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	$217 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	Vikings
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division III – CCIW
Mascot	Vikings

Augustana College is a private college in Rock Island, Illinois. It is connected to the Lutheran church. About 2,500 students attend Augustana College. The campus is right next to the Mississippi River. It covers about 115 acres of land with hills and trees.

History of Augustana College

Augustana College started way back in 1860. It was first called Augustana College and Theological Seminary. It was founded by a group called the Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod.

The college first opened in Chicago. Then, in 1863, it moved to Paxton, Illinois. Finally, in 1875, it moved to its current home in Rock Island, Illinois.

After 1890, many Swedish American people in America helped the college grow. They created newspapers, churches, and other colleges. This helped people feel proud of their Swedish heritage in the United States. Augustana College was a leader in this movement.

At first, all the students were born in Sweden. But by 1890, most students were born in America. These students often came from families with professional jobs. They had an idea of Sweden that was full of romance and patriotism. They were especially proud of how Swedes helped American democracy. They also liked that America was a republic that promised freedom.

The college campus grew over time. In 1886, 5 acres of land were given to the college. In 1899, the college bought 10–12 more acres. This was possible because of a gift from C.J.A. Ericson.

In 1947, the Augustana Seminary became separate from Augustana College. It stayed on the Rock Island campus until the 1960s. Then, the Seminary moved to Chicago. It joined with other Lutheran seminaries to form the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

Campus Life and Buildings

Academic Buildings

Old Main, a historic building at Augustana College.

Old Main is a very old building on campus. It was built between 1884 and 1893. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical site.

On August 2, 2010, a new science building was named the Robert A. and Patricia K. Hanson Hall of Science. It was named after Robert Hanson, who used to be the CEO of John Deere. He gave $8 million to the college. He said his time at Augustana helped him succeed.

The science building was first opened in 1998 and made bigger in 2019. It is the largest academic building. About 700 students use it for 17 different majors and minors. The Hanson Hall of Science has many cool features. These include seven classrooms and 35 laboratories. It also has special equipment for science experiments. There is even a greenhouse that is 40 feet long!

In October 2021, Augustana opened the Peter J. Lindberg, M.D., Center for Health and Human Performance. This building is named after Peter J. Lindberg, who went to Augustana. The Lindberg Center is 52,000 square feet. It is home to new programs like kinesiology and public health. It also has facilities for the men's and women's swimming and diving teams. Plus, it has a new water polo team.

Student Homes on Campus

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 of these dorms are for both male and female students. Most first-year and second-year students live in one of these dorms.

For older students, Augustana also has Transitional Living Areas (TLAs). These are like apartments or houses off campus. They are managed by the college. Usually, 2 to 6 students share a TLA. They share a bathroom, kitchen, and other living spaces.

Fryxell Geology Museum

The Fryxell Geology Museum is named after Augustana geologist Fritiof Fryxell. This museum has a large collection of dinosaurs and fossils. It also has many rocks and mineral samples.

Some of the cool things you can see there include:

• A complete skeleton of a Platecarpus, which was a "sea serpent."
• Skulls of dinosaurs like Parasaurolophus, Ankylosaurus, Apatosaurus, Allosaurus, and Tyrannosaurus rex.
• A fossil that is 2 billion years old!

The museum also has a complete 22-foot-long skeleton of a Cryolophosaurus. This was a large meat-eating dinosaur with a crest on its head. It was found in Antarctica in 1991 by Augustana paleontologist William R. Hammer. The museum is located in the Swenson Hall of Geosciences.

What Students Study

Augustana College offers many different subjects for students to study. Based on students who graduated in 2021, here are some of the most popular majors:

• 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 known for being "more selective." This means they accept about 33% of students who apply.

Student Life and Activities

Student Groups and Clubs

Augustana has many different groups and clubs for students. Since 1950, the college has had a chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. This is a very respected group for smart students.

There are also other types of student groups:

• 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 has seven sororities and eight fraternities. These are social groups that students can join.

There are many other clubs too! Some examples include:

• Music clubs like MENC: The National Association for Music Education and American Choral Directors Association (ACDA).
• Sports clubs like the Paintball Team.
• Political clubs like College Democrats of America and College Republicans.
• Academic clubs like the Psychology Club and Business Club.
• Fun clubs like the DDR Club and Anime Club.
• Cultural groups like the Asian Student Organization (ASO) and Latinx Unidos.
• Unique clubs like The Order of the Phoenix and Viking Pups. Viking Pups is a club that trains service dogs on campus!

Getting Around Campus

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

Sports at Augustana College

Augustana's sports teams are called the Vikings. The college is part of the NCAA Division III level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Most of their sports teams compete in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). They have been in this conference since 1946.

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

The Vikings compete in 28 different sports for men and women. Many students at Augustana are involved in sports. About five out of seven students play a varsity, club, or intramural sport.

Here are some of the sports offered:

• 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.

The Augustana College football team had an amazing winning streak. Between 1983 and 1986, they won four national championships in a row! This was under Coach Bob Reade. Coach Reade's winning percentage of 87% is one of the best in football history. Only Larry Kehres and Knute Rockne have higher winning percentages.

Famous People from Augustana College

Alumni (Students Who Graduated)

Faculty (Teachers)

• Fritiof M. Fryxell – a geology professor.
• William R. Hammer (former faculty) – a paleontologist who found the first dinosaur, Cryolophosaurus, in Antarctica.
• Stanley Hauerwas (former faculty) – a theologian.
• Andrea Talentino – a political scientist and current president of the college.

See also

• SS Augustana Victory