Spring 2012
Dear Classmates:
Greetings from beautiful Northeastern Iowa! Spring came early this year and it’s already looking like summer―trees in bud and flowers in full bloom―before the end of March. Those students who traveled to southern states for warm temperatures over spring break may have done better to stay “up north” this year!
Beyond the fantastic weather, big news on campus this spring includes the formation of a presidential search committee. While we’ve known this day is coming for quite some time, the Board of Regents’ formal action to form a search committee brings a sense of reality to the pending closure of Rick Torgerson’s 14 years as Luther’s president. Significant accomplishments during Torgerson’s service are new facilities, including Sampson-Hoffland Laboratories and the Center for the Arts, and the completion of the Legends Fitness Center, plus renovations to Valders, Dahl Centennial Union, Jenson-Noble Hall of Music, Loyalty Hall, and all student residence halls on campus. Obviously, these improvements to the campus infrastructure don’t come free, and Torgerson’s leadership has been critical to the success of three major fundraising initiatives, raising over $200 million. Rick and Judy will obviously leave big shoes to fill when they depart at the end of the 2012-2013 academic year. I thank them for their service!
Progress toward completion of the $50 million Sesquicentennial Fund continues and recently received a major boost with announcement of a naming gift for the new swimming and diving addition to the Regents Center (Field House). Thanks to a generous commitment of $500,000 from David ’64 and Pat Miller of Fort Myers, Fla., donor support for the Luther College Aquatic Center has now reached the $2-million mark. Through this challenge grant, the Millers’ gift will match one dollar for every two dollars contributed to the pool project. The goal is to help leverage $1 million in additional support from Luther alumni, parents, and friends by no later than September 2012. The Miller Natatorium will provide a fitting home for Luther’s highly successful swimming and diving teams, led by Coach Lance Huber. Coach Huber successfully continues the proud programs led by the McGrews during our time at Luther. Renee and I have made a gift toward the completion of the Miller Natatorium and hope you might consider supporting this great program as well!
Finally, save the date for Homecoming 2012, when we’ll celebrate our 20-year class reunion. We’ll celebrate our reunion the evening of Saturday, October 6th; look for more information this summer. I look forward to seeing you there!
Soli Deo Gloria,
Craig Rabe
1992 Class Agent
[email protected]
PS. It's not too late to purchase a copy of Transformed by the Journey: 150 Years of Luther College in Word and Image. Richly illustrated with more than 350 photographs, Transformed by the Journey was compiled and written by Wilfred Bunge '53, professor emeritus of religion and classics, with assistance from Mary Hull Mohr, professor emerita of English, and Dale Nimrod, professor emeritus of chemistry. Contact the Luther Book Shop at http://www.luther.edu/bookshop, or call 1-888-521-5039 or email [email protected] to place your order.
Births
Holly and DAVID JORDE welcomed a daughter, Teela, in October 2011.
Kathy and MIKE NASLUND welcomed a daughter, Mari, in August 2011.
Marriage
NOEL COLLIER and Randall Nicolai, Aug. 12, 2011
Class Notes
GENE HANNON is an entomologist with the Fresno County Department of Agriculture in Fresno, Calif.
LAURA HETRICK is a partner at Elk River Export Co. in Hiram, Ohio.
JOELLE PRETTY is director of pre-major advising and intervention services at Seattle University.
KELI (LARSON) TALLMAN is a state youth development program specialist for Iowa State University.
Don't forget your Annual Fund giving!
Each year nearly 10,000 alumni, parents, and friends support the Annual Fund with gifts from $5 to $50,000. Strong support from alumni helps Luther secure additional funds from foundations and corporations, and your gift each year helps us reach our goal of 30% alumni giving. Here’s how your class—and surrounding classes—did in 2011:
Class of 1991 total giving in 2011: $77,002 from 23% of the class
Class of 1992 total giving in 2011: $26,096 from 20% of the class
Class of 1993 total giving in 2011: $19,760 from 17% of the class
Your gift can boost the impact your class has on current students! Please use the enclosed envelope or visit givenow.luther.edu to show your support. Thank you!
