A Forum newspaper editorial on Oct. 7, 1982, states, “Concordia has been the focal point for the king and his visits to Fargo-Moorhead. This fact underlies the importance of this college to our community. Concordia’s rich Norwegian and Lutheran heritage is a valuable link through the years and across thousands of miles to Norway.”
1939
The first of these royal visits occurred in the spring of 1939 when Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Martha visited the United States. Upon learning of the dignitaries’ visit, Concordia officials invited the royal couple to visit the campus and be a part of the upcoming spring commencement exercises. Crown Prince Olav accepted the invitation in March; however, he would not be coming to Minnesota until a week after Concordia’s scheduled graduation ceremony. The class of 1939 voted to extend the semester one week longer so the royal visit and commencement could occur simultaneously.
Concordia President J.N. Brown was chairman of the executive committee in charge of planning the royal visit, which was a monumental task involving over 150 people working on various committees. The planning commission anticipated large crowds to be present for various components of the three-day visit to Fargo-Moorhead. When the Crown Prince and Princess arrived in Fargo-Moorhead, they were escorted to Concordia where they were presented with gifts and attended a banquet before the commencement ceremony. Imogene Baker, 1938 Homecoming Queen and president of the Fjelstad Hall Governing Board, presented a corsage to the Crown Princess. Unlike graduation ceremonies held in years prior, this ceremony was held outside Old Main in the evening. Before a crowd of 15,000, the Crown Prince received the first honorary degree Concordia had granted. In his speech Crown Prince Olav stated:
"Keep the windows open to the country whence your fathers came. Do it because it enriches you and enriches the country and the community of which you are a part. And do it also for the reason that in this way you will be the strongest and most vital link between the two freedom-loving nations which today more than ever have so much in common and so little which separates them."
This royal visit was a multiday affair. The subsequent morning a parade was held. Attended by 55,000 people, the parade featured the royal couple leading the procession. Later that day, a Folkefest was held at the stadium of the North Dakota Agricultural College (now NDSU). Norwegian pioneers were distinguished with souvenir badges and choice seats at these various gatherings. Nearly 1,000 people who were at least 65 years old and actually born in Norway (as “Norwegian pioneers” had been defined) registered their names with the Chamber of Commerce in Moorhead and Fargo and thereby received these special honors during the festivities.
1968
In May of 1968, 10 years after he was pronounced King, Olav V returned to Concordia’s campus for a very brief visit on his goodwill tour of the United States. While at Concordia, King Olav delivered the commencement address. Olav’s speech focused on the value Norwegians place on education:
"You have acquired knowledge and knowledge means power, tolerance and respectability, I think you are well equipped to make a contribution to society. May you help the society you enter solve the problems of today and tomorrow for the benefit of the state in which you live, the nation in which you live, and the benefit of mankind in general."
1982
Olav’s last visit to Concordia occurred in October 1982 when he came to Minnesota to participate in the Scandinavia Today Celebration as part of an extensive tour celebrating his 25th anniversary as king. Upon his arrival in Fargo, he was escorted to the Civic Center where he was greeted by large crowds waving Norwegian flags. The king then came to Concordia and spoke at a convocation to an audience of 3,000. He praised Concordia, stating:
"A Norwegian visiting your college cannot help but take pride in the great accomplishments of earlier generations of Norwegian immigrants in the United States. At the same time, the very existence of a vital educational institution like Concordia College produces in me a feeling of extreme confidence about the future relationship between the United States and Norway."
He also commended Concordia for preserving Norwegian heritage and being a catalyst that allowed Americans and Norwegians to experience each other’s heritage and shared values. For these reasons, Concordia and the king implemented the King Olav Scholarships. These scholarships are granted to Norwegian students who wish to study at Concordia and Concordia students who want to study in Norway. While on Concordia’s campus, King Olav met with 12 Norwegian students who were studying internationally at Concordia. Six short years later, King Olav passed away.
1995-2006
In 1995, King Harald and Queen Sonja came to the United States and visited many Lutheran college campuses including Concordia. On Oct. 20, 1995, King Harald received an honorary degree during a convocation in Memorial Auditorium. In preparation for the King and Queen’s arrival to the Fargo-Moorhead area, some of Concordia’s staff prepared a two-week coursebook that taught students, starting in grade four, Norwegian heritage, values, myths, history and the Norwegian national anthem. This was Sonja’s second visit to Concordia College. She had come in 1978 as the Crown Princess of Norway. During that visit, she dedicated mosaics that had been commissioned by the Norwegian Lutheran Church. Princess Märtha Louise visited Concordia College in 2006 on a tour for her book "Why Kings and Queens Don’t Wear Crowns."
Pictured: King Harald and Queen Sonja visiting Concordia in 1995
Text from the 125th Anniversary Exhibit. Student contributors: Ellie Pederson and Jordyn Olson – Scandinavian Immigration and Settlement in America (HIST/SCAN 317)