Contact: Bruce Conley, News Information Director
Phone: (605) 274-5526
Fax: (605) 274-4903
e-mail: bruce_conley@augie.edu
www.augie.edu

May 19, 2004

Augustana Commencement Service May 23

SIOUX FALLS - Augustana College's 144th Commencement Service begins at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, May 23, in the Sioux Falls Arena.

Seating begins at 1:00 p.m.

The Rev. Peter Rogness, who graduated from Augustana in 1967, will deliver the commencement address and receive the Doctor of Humane Letters Degree.

Rev. Rogness was elected bishop of the Saint Paul Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in April, 2002. The Saint Paul Area Synod is made up of 118 congregations with some 157,000 baptized members.

He has served as vice chair of the ELCA Conference of Bishops and as an advisory bishop to the ELCA Church Council. O.J.H. Preus, his grandfather served as president of Augustana College from 1929-1932.

Howard and Eunice Hovland, Baltic, S.D., members of Augustana's class of 1950, will receive the Friend of Augustana Award for their generous support and loyalty to Augustana.

In other commencement weekend activities, the pinning ceremony for the nursing majors will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, May 22, in the Chapel of Reconciliation.

All graduates and their families will be guests of President Bruce and Nancy Halverson at their home from 2:00-4:00 p.m. Saturday.

Baccalaureate Worship begins at 10:00 a.m. Sunday in the Elmen Center. The Rev. Paul Rohde, Augustana's campus pastor, will give the homily.