When the class reunion committee first met last May, the Class of 1968 Endowed Scholarship was not on the agenda, nor did anyone mention any sort of fundraising. But the idea had already sprouted in the mind of committee co-chair Bruce Benson, and by the time he reached home after the meeting, it was firmly planted. The retired St. Olaf College pastor knew that other institutions benefited from alumni reunion gifts, so why not Augsburg? Dare he test a gift proposal among his peers?
鈥淚f I hadn鈥檛 been on the committee, I don鈥檛 know if I would have proposed it,鈥� he says, 鈥渂ut I thought, 鈥榣et鈥檚 just see what happens.鈥欌�� He emailed the committee members, respectfully acknowledging their other charitable commitments, making no assumptions about class members鈥� financial means or inclinations, yet exploring possibilities. Would they be able and willing to contribute? Would they resent being asked? Might such a project fizzle out before reaching its final goal?
His pitch was forthright. 鈥淚n 50 years I鈥檝e developed other commitments and loyalties,鈥� he wrote, 鈥渂ut Augsburg is where I got an undergraduate education that helped me live a meaningful life and contribute to the world around me. Additionally, I am rather proud of what Augsburg has become since we were students. I鈥檇 like to support that.鈥� One could do that on one鈥檚 own, of course, but 鈥渁 class gift sounds like more fun.鈥�
The response was unanimous: yes!
鈥淚t seemed like a great idea. A lot of us got scholarships,鈥� says Miriam Cox Peterson, who thought a goal of $50,000, the minimum required for an endowed scholarship, would be nice, but $68,000 sounded even better. 鈥淲hy not try? Kids going to Augsburg now are certainly paying more than we did. We were given that opportunity, and we want other people to have it, too.鈥�
Back in 1968, she pointed out, her guaranteed tuition ranged from $1,000 her first year to $900 her last, and her summer jobs covered the $500 for room and board. Those jobs鈥攄estroying old files in a sub-basement, sliding carbon paper between insurance policy copies鈥攚ere anything but glamorous, thus convincing her that a college education was essential to a happy future. She has remained grateful to Augsburg ever since, and she will contribute $10,000 to the cause.
Benson wrote to the entire class, identifying with how hard it might be to choose among competing responsibilities but also reminding them that they had entered the era of minimum IRA distributions and might be seeking a way to make a difference. So far they have donated more than $75,000 for the scholarship, which will be available to any student in need.
鈥淐learly, I鈥檓 gratified. The response is very satisfying but not surprising,鈥� Benson says. The Class of 1968, which graduated during a momentous year of assassinations and Vietnam War protests, was characterized by others as 鈥渄ifferent,鈥� more engaged, active, and risk-taking than most. 鈥淔ifty years out, we all have an honest sense of how influential our education was. Whatever we didn鈥檛 like has faded away, and we realize this is a good thing. I鈥檓 also rather proud of what Augsburg has become since we were there,鈥� he says.
鈥淚鈥檓 very impressed with what they鈥檙e doing. They鈥檙e incredibly inclusive, and service to the world around us is ingrained in them, just as it was ingrained in us,鈥� Peterson adds.
Five decades ago, Augsburg seemed trapped by its confinement in the city, with no place to grow and all the action shifting to the suburbs, Benson explains. Since then, however, it 鈥渉as embraced its role as a city school and has become a good neighbor and resource. This gift will help the Class of 1968 say both 鈥榯hank you鈥� and 鈥榖ravo鈥� to Augsburg.
ee these three days as holding great significance relative to the art work we funded for the Psychology Department.”