Robert A. Skotheim, president of the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, Calif., will deliver the Gustavus Adolphus College commencement address, "Gustavus Adolphus and America: A Century Ago and Today," at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 28 on the college's Hollingsworth Field. During commencement exercises, 576 students will receive bachelor of arts degrees, making this the second largest graduating class in the college's 138-year history. In 1991, 597 students graduated. Following a tradition started in 1973, graduates will receive signed diplomas from the faculty department chair in their major.
Skotheim, who graduated with a Ph.D. in history from the University of Washington, has been president of the Huntington Library since 1988. He served as president of Whitman College from 1975 to 1988. He has been a professor of history at his alma mater, Wayne State University, University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Colorado.
At the ceremony Skotheim and Barbro Osher will be awarded honorary degrees. Osher is a friend of the college who has Swedish ties and has helped support college initiatives and programs in recent years. Osher is the honorary Consul General for Sweden in San Francisco and owner/publisher of Vestkusten, a 114-year-old Swedish-American newspaper. She is president of the Bernard Osher Foundation and the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation.
In the event of rain, commencement will be moved indoors to Lund Center for Physical Education and Health. For more information on the schedule of commencement events, contact the Office of Public Affairs at (507) 933-7550.
Gustavus Adolphus College is a residential, liberal arts college that grants undergraduate degrees in 65 majors. The college, overlooking St. Peter and the Minnesota River Valley, was founded by Swedish Lutheran immigrants and named for Swedish King Gustav II Adolf. Gustavus is the oldest Lutheran college in Minnesota. At Gustavus, personal attention rules as small-sized classes are the norm and many students engage in collaborative research with their professors. Fully accredited and well known for its strong writing, science, music, athletic, and service-learning programs, Gustavus hosts a local chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and is internationally recognized for its annual Nobel Conference.
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Media Note: Any journalist who would like additional information or who plans to attend commencement at Gustavus Adolphus College should contact News Director Stacia Senne at (507) 933-7510 or [email protected].
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