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Sven Oftedal Society

Augsburg honors donors who have made commitments of future support through membership in the Sven Oftedal Society, named for Augsburg’s second member of the faculty and its third president.

Throughout its history, Augsburg’s vision and commitment to educating future leaders in service to the broader community has been sustained by donors whose outright and future gifts have strengthened the university’s endowment, campus facilities, faculty and academic resources, and student scholarships.

Sven-Oftedal-photoOftedal’s Legacy
Sven Oftedal served as President of Augsburg Seminary from 1907-1911 after serving on the faculty for more than three decades. He was born in Stavanger, Norway and studied languages, philosophy, and theology at several European universities before moving to the United States. As a leader at Augsburg, Sven Oftedal helped foster a climate of innovation and expansion and played a key role in recruiting outstanding faculty and students. Oftedal rallied and inspired farmers, merchants, businesses, and churches from throughout the region to support Augsburg’s mission, an effort securing gifts from over 30,000 individuals! Augsburg was no longer a school of a select few…Augsburg truly became a school of the people.

Exemplifying Augsburg’s commitment to civic involvement, Oftedal established a community newspaper, was elected to the Minneapolis Board of Education, appointed to the Minneapolis Library Board, and served as the president of Augsburg’s Board for 36 years. His legacy of service is honored by Augsburg through the founding of the Oftedal Society to recognize the loyalty and vision of those who make a commitment of future support to the University.

Who can join?

You are invited to join the Sven Oftedal Society if you have an estate provision or life income gift of any size, including:

  • Will or revocable trust provisions
  • Insurance gifts
  • Gifts of retirement plan assets
  • Charitable gift annuities
  • Charitable remainder trusts

For more information
To learn more about the Oftedal Society or making a gift of future support, please contact our Office of Planned Giving at giving@augsburg.edu.