Peter Laurentius Larsen
Encyclopedia
Peter Laurentius Larsen (August 10, 1833 – March 1, 1915) was a Norwegian-American educator and Lutheran theological leader. He was the founding president of Luther College
.
in the county of Lister og Mandals Amt
, Norway
. He was a 1855 doctoral graduate at the Royal Frederick University
. Laur. Larsen was ordained
in Christiania
during 1857 and subsequently immigrated to the United States in response to a call issued by the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church
. He served as a pastor near Rush River
, Pierce County
, Wisconsin
from 1857 until 1859.
The Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church decided on October 10, 1857 to create a college to supply ministers for Norwegian congregations in the Upper Midwest. It decided that students should be sent to Concordia College and Seminary
in Missouri
and that a Norwegian professorship should be established there. Laur. Larsen was appointed to the Norwegian theology professorship, entering officially upon his duties October 14, 1859. With the outbreak of the American Civil War
, disorders arose in St. Louis. When Concordia College and Seminary closed in April, 1861, Professor Larsen and his students returned home.
. Lutheran College opened September 1, 1861, with two teachers, Larsen and F. A. Schmidt. In the summer of 1862 the school was transferred to Decorah, Iowa
. Larsen served as President of Luther College from 1861. He supervised the construction of the college’s first Main building and its subsequent rebuilding after a devastating fire in 1889. Larsen also acted in a number of capacities as president. Not only was he the Chief Executive Officer, but he also directed admissions, financial matters, curriculum, and fund raising, served as campus pastor and taught a diverse range of subjects. Although he resigned from the presidency in 1902, he continued to teach there until 1911.
Laur. Larsen was vice-president of the Norwegian Synod, 1876 until 1893. He was the acting President of the Synodical Conference from 1880 until 1882. Larsen helped edit the Norwegian language publication Church Monthly (Norwegian: Kirkelig Maanedstidende) and its successor, Evangelical Lutheran Church Times (Norwegian: Evangelisk Luthersk Kirketidende). His articles appeared in the Norwegian language
literary magazine Symra
. Larsen was appointed a Knight of the 1st Class in the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1908 and was awarded an honorary doctorate at Concordia Seminary.
during 1855 with Karen Randine Neuberg (1833–1871). In 1872, he married Ingeborg Astrup (1846–1923). Several of his 12 children held important positions within the American Lutheran church, colleges and universities.
Luther College (Iowa)
Luther College is a four-year, residential liberal arts institution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, located in Decorah, Iowa, USA...
.
Background
Peter Laurentius Larsen was born in KristiansandKristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
in the county of Lister og Mandals Amt
Vest-Agder
In the 16th century, Dutch merchant vessels began to visit ports in southern Norway to purchase salmon and other goods. Soon thereafter the export of timber began, as oak from southern Norway was exceptionally well suited for shipbuilding...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. He was a 1855 doctoral graduate at the Royal Frederick University
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
. Laur. Larsen was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
in Christiania
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
during 1857 and subsequently immigrated to the United States in response to a call issued by the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church
Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church
The Synod of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, commonly called the Norwegian Synod, was founded in 1853. It included churches in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.-History:...
. He served as a pastor near Rush River
Rush River, Wisconsin
Rush River is a town in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 498 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Centerville is located in the town.-Geography:...
, Pierce County
Pierce County, Wisconsin
Pierce County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population was 41,019. Its county seat is Ellsworth. Pierce County is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area .-Geography:...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
from 1857 until 1859.
The Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church decided on October 10, 1857 to create a college to supply ministers for Norwegian congregations in the Upper Midwest. It decided that students should be sent to Concordia College and Seminary
Concordia Seminary
Concordia Seminary is located in Clayton, Missouri, an inner-ring suburb on the western border of St. Louis, Missouri. The institution's primary mission is to train pastors, deaconesses, missionaries, chaplains, and church leaders for the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod . The current president of...
in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and that a Norwegian professorship should be established there. Laur. Larsen was appointed to the Norwegian theology professorship, entering officially upon his duties October 14, 1859. With the outbreak of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, disorders arose in St. Louis. When Concordia College and Seminary closed in April, 1861, Professor Larsen and his students returned home.
Luther College
At its meeting in June 1861, the church decided to proceed at once to establish its own college. College authorities decided to make use of a newly erected vacant parsonage at Halfway Creek, just north of La Crosse, WisconsinLa Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
. Lutheran College opened September 1, 1861, with two teachers, Larsen and F. A. Schmidt. In the summer of 1862 the school was transferred to Decorah, Iowa
Decorah, Iowa
Decorah is a city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 8,172 at the 2000 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and U.S...
. Larsen served as President of Luther College from 1861. He supervised the construction of the college’s first Main building and its subsequent rebuilding after a devastating fire in 1889. Larsen also acted in a number of capacities as president. Not only was he the Chief Executive Officer, but he also directed admissions, financial matters, curriculum, and fund raising, served as campus pastor and taught a diverse range of subjects. Although he resigned from the presidency in 1902, he continued to teach there until 1911.
Laur. Larsen was vice-president of the Norwegian Synod, 1876 until 1893. He was the acting President of the Synodical Conference from 1880 until 1882. Larsen helped edit the Norwegian language publication Church Monthly (Norwegian: Kirkelig Maanedstidende) and its successor, Evangelical Lutheran Church Times (Norwegian: Evangelisk Luthersk Kirketidende). His articles appeared in the Norwegian language
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
literary magazine Symra
Symra
Symra was a Norwegian language periodical published between in 1905 and 1914.Symra; En Aarbog for Norske Paa Begge Sider Af Havet was established to publish the literary works of Norwegian American authors, writers and poets. Johannes B...
. Larsen was appointed a Knight of the 1st Class in the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1908 and was awarded an honorary doctorate at Concordia Seminary.
Selected works
- Historisk Fremstilling af den Strid, som i Aarene 1861 til 1868 indenfor den norske Synode i Amerika har været ført i Anledning af Skriftens Lære om Slaveri (Madison, Wisconsin: 1868)
- Inkorporationsartikler, Bilove og gjældende Bestemmelser for dens Institutioner Embedsmend og Virksomhed (Decorah, Iowa: 1901)
- Nogle gamle minder (in SymraSymraSymra was a Norwegian language periodical published between in 1905 and 1914.Symra; En Aarbog for Norske Paa Begge Sider Af Havet was established to publish the literary works of Norwegian American authors, writers and poets. Johannes B...
1913)
Personal life
Peter Laurentius Larsen was married twice. He was married in BergenBergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
during 1855 with Karen Randine Neuberg (1833–1871). In 1872, he married Ingeborg Astrup (1846–1923). Several of his 12 children held important positions within the American Lutheran church, colleges and universities.
Laur. Larsen Hall
Laurentius Larsen Hall, first opened in 1907, is a residence hall at Luther College. It also houses the international student office, study abroad resource center, and health service. The hall is named for Peter Laurentius Larsen, who was the first president of Luther College.Other sources
- Larsen, Karen Laur. Larsen: Pioneer College President (Norwegian-American Historical Association. Northfield, MN: 1936)
- Larsen, Karen The Adjustment of a Pioneer Pastor to American Conditions, Laur. Larsen, 1857–1880 (in Norwegian-American Studies and Records, 1929)
External links
- http://finearts.luther.edu/Albums/gausta_album/pages/image044.htmlPeter Laurentius Larsen by Herbjørn GaustaHerbjørn GaustaHerbjørn Gausta also Herbjorn Gausta was an American artist who is best known for his landscapes, portraits and scenes from rural settings...
, (1885)] - Luther College biography