Sixth President of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa
Elwin D. Farwell was the sixth President of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.
| Part of a series on |
| Lutheranism |
|---|
 |
Elwin D. Farwell was the sixth President of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.
Elwin D. Farwell was born on May 1, 1919, in Branch County, Michigan. [1] He graduated from Michigan State University in 1943 with a degree in animal husbandry, and enlisted in the army, serving through 1946, being discharged as a captain. [2]
Farwell went on to earn a master's degree in animal breeding in 1947. [2] He then taught in the agriculture college at Michigan State from 1947-1955. [3] Farwell later graduated from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in 1959 with a Doctorate in Education. [1]
From 1959-1961, Farwell served as pastor at Salem Lutheran Church in Andrew, Iowa. [2] In 1961, he began serving as academic dean at California Lutheran College in Thousand Oaks, California. [3] [2]
On August 21, 1962, the Luther College Board of Regents elected Farwell as the sixth president of Luther College. Farwell took office on May 1, 1963. [3] He was the first president who had no Norwegian heritage, and the first non-alumni president since Luther's first president, Peter Laurentius Larsen. [3] Enrollment increased under Farwell's presidency, because he focused on recruiting students outside of the traditional Scandinavian-Lutheran background. [1] After just four years in office, Luther's enrollment had grown to 2,000 students, compared to about 1,215 students under his predecessor. Several building projects occurred during Farwell's tenure, including the new Field House in 1964, Ylvisaker Hall in 1964, Dieseth Hall in 1966, Miller Hall in 1968, Preus Library in 1969, and the Center for Faith and Life in 1977. [3] Farwell retired in 1981.
After his retirement, Farwell served as interim president at Dana College in Blair, Nebraska, for 15 months. [2]
Farwell married Helen Irene Hill in 1942. Together, they had four children. Farwell died on May 5, 2017. [2]
Over his life, he has received the King Olav V of Norway Award, Knight First Class Order of St. Olav, and the King of Sweden Award, Knight First Class Order of North Star. [2]
Farwell Hall, a dormitory at Luther College built in 1991, was named for Elwin D. Farwell.
Luther also maintains the Farwell Distinguished Lecture Series, which is funded by the Elwin and Helen Farwell Lecture Endowment.
Luther College is a private Lutheran liberal arts college in Decorah, Iowa. Established as a Lutheran seminary in 1861 by Norwegian immigrants, the school today is an institution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The upper campus was listed as the Luther College Campus Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.
Wartburg College is a private Lutheran liberal arts college in Waverly, Iowa. It also has faculty and a program in Denver, Colorado called Wartburg West.
The Synod of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, commonly called the Norwegian Synod, was founded in 1853. It included churches in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
Weston H. Noble was an American music educator and conductor.
Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa is the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, with over 33,000 artifacts, 12 historic buildings, and a library and archives. This treasure showcases one of the most extensive collection of Norwegian-American artifacts in the world and highlights the best in historic and contemporary Norwegian folk and fine arts. Some of its buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Karlton Jerome Rosholt was an American journalist and author.
Ulrik Vilhelm Koren was a Norwegian-American author, theologian and church leader. A pioneer Lutheran minister, he played a significant role in the development of the spiritual and intellectual development of Norwegians in America. Ulrik Vilhelm Koren has been called the "patriarch of Norwegian American Lutherans."
Ingebrikt Fredrick Grose or Ingebricks F. Grose was an author, college professor and founding president of Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota.
Gerhard Brandt Naeseth was an American librarian and genealogist who specialized in the field of Norwegian-American immigration.
Peter Laurentius Larsen was a Norwegian-American educator and Lutheran theological leader. He was the founding president of Luther College.
Christian Keyser Preus was an American Lutheran minister who served as the second president of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.
Haldor Johan Hanson was an American hymn writer, publisher and author.
Brynild Anundsen was a Norwegian-American newspaper editor and publisher. He was the founder and publisher of Decorah Posten, a Norwegian language newspaper.
Hans Gerhard Stub was an American Lutheran theologian and church leader. He served as Bishop of the Norwegian Lutheran Church in America.
Sidney Anders Rand was an American Lutheran minister, educator and college president. He served under the Carter administration as United States Ambassador to Norway from 1980 to 1981.
Verner Trygve "V.T." Jordahl was an Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELC) District President; he served as a U.S. Army Chaplain, on the Luther College Board of Regents, and was the ELC Director of Service to Military Personnel.
Oscar Adolf Tingelstad was the president of Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, from 1928 to 1943.
Ove J. H. Preus was the fourth president of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.
Johannes Wilhelm Ylvisaker was the fifth President of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.
Carlo Alberto Sperati was a Norwegian-American composer and music professor.
