Лютеранский колледж в Декора, Айова: История и современность.

Lutheran college in Decorah, Iowa, US

On October 10, 1857, the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church (NELC) created a seminary to supply ministers for Norwegian congregations in the Upper Midwest. Until the seminary was established in 1861, students studied at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. On October 14, 1859, the Rev. Peter Laurentius Larsen was appointed professor to the Norwegian students at Concordia by the NELC. Upon the closing of the seminary in April 1861, at the start of the Civil War, the NELC decided to open its own college that fall in a former parsonage at Halfway Creek, Wisconsin, just north of La Crosse, Wisconsin, and close to present day Holmen, Wisconsin. On September 1, 1861, classes officially began with an enrollment of 16. The following year classes moved to Decorah, Iowa, with NELC Pastor Ulrik Vilhelm Koren successfully arranging the college's relocation and permanent settlement. In 1866, a group of students signed a "bill of rights" criticizing the rigid schedule, the rules about going downtown, the lack of windows in some of the sleeping rooms, and the woodcutting and shoe shining chores, concluding that "there was not enough freedom." The leader of the group, 18 year old Rasmus Anderson, was expelled. Luther student housing includes residence halls (Miller Hall, Dieseth Hall, Ylvisaker Hall, Farwell Hall, Brandt Hall, Larsen Hall, and Olson Hall) and several houses, townhouses, and apartment buildings. Ninety five percent of Luther students live on campus all four years. Farwell, an upperclassmen dorm consisting of both double and single rooms housing 259 students, opened in 1991. Designed by Hammel, Green, & Abramson Inc., the building has nine stories costing approximately $7,000,000. In the 2000s, the college engaged in extensive building projects. A renovation of residence halls and the Dahl Centennial Union was completed in 2006, and Sampson Hoffland Laboratories, an extension of Valders Hall of Science, was completed in 2008. The Center for Faith and Life is Luther's largest and primary performing arts facility. Other performance areas on campus include the Center for the Arts and Jenson Noble Hall of Music. In 2021, the historic upper campus was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. At the time of its nomination it consisted of 33 resources, which included 17 contributing buildings, four contributing objects, seven non contributing buildings, and five non contributing objects. One of the contributing buildings, Koren Hall, was individually listed on the National Register in 1984.

Luther has a number of music organizations that tour and sell recordings internationally. The Nordic Choir, Concert Band, Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Orchestra are the college's four internationally touring ensembles, which have performed in many of the major concert halls and music centers of Europe, as well as Russia, China, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, and the Caribbean. About 40 percent of the students participate in at least one of the college's six choirs, three concert bands, three string orchestras, and two jazz ensembles. "Christmas at Luther," Luther's annual Christmas concert, is broadcast nationwide each year. The concert broadcast is updated annually. Much of Luther's musical heritage can be attributed to the influence of two long serving individuals. The 40 year tenure of Dr. Carlo A. Sperati, Class of 1888, fostered the college's Lutheran musical tradition beginning in 1905 and developed the Luther College Concert Band into one of the first nationally touring music ensembles. Sperati's Concert Band achieved national acclaim, and famed bandmaster John Philip Sousa canceled a performance of his own touring ensemble so that he could attend a performance of the Luther College Concert Band, which was scheduled to appear in a nearby city. Sperati's foundation was built upon by Weston Noble '43, himself a student of Sperati. Following three years of U. S. Army enlistment in World War II, Noble returned to his alma mater to conduct the Concert Band and the Nordic Choir, direct Christmastime performances of George Frederic Handel's Messiah, and teach in the Music Department. Noble's bands (which he conducted until 1973) and choirs completed coast to coast tours and international appearances. Ensembles under his direction performed solo concerts at such venues as Lincoln Center and Town Hall in New York; the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC; the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City; Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles; Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center in Chicago; Orchestra Hall and the State Theatre in Minneapolis; and the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in Saint Paul. Under Noble's direction, Luther ensembles also appeared at historic cathedrals and concert halls throughout Europe, Russia, and Scandinavia, as well as on the programs of many national conventions of the American Bandmasters Association, the American Choral Directors Association, and the Music Educators National Conference. The Nordic Choir was featured in the film The Joy of Bach, and in four weekly international broadcasts of The Hour of Power from the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. Weston Noble retired from the faculty at the close of the academic year in 2005, having served continuously for 57 years, from 1948 to 2005. A new film documentary To This Day about the first international tour of the Nordic Choir in 1967 was released in October 2017. The Nordic Choir, which tours internationally, is one of the five choral ensembles at Luther. Collegiate Chorale is a Soprano/Alto choir composed of sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Cathedral Choir is a mixed choir composed of sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Aurora and Norskkor, featuring soprano alto and tenor bass voices, respectively, are composed entirely of first year students. In addition to the five choirs, students have opportunities with Collegium Musicum and Vocal Jazz Ensemble. Collegium Musicum is an early music ensemble specializing in the music of the medieval, Renaissance, and baroque periods. The ensemble focuses more on instrumental works but incorporates vocal music throughout the academic year. The ensemble is open to singers of all years at Luther. The Vocal Jazz Ensemble is open to all students and often performs jointly with Luther's instrumental jazz ensembles. Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Orchestra, and Concert Band also tour internationally. Symphony Orchestra establishes residency in Vienna every four years, and Jazz Orchestra has toured in the Caribbean and Brazil. Concert Band travels internationally every five years and have visited countries such as Spain, Iceland, Norway, and more. Other instrumental ensembles include Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia, Jazz Band, Symphonic Band, Brass Ensemble, among others. In 2002, the Empire Brass, with college organist William Kuhlman, appeared in concert and recorded an album, Baroque Music for Brass and Organ, in the Center for Faith and Life. In 2008, musician Ben Folds appeared for his second time in concert at the Center for Faith and Life.

Each year, between 400 and 500 Luther students participate in international study, ranking Luther among the top baccalaureate colleges in the nation for the percentage of students who study abroad prior to graduation—over two thirds. Over the years, more than 150 Luther faculty have led Luther students on programs in more than 70 countries.

The Luther Norse have been a member of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (now known as the American Rivers Conference (A R C)) since its founding in 1922. Luther competes in 11 men's and 10 women's intercollegiate athletic programs. Since joining the Iowa Conference, Luther has won 237 IIAC titles. Outdoor Recreational Services is an extension of the Recreational Services program in which students/staff lead outdoor activities such as slacklining, kayak trips on the Upper Iowa River, fall break trips, rock climbing, and whitewater rafting.

Carlson Stadium: 5,000 seats; blue turf football field; eight lane, 400 meter polyurethane track with two directional approaches for pole vault and all jumping events; two shot put circles; discus/hammer cage; and multi directional javelin throwing areas. Other outdoor facilities include 12 tennis courts, baseball and softball diamonds with enclosed dugouts, lighted soccer field, cross country running course, intramural rugby, soccer, and ultimate frisbee pitches, fitness trail, ropes course, and room for cross country skiing.

The Regents Center Main Gymnasium: three full sized basketball courts and seating capacity for 2,600. Used for practice and playing of volleyball and men's and women's basketball, and as the competition site venue for wrestling. Norse basketball teams also have access to full sized cedar basketball court in the north gym and two basketball courts in the Sports and Recreation Center. Sports and Recreation Center: newly renovated in 2022 200 meter, six lane polyurethane surface track; easily accessible elevated walkway allowing up to 600 spectators; four tennis courts; year round training facility for baseball, softball, soccer, tennis and football. Legends Fitness Center: training center with cardiovascular conditioning machines; free weights; weight machines; climbing wall; computer lab; and social area. The Aquatic Center features a 25 yard, eight lane pool with separate one meter and three meter diving well and a shallow area for swimming lessons, adaptive physical education classes, and water aerobics. It also includes three meter springboards, state of the art timing equipment, a large LED scoreboard, and seating for 280 spectators. The pool was built using LEED design standards to meet Luther College's goal of sustainability.