known as the New School.
In the early 1890s, Augsburg leaders formed the Friends of Augsburg, later called the Lutheran Free Church. The church was a group of independent congregations committed to congregational autonomy and personal Christianity. This change made Augsburg the only higher educational institution of the small Lutheran body. The college division, however, was still important primarily as an attachment to the seminary.
This attitude began to change after World War I. In 1911, George Sverdrup, Jr. became president. He worked to develop college departments with an appeal to a broader range of students than just those intending to be ministers.
Augsburg admitted women in 1922 under the leadership of Gerda Mortensen, dean of women. She spent the next 42 years at the College as a teacher and administrator. The College’s mission assumed a double character—ministerial preparation together with a more general education for life in society. In 1937, Augsburg elected Bernhard Christensen, an erudite and scholarly teacher, to be president (1938-1962). His involvement in ecumenical and civic circles made Augsburg a more visible part of church and city life. After World War II, Augsburg leaders made vigorous efforts to expand and improve academic offerings. Now the College was a larger part of the institution than the seminary and received the most attention.
Mission Statement
Augsburg College educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. The Augsburg experience is supported by an engaged community that is committed to intentional diversity in its life and work. An Augsburg education is defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church, and shaped by its urban and global settings.
