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Addresses: 901 Commerce, Rust Building, Townsend Building, Rust Building

University Photographer, Pacific Lutheran University: 2002-2009

The founder of Pacific Lutheran University, Bjug Aanondson, was born on December 17, 1848 on a farm named Harstad in Valle, Setesdal, Norway to father Aanond Tellefson Aakre and mother Torbjør Kittilsdatter Harstad. He was one of ten children in the very poor family. Young Bjug took care of the cattle at the family farm called Gangshei above Harstad during the winter months and in the mountains during the summer months.

Bjug and his family emigrated to America in 1861 where they settled in Illinois and Minnesota. He continued his education in the US and was accepted as a student at Luther College in 1865 where he changed his last name to Harstad upon a suggestion of the president of the college. He studied theology at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis from 1871 to 1874. It was his experiences there that became the model for the rest of Bjug's scholarly and religious life. After seminary, he traveled as a pastor to remote places in Minnesota where he built schools and churches.

Bjug Harstad was married February 14, 1877 to Guro Omlid in Minnesota. She was a native of Valle and was born September 29, 1858. In 1889, the church sent Bjug Harstad to the Pacific Coast where he visited Portland, Seattle and Tacoma. He returned to Minnesota and it was decided that Brookdale (as Parkland was called then) should be the important Lutheran education center of the Northwest.

The Pacific Lutheran University Association was incorporated December 11, 1890 with Bjug Harstad as president. The cornerstone for the first building, Old Main, was laid October 4, 1891. The occasion of the cornerstone was a grand event photo of the event. Several Lutheran pastors spoke both in Norwegian and in English and the president of the Norwegian Synod sent greetings with his hope that the undertaking would succeed.

In 1917 the Norwegian Synod that Pacific Lutheran University was founded under, merged with the United Church and the Hauge Synod to celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of the Reformation. Harstad refused to join the new Norwegian Lutheran Church, thus formally separating himself from the school he had founded. Bjug Aanondson Harstad died on 20 June 1933 at age 84. His wife Guro, eight of his children, and eleven grandchildren survived him. Old Main was renamed Harstad Hall in 1960 in honor of Bjug Harstad. A granite monument in Valle Norway was dedicated to him on June 26, 1983.

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church had its beginning in the year 1923 as an inter-denominal Sunday School. The people of its congregation met in three different homes during those early days and their first pastor was Reverend Arthur Shaffer. In 1924 Reverend Claude Pellet took over and under his leadership this group became a Lutheran Church. Reverend Pellet saw Grace Lutheran established at its present site at 73rd and Park and a building erected before turning the reins over to Reverend H.N. Svinth in June of 1930, who served for 31 years.

The 1930’s were depression years and this small congregation put up a terrifically hard struggle to keep the doors of Grace Church open. Their work was rewarded, however, as the following years brought more prosperous times and a larger congregation. In 1955 a parsonage was built on the grounds behind the church.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd was organized on Sunday, March 1, 1953, at the 11:00 A.M. worship service, with Dr. Henry J. Hokenson in charge, aided by Mr. Charles H. Gustafson.

In 1954 their church building was dedicated. In 1957 land was purchased to build a new sanctuary. In 1959 the congregation went off Mission Aid, and the new building was dedicated. A parsonage was also built and later sold to one of their pastors. They used Central Valley High School for some of their Sunday school classes. An addition was built to remedy this problem in 1987.

The congregation worked on ecumenical relations with the Episcopalian and Catholic Church, and had a covenant with Holy Spirit Episcopalian & St. Mary’s Catholic Church. They also had joint confirmation with Holy Trinity Lutheran and Peace Lutheran.

They merged with Christ Lutheran in 2011, and changed the name to Advent Lutheran Church.

Mission developer Richard I. Crossland arrived on November 15, 1957 to begin work in the Bow Lake-Rancho Vista area just south of Seattle in the vicinity of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The congregation was organized on October 12, 1958 with a membership of 273 baptized and 134 confirmed. The present site was purchased and the first unit dedicated May 22, 1960. Good Shepherd has been adversely affected by the changing community and the experience of being boxed in between the airport and the freeway.

The congregation voted to move out of their building and share church buildings with Our Savior’s in Seattle November 16, 1997. The first service was held in Our Savior’s January 18, 1998. On April 22, 2001, they voted to dissolve the congregation, and their last service was August 1, 2001.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church was founded in 1957, and arose out Lutheran services that had previously existed in Richland. During World War II, many Lutheran families went into temporary wartime communities throughout America, with no local churches available. Out of this arose the National Lutheran Council (NLC), acting as a missionary arm to satisfy the needs of various Lutherans throughout America for church services during the war, continuing to maintain services thereafter.

In 1943, construction began on the first plutonium reactors in Hanford, with the NLC sending Pastor Martin Grimshold and Sister Veda Johnson to establish Lutheran services for the 50,000 persons at the temporary community. In 1947, nuclear research reignited in the area, with the temporary community of North Richland, with the NLC again sending workers to aid the 15,000 persons in the trailer community.

From 1947 to 1955, the North Richland community was served by Ann Worcester, with numerous baptisms and confirmations taking place. The temporary community of North Richland was terminated in 1955, and the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church was founded in May 1957 in Richland, arising from the preexistent services. It became affiliated with the Lutheran Church in America (ULCA), with Reverend Ernest Hauge serving as Pastor. His successors were Bjelland, Ranlett,, Hoobing, Stan Gardner and Karen Gardner.

After Karen Gardner left the congregation Pastore Karen & Bob Edwards came as interim pastors. Their approach was seen by some to be very different than the previous pastor of 25 years, and a vote to remove them failed. This resulted in many members leaving the church. They received a call, and left the congregation shortly after this. Ron Moen came to replace them, and under his leadership the congregation voted to close June 2005.

Gethsemane Lutheran was formed through a merger of two congregations, Grace Lutheran and St. Paul Lutheran.

Grace Lutheran had its beginnings in 1923 as an interdenominational Sunday school. In 1924, when the church became Lutheran, they erected their facility at 73rd and Park.

St. Paul Lutheran was established in 1891 by Rev. J.J. Mylund, who conducted services in a rented building which served as both church and parsonage. In 1904 a facility was built at 13th and L Streets.

With the merger of the congregations in 1962 under Reverend Carl Laursen, the combined group met in the facilities of Grace Lutheran. A new facility was dedicated on February 16, 1964, and several years later and educational wing was completed. In 1998, the congregation merged with Bethel & Mt Zion of Tacoma, Washington, becoming United Lutheran Church.

Ten Lutheran Synods joined to form the General Council in 1867 in opposition to what was seen as more a more relaxed "Americanized Lutheranism" accepted by the General Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the United States of America. In 1917, the General Council merged with other groups to form the ULCA.

Campus Photographer, Pacific Lutheran University, 2010-