"The Other Swedes"
~ Celebrating Them ~
~ The Lindsborg Swedes, Their Neighbors & Friends ~
<> Celebrating the Augustana Synod Legacy <>
~ Celebrating Them ~
~ The Lindsborg Swedes, Their Neighbors & Friends ~
<> Celebrating the Augustana Synod Legacy <>
Dr. Arvin W. Hahn
~ Remembering him, Ken Sjogren and others
for saving Bethany College from going under!
-- "A Miracle in the Making"
- Lloyd Forrester, James Attleson, Ken Sjogren, Stan Talbott, Pauline Talbott, A. John Pearson -
President's Advisory Council
facilitators of the 1981 CDDP goal of
$11,055,000 that instead became $15,026,000
-----------------------------------
Dr. Arvin W. Hahn
(1923-2017)
Eighth Bethany College President
1967-1983
(1923-2017)
Eighth Bethany College President
1967-1983
Bethany College Magazine Spring 1976
My Class of 1968 was only to know Dr. Arvin W. Hahn for one year as he became "our third" president in our last year of college when he would hand us our diplomas. Dr. Hahn would serve Bethany for 16 years, resigning in 1983. He was of German descent and Lutheran of the Lutheran Church of America, that the former Swedish Augustana Lutheran Synod had become part of during its formation in 1962.
Little did we know as students that Bethany was having grave financial problems. Our first president, Rev. Dr. L. Dale Lund, from 1964 to 1965 was just finishing up 7 years (1958-1965) when our second president Dr. Gustav Kenneth Andeen arrived at Bethany College. Due to the dire financial situation of the College that had been building up before his arrival at Bethany, Dr. Andeen faced then, he and a few other persons were looking at the possibility of moving the College to Colorado. This did not sit well at all with the "Bethany Family" and Lindsborg. As a result, Dr. Andeen resigned in 1967 and was replaced by Dr. Hahn who with his sincere and significant commitment to serving the College with a well-chosen staff and their trust in God, they were able to pull Bethany back from bankruptcy and to create a once again flourishing institution and campus.
His obituary stated: "...During his 16-year tenure as president, he initiated and oversaw innovative fundraising campaigns and academic programs that took the college back from the brink of insolvency to a robust reputation as a small Lutheran college with a revitalized campus and curriculum..."
Little did we know as students that Bethany was having grave financial problems. Our first president, Rev. Dr. L. Dale Lund, from 1964 to 1965 was just finishing up 7 years (1958-1965) when our second president Dr. Gustav Kenneth Andeen arrived at Bethany College. Due to the dire financial situation of the College that had been building up before his arrival at Bethany, Dr. Andeen faced then, he and a few other persons were looking at the possibility of moving the College to Colorado. This did not sit well at all with the "Bethany Family" and Lindsborg. As a result, Dr. Andeen resigned in 1967 and was replaced by Dr. Hahn who with his sincere and significant commitment to serving the College with a well-chosen staff and their trust in God, they were able to pull Bethany back from bankruptcy and to create a once again flourishing institution and campus.
His obituary stated: "...During his 16-year tenure as president, he initiated and oversaw innovative fundraising campaigns and academic programs that took the college back from the brink of insolvency to a robust reputation as a small Lutheran college with a revitalized campus and curriculum..."
On the go and in the midst of these fundraising campaigns with President Hahn was Bethany College graduate of 1957 Kenneth Sjogren (1935-2022), the Director of Development and Assistant to the President at the time. In his 2019, "6 Decades with 12 Bethany College Presidents," he stated that his boss "soon won respect both on the campus and in the larger community for his ability, vision, and dedication to Christian Higher Education" and that he had "put together an administrative team who worked well together." Some were hired for the president by Ken, that college staff of 2022 have not forgotten. They were Stan and Pauline Talbott, and A. John Pearson. Stan Talbott (1920-2003) who became known as "Mr. Bethany" was hired by Mr. Sjogren to take his former job of the Director of Public Relations and Alumni Programs, while his wife Pauline Talbott (1919-2007) was hired to be Dean of Women. Mr. A. John Pearson was hired later to relieve the workload of Mr. Talbott to become Director of Public Relations. As Ken expressed in his book, "Things were moving so rapidly that we felt the need to hire a Director of Public Relations to relieve L. Stanley Talbott of the double duty in Public Relations and Alumni Affairs." So, Mr. Pearson was hired. Needless to say, student enrollment and fundraising were increasing. All three of these individuals were overwhelmingly 100% plus committed to Bethany.
Dr. Hahn's colleague Dr. Lloyd Forrester from the previous college where they served, Concordia Teachers College in River Forest, Illinois, hired him as academic dean filling that vacant Bethany College post. Also a Mr. James Attleson (1931-2022) of Denver, Colorado, active in the insurance field, joined the college's Public Affairs staff in Planned Giving.
Ken continues that, "Dr. Hahn had hired architects to draw up plans for a resident hall and the new library and classroom building which were to be encircled by a walkway to be known as 'the million-dollar circle."
Under the Hahn administration came the most aggressive fundraising campaign in Bethany's history. The announcement was made on October 2, 1972, of the $11,055,000 nine-year Centennial Decade Development Program [CDDP] to culminate in 1981. To assist in this endeavor, a President's Advisory Council was created that consisted of 30 distinguished business and professional leaders to facilitate this program. When the CDDP was completed, the funds raised were $15,026,000, nearly 4 million dollars beyond their target!!
The Hahn years were the most challenging yet most rewarding and productive in college modern history. In short, a spirited and vigorous revitalization of Bethany College took place in a variety of ways including new buildings and a new outlook! Dr. Emory Lindquist characterized the Hahn era as "a miracle in the making!"
Bethany was back to her dynamic self, and so was promoting her Swedish college histories, cultures and traditions, especially when the King of Sweden came to visit the day before Easter in 1976.
Dr. Hahn's colleague Dr. Lloyd Forrester from the previous college where they served, Concordia Teachers College in River Forest, Illinois, hired him as academic dean filling that vacant Bethany College post. Also a Mr. James Attleson (1931-2022) of Denver, Colorado, active in the insurance field, joined the college's Public Affairs staff in Planned Giving.
Ken continues that, "Dr. Hahn had hired architects to draw up plans for a resident hall and the new library and classroom building which were to be encircled by a walkway to be known as 'the million-dollar circle."
Under the Hahn administration came the most aggressive fundraising campaign in Bethany's history. The announcement was made on October 2, 1972, of the $11,055,000 nine-year Centennial Decade Development Program [CDDP] to culminate in 1981. To assist in this endeavor, a President's Advisory Council was created that consisted of 30 distinguished business and professional leaders to facilitate this program. When the CDDP was completed, the funds raised were $15,026,000, nearly 4 million dollars beyond their target!!
The Hahn years were the most challenging yet most rewarding and productive in college modern history. In short, a spirited and vigorous revitalization of Bethany College took place in a variety of ways including new buildings and a new outlook! Dr. Emory Lindquist characterized the Hahn era as "a miracle in the making!"
Bethany was back to her dynamic self, and so was promoting her Swedish college histories, cultures and traditions, especially when the King of Sweden came to visit the day before Easter in 1976.
Not mentioned in Dr. Hahn's obituary was the fact that he had been honored by the King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf personally in 1976 as the information shows below. Not only was he with wife Judie Hahn destined to host his majesty's visit to Bethany College, but they were also destined to host the celebration of Bethany College's Centennial in 1981, the preparations of which would produce a small, but all-inclusive historical document, a publication, titled, The Centennial of Bethany College. This was compiled and written by Mr. A. John Pearson who was the Director of Public Relations and Alumni Affairs then. Also with the Swedish King's visit of 1976 and the Centennial celebrations of 1981 would be two special Messiah Easter performances. The first, a day before Easter, for the King, the second, broadcast around-the-world for the first time to 25 million viewers, hosted by Jim Lehrer of the nightly PBS "NewsHour."
During Dr. Hahn's tenure, nothing has surpassed the importance of these events in the life of Bethany College. Dr. and Mrs. Hahn, faithful Lutheran Christians, were the driving forces, great leaders, behind these successes! They were incredibly rewarding, especially to all those who earlier at the college worked so hard along with Dr. Hahn to bring Bethany back to life!
To top it off, Bethany in Kansas, the history of a college was published in 1975, authored by former forth Bethany College president, Dr. Emory K. Lindquist, an Oxford University Rhodes Scholar, and President Hahn had the privilege of writing the Foreword! Finally, the College had a documented, well-written, up-close and personal professionally published classic, to memorialize its Swedish Lutheran history and heritage, to remember and to honor the Swedish pioneer academic leaders, these leaders which set the standard for future generations to follow.
Most rewarding to the Bethany College Family is that the above events were recorded in Bethany in Kansas, the history of a college by Dr. Lindquist. More rewarding is that his entire book can be accessed now on-line. For the events mentioned above, look for them in Chapter 6, "A Decade of Change" -- 1958-1967, page 95, and Chapter 7, "A Miracle in the Making" -- 1967-1976, page 109. To do so, go HERE.
During Dr. Hahn's tenure, nothing has surpassed the importance of these events in the life of Bethany College. Dr. and Mrs. Hahn, faithful Lutheran Christians, were the driving forces, great leaders, behind these successes! They were incredibly rewarding, especially to all those who earlier at the college worked so hard along with Dr. Hahn to bring Bethany back to life!
To top it off, Bethany in Kansas, the history of a college was published in 1975, authored by former forth Bethany College president, Dr. Emory K. Lindquist, an Oxford University Rhodes Scholar, and President Hahn had the privilege of writing the Foreword! Finally, the College had a documented, well-written, up-close and personal professionally published classic, to memorialize its Swedish Lutheran history and heritage, to remember and to honor the Swedish pioneer academic leaders, these leaders which set the standard for future generations to follow.
Most rewarding to the Bethany College Family is that the above events were recorded in Bethany in Kansas, the history of a college by Dr. Lindquist. More rewarding is that his entire book can be accessed now on-line. For the events mentioned above, look for them in Chapter 6, "A Decade of Change" -- 1958-1967, page 95, and Chapter 7, "A Miracle in the Making" -- 1967-1976, page 109. To do so, go HERE.
Decades later Mr. Sjogren would write about those trying and rewarding times of Bethany as noted above. To have Ken tell you his story of those times, go HERE to his 2019 6 Decades with Twelve Bethany College Presidents and scroll down to the Dr. Arvin Hahn chapter.
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Bethany College President Dr. Arvin Hahn and King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf
April 17, 1976
front and center
Bethany College President Dr. Arvin Hahn and King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf
April 17, 1976
front and center
Source: The Bethany Magazine, Spring Issue 1976, Editor A. John Pearson, Assistant Estred Johnson Schwantes. Cover photo by Jim Turner of Jim Turner Photography
Knighted Personally by the King of Sweden in 1976
Dr. Arvin Hahn (1923-2017), eighth Bethany College President (1967-1983), was knighted personally by the King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf, in 1976 at Bethany College on the Presser Hall stage during the American Bicentennial Celebrations. The King to Dr. Hahn stated: "The history of a college is also ... made by the presidents of the college-- particularly this College which was created by Swedish immigrants and supported by their descendants. The President of the College, Dr. Arvin Hahn, has made valuable contributions to the development of Swedish-American relations in the cultural field." The King, in recognition of these services, bestowed upon him the great honor of "Knight First Class of the Royal Order of the North Star. Also, fourth Bethany College President (1943-1953), Dr. Emory Lindquist (1908-1992), eminent Swedish American scholar, historian and author shared the stage with Dr. Hahn and was knighted personally by the King who bestowed upon him the great honor of the "Commander of the Royal Order of the North Star." (From Swedes' "Bethany College Swedish Knights and Honored Ladies." Sources: Lindsborg News Record and Bethany College Magazine Spring 1976.)
Also, Dr. Arthur W. Lindquist (1903-1980), a Bethany College graduate a renown entomologist, although absent was knighted and would receive the "Royal Order of the North Star" from the King at this time.
Finding these presentations in the video, Scrolling to these 2 presentation after the King's arrival and Dr. Hahn's speech. -- begin after the arrival of the King of Sweden around 42:00, Governor Robert Bennett and Hahn's speech at around 47:25.
Also, Dr. Arthur W. Lindquist (1903-1980), a Bethany College graduate a renown entomologist, although absent was knighted and would receive the "Royal Order of the North Star" from the King at this time.
Finding these presentations in the video, Scrolling to these 2 presentation after the King's arrival and Dr. Hahn's speech. -- begin after the arrival of the King of Sweden around 42:00, Governor Robert Bennett and Hahn's speech at around 47:25.
Lindsborg News-Record
November 9, 2017
Judie and Arvin Hahn
----------------------------------------------------
For
Dr. Arvin W. Hahn
~ Remembering him handing me my Bethany College "Bachelor of Arts" Degree on Sunday, May 26,1968,
go HERE.
For
Dr. Arvin W. Hahn
~ Remembering him handing me my Bethany College "Bachelor of Arts" Degree on Sunday, May 26,1968,
go HERE.
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* * *
"Let Us Celebrate Them"
* * *
Swedes: TheWayTheyWere
~ restoring lost local histories ~
reconnecting past to present
* * *
All color photography throughout Swedes: The Way They Were is by Fran Cochran unless otherwise indicated.
Copyright © since October 8, 2015 to Current Year
as indicated on main menu sections of
www.swedesthewaytheywere.org. All rights reserved.
"Let Us Celebrate Them"
* * *
Swedes: TheWayTheyWere
~ restoring lost local histories ~
reconnecting past to present
* * *
All color photography throughout Swedes: The Way They Were is by Fran Cochran unless otherwise indicated.
Copyright © since October 8, 2015 to Current Year
as indicated on main menu sections of
www.swedesthewaytheywere.org. All rights reserved.
