Augustana College (Illinois) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Augustana College

Type	Private college
Established	1860; 165 years ago (1860)
Religious affiliation	Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Academic affiliation	Annapolis Group
Endowment	$196.8 million (2022)
President	Andrea Talentino
Students	2,349 (Fall 2022)
Undergraduates	2,318 (Fall 2022)
Postgraduates	31 (Fall 2022)
Location	Rock Island , Illinois , United States 41°30′08″N 90°33′01″W / 41.5023°N 90.5504°W / 41.5023; -90.5504
Campus	Urban, 115 acres (47 ha)
Newspaper	Augustana Observer
Colors	Navy blue and gold
Nickname	Augie
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division III – CCIW
Mascot	Vikings

Augustana College is a private college located in Rock Island, Illinois. It is connected to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. About 2,349 students attend Augustana College. The campus is next to the Mississippi River. It covers 115 acres (about 46.5 hectares) of land with hills and trees.

Discovering Augustana's Past

Augustana College started in 1860. It was first called Augustana College and Theological Seminary. The college began in Chicago. In 1863, it moved to Paxton, Illinois. Then, in 1875, it found its permanent home in Rock Island, Illinois.

After 1890, many Swedish American people lived in America. They helped create new schools and organizations. This helped Swedish Americans feel proud of their heritage. Augustana College played a big part in this movement. At first, all students were born in Sweden. But by 1890, most students were born in America. These students often came from middle-class families. They developed a strong sense of pride in Sweden's history. They were also proud of Sweden's contributions to American democracy.

The college campus grew over time. In 1886, 5 acres (2 hectares) were added through a donation. More land was bought in 1899 thanks to a gift from C.J.A. Ericson.

In 1947, the Augustana Seminary became separate from the college. It stayed on the Rock Island campus for a while. Later, in the 1960s, the Seminary moved to Chicago. It joined with other seminaries to form the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

Exploring the Augustana Campus

Important Academic Buildings

Old Main building

The Old Main building was built between 1884 and 1893. It is a historic landmark. On August 2, 2010, the New Science Building was named the Robert A. and Patricia K. Hanson Hall of Science. Robert Hanson, a former CEO of John Deere, gave $8 million to the college. He felt his time at Augustana helped him succeed.

The science building opened in 1998 and was made bigger in 2019. It is the largest academic building. About 700 students use it for 17 different subjects. It has classrooms, labs, and special equipment. There is also a 40-foot (12-meter) greenhouse.

In October 2021, Augustana opened the Peter J. Lindberg, M.D., Center for Health and Human Performance. This center is named after a former student, Peter J. Lindberg. The Lindberg Center is 52,000 square feet (about 4,831 square meters). It is home to new programs like kinesiology and public health. It also hosts the college's swimming, diving, and water polo teams.

Student Homes: Residential Complexes

Weyerhaeuser House, also known as House on the Hill

Augustana has five main dorms where students live. These are Andreen Hall, Erickson Residence Center, Seminary Hall, Swanson Commons, and Westerlin Residence Center. All these dorms are for both male and female students. Most first-year and second-year students live in these dorms.

For older students, Augustana offers Transitional Living Areas (TLAs). These are like apartments or houses managed by the college. Students share bathrooms, kitchens, and living spaces. Some examples include House on the Hill, Naeseth, and Arbaugh Apartments. The school helps with basic upkeep in these areas.

Fryxell Geology Museum: Dinosaur Discoveries

The Fryxell Geology Museum is named after Augustana geologist Fritiof Fryxell. It has a large collection of dinosaurs, fossils, rocks, and minerals. You can see a full skeleton of a "sea serpent" called a Platecarpus. There are also skulls of Parasaurolophus, Ankylosaurus, Apatosaurus, Allosaurus, and Tyrannosaurus rex. One fossil is 2 billion years old!

The museum also has a complete 22-foot (6.7-meter) skeleton of a Cryolophosaurus. This large, meat-eating dinosaur was found in Antarctica in 1991. It was discovered by Augustana paleontologist William R. Hammer. The museum is in the Swenson Hall of Geosciences. It is open during the school year, and admission is free.

Student Life at Augustana

Popular Study Areas

Here are the most popular subjects that students studied at Augustana in 2021:

• Biology/Biological Sciences (83 students)
• Psychology (45 students)
• Business Administration and Management (32 students)
• Finance (31 students)
• Accounting (30 students)
• Communication Sciences and Disorders (27 students)
• Marketing/Marketing Management (26 students)

The college is considered "more selective." This means it accepts about 41% of students who apply.

Clubs and Organizations

Augustana has many clubs and groups for students. Since 1950, it has had a chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. This group recognizes students with excellent grades.

There are also other student groups that are not "Greek" fraternities or sororities. These include:

• Epsilon Tau Pi (ΕΤΠ) for Eagle Scouts
• Alpha Phi Omega (APO) for community service
• Music groups like Sigma Alpha Iota (SAI) and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (PMA)
• Epsilon Sigma Alpha (ESA) for service
• Alpha Psi Omega (ΑΨΩ) for theater

Augustana also has its own local Greek system. This includes seven sororities and eight fraternities.

Many other organizations are available, such as:

• Music groups like MENC and American Choral Directors Association (ACDA)
• A Paintball Team
• Political clubs like College Democrats of America and College Republicans
• Clubs for different interests like Psychology, Business, DDR, and Anime
• Cultural groups like Asian Student Organization (ASO) and Latinx Unidos
• Special interest groups like the Investment Club, Martial Arts Club, and Viking Pups. Viking Pups helps train service dogs on campus.

Getting Around: Transportation

Augustana College is on the east side of Rock Island. Students can get around using the Quad Cities MetroLINK bus system. Bus routes 10, 53, and 57 connect the campus to downtown Rock Island, downtown Moline, and other places.

Augustana Vikings: Sports and Athletics

Augustana's sports teams are called the Vikings. The college is part of the NCAA Division III. This means they compete against other colleges of similar size. Most of their sports teams play in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). This has been their main conference since 1946.

The women's bowling team is an exception. They are part of the Central Intercollegiate Bowling Conference (CIBC). This conference started in 2019.

The Vikings compete in 28 different sports. These include:

• Men's sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, eSports, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling.
• Women's sports: basketball, bowling, cross country, eSports, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling.

Many students at Augustana play sports. About five out of seven students are involved in a varsity, club, or intramural sport.

The Augustana College football team had a very successful period. Between 1983 and 1986, they won four national championships in NCAA Division III. This was under the leadership of Coach Bob Reade. Coach Reade's winning percentage of 87% is one of the best in college football history.

Notable People from Augustana

Alumni

Faculty

• William R. Hammer (former faculty) – A paleontologist who found the first dinosaur in Antarctica, called Cryolophosaurus.

See also

• SS Augustana Victory