St. Olaf College and the Lutheran World Federation
A Century of Service
St. Olaf College faculty, staff and students have been involved in Lutheran World Federation leadership and service not only since the organization’s official founding in 1947, but in fact, back a whole century to the founding of the LWF’s predecessor organization, the Lutheran World Convention, established in 1923. The legacy of St. Olaf’s LWF connections lives on today in the Martin Luther Schule-Rimbach guest teacher program, in faculty research on LWF history, and in the LWF service of college alumni into the twenty-first century. St. Olaf’s connection to the LWF Service to Refugees division–in particular via the leadership and advocacy of Prof. Howard Hong–extended the wider Northfield community as residents, businesses, and institutions, including St. John’s Lutheran Church and Carleton College, also sponsored or supported a substantial number of refugees to resettle in Minnesota in the late 1940s and 1950s, many of whom made Northfield and its surrounding communities their new home.
Lutheran World Federation Prehistory and Early Leadership
Rev. Lars W. Boe (1875-1942), St. Olaf class of 1898 and President of the college 1918-1942
Boe served on the executive committee of the Lutheran World Convention (LWC) that was formed between US-American and German Lutheran bodies in 1923 to promote international Lutheran fellowship and to coordinate relief efforts after World War I. In 1947, the Lutheran World Federation officially became the successor organization of the LWC.
Rev. Johan Arnd Aasgaard (1876-1966), St. Olaf class of 1901 and President of the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America 1925-1954
Aasgaard served as an American Lutheran delegate to the first Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation in Lund, Sweden, 1947. (Erik Hong credits him with recommending Howard for the job in Germany; see 1947 assembly proceedings for contribution)
Dr. E. Clifford Nelson (1911-2005), St. Olaf professor of religion
Nelson was director of the LWF’s Third Lutheran World Assembly in 1957 in Minneapolis. He also served on various LWF committees, edited the LWF journal The Lutheran World, and published a history of the origins of the Lutheran World Federation, The Rise of World Lutheranism: An American Perspective (1982).
Left to right: Dr. Franklin Clark Fry, USA; Prof. Abdel Ross Wentz, USA; the Rt. Rev. Hans Meiser, Germany; Dr. Johan Arnd Aasgaard, USA, at the LWF First General Assembly in Lund (Sweden), 1947.
The Lutheran World Federation in Postwar Occupied Germany
The number of St. Olaf College affiliates who served with the Lutheran World Federation Service to Refugees in Europe following World War II is longer than the following list would suggest. If you know of other St. Olaf community members who participated in the initiative, please fill out the form at the bottom of the page to help us to keep expanding knowledge of this legacy of St. Olaf service.
Dr. Howard Hong, St. Olaf class of 1934, Professor of Philosophy and scholar of Soren Kierkegaard (pictured left)
Howard Hong was recruited to serve as the Senior Field Representative in the American and British Occupied Zones. His wife Edna Hong, St. Olaf class of 1938 and scholar of Soren Kierkegaard, came with him. Howard Hong was charged with supervisory management of services to refugees in the DP camps of the American and British Zones, which entailed regular site visits, communications with the LWF headquarters in Geneva, budget oversight, and masses of official paperwork. Edna Hong is remembered for frequently, though unofficially, assisting German families with basic needs in the communities where the Hong family was based.
James (Jim) V. Anderson, St. Olaf class of 1951 and Elise (“Hop”) Anderson, nurse at St. Olaf college health service (pictured right)
In Germany, the pair helped to administrate the LWF Lutheran Study Center at Imbshausen (British Zone), where Jim served as the center director and Elise worked as a social worker and acted as the hostess for retreats of the “Churches in Exile”, courses for future church leaders, and meetings of the senior leadership of the Lutheran World Federation.
Edwin (Bud) Bersagel, St. Olaf class of 1949,
Bersagel worked in Lutheran World Federation spiritual ministry and resettlement services, traveling through the British Zone to distribute assurances and supplies. He succeeded Jim Anderson in the director role at the LWF Lutheran Study Center at Imbshausen.
Marguerite Bunge and Howie Cole, St. Olaf class of 1949
Together with an international group of students and the Lutheran World Federation, Bunge and Cole went to Germany in 1949 to help restore or rebuild churches in Lübeck, Heidelberg, and near Munich.
Alice Erlander, St. Olaf Class of 1947 (pictured right)
Erlander worked in the Lutheran World Federation emigration office matching assurances with the Displaced Persons on file. She was recognized in 1978 with an honorary degree from St. Olaf College.
Rev. Ivan Fagre, St. Olaf class of 1948
Rev. Fagre went to Germany with the LWF 1949, together with an international group of students, to help restore or rebuild churches in Lübeck, Heidelberg, and near Munich. He continued to work with Lutheran World Federation Service to Refugees in Germany from 1949 to 1951, with the last year as American Zone Director.
Rev. Phil Gangsei, St. Olaf class of 1949
Rev. Gangsei was the second St. Olaf student to teach in guest English teacher program, established by Howard Hong, at the Martin Luther Schule in Rimbach.
Rev. Dr. Loren Halvorson, St. Olaf class of 1949
Rev. Halvorson served as a resettlement officer for the Lutheran World Federation Service to Refugees, distributing assurances from the National Lutheran Council (the American Committee of the LWF).
Josephine Haugen Senft, St. Olaf class of 1948
Senft became the first teacher in the St. Olaf guest English teacher program, established in 1948 by Howard Hong, at the Martin Luther Schule in Rimbach. She taught for two years at the school before becoming a LWF-SR Welfare Officer and marrying LWF US Zone Director, Kenneth Senft.
Rev. Arnold W. Nelson, St. Olaf class of 1931, college pastor, and pastor of St. John’s Lutheran in Northfield until June 1948
Rev. Nelson supervised resettlement work of displaced persons in the British Zone for two years under the Lutheran World Federation.
Faythe Nelson, St. Olaf class of 1949
Nelson served as publicity director for Lutheran World Federation activities in Germany from the base office in Frankfurt.
Gertrude Sovik, St. Olaf class of 1931 and instructor of German at St. Olaf (pictured furthest to left)
Sovik was the Supervisor of American resettlement for the Lutheran World Federation Service to Refugees in Austria. She is considered the first woman on the ground in Lutheran World Federation assisting DPs in Austria. St. Olaf Prof. em. DeAne Lagerquist has researched Sovik’s Lutheran World Federation Service. See, for instance “My Trip Around the World. Gertrude Sovik’s Missionary Life” in the Journal of the Lutheran Historical Conference (2018).
Rev. Dr. Richard W. Solberg, St. Olaf class of 1938
Rev. Solberg served from 1953-1956 as Senior Representative in West Germany (FRG) for the Lutheran World Federation Department of World Service. Prior to his work with the LWF, he served in Germany from 1949-1950 as Religious Affairs Advisor to the Office of Military Government for the United States in Germany. Solberg published prolifically on Lutheran humanitarian services, including two books specifically about Lutheran services to refugees following World War II: As Between Brothers: The Story of the Lutheran Response to World Need (1957) and Open Doors: The Story of Lutherans Resettling Refugees (1992). He was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit by the Federal Republic of Germany in recognition of his service in that country and was recognized in 1996 with an honorary degree from St. Olaf College.
Sources
In addition to sources listed in the main research bibliography for this website, conversations with emeritus St. Olaf faculty members and with family members of the individuals listed here helped to fill out the story. Also, archived issues of The Manitou Messenger, St. Olaf College’s Student Newspaper, were a main source of information about college affiliates who contributed to Lutheran World Federation Service to Refugees. The St. Olaf College Archives maintains a digital archive of the The Manitou Messenger that is accessible to the public.
Photo Credits (from top to bottom, left to right)*
- Man (James Anderson) doing inventory, Lutheran World Federation Service to Refugees 1947-1949 Photographic Section, used with permission of the Lutheran World Federation and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
- Group of men walking in religious attire, Lutheran World Federation Flickr collection; used with permission of Lutheran World Federation.
- Howard Hong with secretary, Lutheran World Federation Service to Refugees Photographic Section, used with permission of the Lutheran World Federation and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
- James and Elise Anderson sitting in a living room at Schloss Imbshausen, photo taken by Erika Ederma, used with permission of Nate Anderson.
- Two women (left is Gertrude Sovik) shaking hands with young boy and man next to them, Lutheran World Federation Archive, Geneva, Switzerland. Used with permission.
- Two LWF staff members (Alice Erlander in the foreground) sorting through paper records, Lutheran World Federation Service to Refugees Photographic Section, used with permission of the Lutheran World Federation and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
*Description ordering is based on computer view. If viewing this page on a smartphone or tablet, please check the descriptions provided as the ordering may be distorted.