Sometimes the life of one graduate reflects a university’s highest aspirations for its students. Such is the case with our dear friend John Schwartz ’67, whose generosity and legacy are highlighted in this issue of Augsburg Now. His was a life well-led, indeed!
I first came to know John as an engaged Augsburg alumnus—a distinguished health care administrator who generously shared his experience, wisdom, and networks with our students. As the years went by, John and I had opportunities to share our personal stories with each other, and we quickly realized how similar our paths were, both in our vocations and in our avocations. We were both liberal arts kinds of guys (majoring in business for John, sociology and political science for me) who found our true passion and purpose in choral music (John in the Augsburg Choir with Leland Sateren ’35 and me with the Luther College Nordic Choir under the direction of Weston Noble). We each found ways to balance our professional lives with opportunities to sing in choirs—for John in both Milwaukee and Chicago, where he performed for 15 years with the Apollo Chorus, and for me with various professional choirs in Chicago. We rejoiced in our shared experiences and love for choral music.
In recent years, John’s commitment to Augsburg only strengthened. He served on the Board of Regents, and his generous philanthropic support began to transform our music and arts programs through endowed professorships, scholarships, and innovation in the curriculum. Just a year ago, in one of the most joyful moments in my entire time at Augsburg, I sat together with John and his husband Jim in Chicago as John made a remarkable commitment to create the Schwartz School of the Arts, bringing together our visual, performing, and narrative arts programs under Augsburg’s first “school.”
In all of this, what I found most remarkable about John was his deep humility, his recognition of the gifts he’d been given in his life, and his commitment to being a good steward of those gifts. In many ways, the scripture readings for John’s memorial service depicted his way of being in the world—as the psalmist proclaims, “O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things!” (Psalm 98:1), while the Apostle Paul instructs the early Christians to live their faith with kindness, compassion, concern for others, and a sense of gratitude for life itself (Colossians 3:12–17).
This was our friend, John Schwartz, who now has joined the heavenly choir, having left a mark in this world that will live on through his blessed memory for years to come. I want to believe that John is up there in the tenor section, joyfully proclaiming in the words of Fred Pratt Green’s glorious hymn:
When in our music God is glorified,
and adoration leaves no room for pride,
it is as though the whole creation cried,
Hallelujah!
A life well-led, a vocation embraced, and an Auggie through and through.
Faithfully yours,
Paul C. Pribbenow, Ph.D.
Top image: President Paul Pribbenow cheering on new students as they return to campus for Opening Convocation (Photo by Courtney Perry)