"The Other Swedes"
~ Celebrating Them ~
~ The Smoky Valley Writers ~
Mr. Chris Abercrombie
The 2006 Abercrombie interview with Ken Sjogren
~ On Bethany's challenging times,1960s to early 70s
~ Celebrating Them ~
~ The Smoky Valley Writers ~
Mr. Chris Abercrombie
The 2006 Abercrombie interview with Ken Sjogren
~ On Bethany's challenging times,1960s to early 70s
In 2006 Ken was interviewed about those trying times at Bethany College. This was by Mr. Chris Abercrombie (1949-2017) who was the president of the Smoky Valley Historical Association and Bethany College graduate of 1971. He was also a Smoky Valley writer, and one of his ongoing fortes was interviewing "the old timers" at Bethany Home on the history in the Smoky Valley with a tape recorder in hand.
He documented those interviews and from time to time wrote stories from them for the Lindsborg News-Record. All of those interviews were deposited in the archives of the McPherson County Old Mill Museum as are all Smoky Valley Historical Association documents as he told me one day on the telephone.
Later, Chris, as he was referred to, began creating interviewing videos and then produced them on YouTube, beginning around 2006 and ending around 2016, a year before his death. The production of a 2006 interview with Ken Sjogren concerning the uncertainty of Bethany College's future was finally shown on July 25, 2012. Chris titled it:
"Ken Sjogren-Bethany College in the 1960's & early 1970's"
Chris Abercrombie writes for the YouTube production the following:
"During a 2006 interview conducted by Chris Abercrombie for the Smoky Valley Historical Association,* former Bethany College Director of Development Ken Sjogren describes the leadership and transition of Bethany College between the mid-60's and the early 1970's. He talks about Kenneth Andeen and Arvin Hahn, former presidents of the institution, and the supporting role former president Emory Lindquist played during this trying period in the school's history.
"The introduction is by J. J. Walters, former editor of the Lindsborg News-Record.
"Bethany, located in Lindsborg, Kansas, is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and was founded by Dr. Carl Aaron Swensson in 1881."
He documented those interviews and from time to time wrote stories from them for the Lindsborg News-Record. All of those interviews were deposited in the archives of the McPherson County Old Mill Museum as are all Smoky Valley Historical Association documents as he told me one day on the telephone.
Later, Chris, as he was referred to, began creating interviewing videos and then produced them on YouTube, beginning around 2006 and ending around 2016, a year before his death. The production of a 2006 interview with Ken Sjogren concerning the uncertainty of Bethany College's future was finally shown on July 25, 2012. Chris titled it:
"Ken Sjogren-Bethany College in the 1960's & early 1970's"
Chris Abercrombie writes for the YouTube production the following:
"During a 2006 interview conducted by Chris Abercrombie for the Smoky Valley Historical Association,* former Bethany College Director of Development Ken Sjogren describes the leadership and transition of Bethany College between the mid-60's and the early 1970's. He talks about Kenneth Andeen and Arvin Hahn, former presidents of the institution, and the supporting role former president Emory Lindquist played during this trying period in the school's history.
"The introduction is by J. J. Walters, former editor of the Lindsborg News-Record.
"Bethany, located in Lindsborg, Kansas, is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and was founded by Dr. Carl Aaron Swensson in 1881."
---------------------------------------------------------------
Ken
". . . basically had more to do with saving Bethany probably than any other one man.
He provided the leadership that got it going . . .
. . . And he has never been recognized for that as much as he should have been."
-- J.J. Walters, Lindsborg News-Record"
- from this short transcription -
Ken
". . . basically had more to do with saving Bethany probably than any other one man.
He provided the leadership that got it going . . .
. . . And he has never been recognized for that as much as he should have been."
-- J.J. Walters, Lindsborg News-Record"
- from this short transcription -
James J. Walters (J.J.) (1928-2009) was editor of the Lindsborg News-Record for 17 years. He provides Mr. Abercrombie with the introduction to his interview of Mr. Sjogren regarding his place in Bethany College history which is loosely transcribed here:
"The guy [the president] that was at the college had started a movement to move Bethany College to Colorado. That galvanized the community there [in Lindsborg] and ended up with him leaving the college, and Ken Sjogren was named as director of development. He was public relations director first. He basically had more to do with saving Bethany probably than any other one man. He provided the leadership that got it going....
"I have a prejudice viewpoint I realize but I think anybody familiar with this will say that without Ken's leadership and activity Bethany would not be in Lindsborg now. And he has never been recognized for that as much as he should have been."
"The guy [the president] that was at the college had started a movement to move Bethany College to Colorado. That galvanized the community there [in Lindsborg] and ended up with him leaving the college, and Ken Sjogren was named as director of development. He was public relations director first. He basically had more to do with saving Bethany probably than any other one man. He provided the leadership that got it going....
"I have a prejudice viewpoint I realize but I think anybody familiar with this will say that without Ken's leadership and activity Bethany would not be in Lindsborg now. And he has never been recognized for that as much as he should have been."
For the full YouTube story from Kenneth Sjogren with Chris Abercrombie interviewing him, go HERE.
* * *
"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.
