Magazine

In the Atlantic Ocean Hall of the Norwegian Embassy in Washington, D.C., the story of St. Olaf College felt especially close to home. 

Clusters of people gathered in the vaguely ships-galley inspired space, greeting one another with the easy familiarity of shared experience – class years exchanged between handshakes, memories of Northfield resurfacing in shared stories. As they enjoyed a Scandinavian smörgåsbord, Oles reminisced about their time on the Hill, sharing where life had taken them since graduation, and reflecting on what it meant to once more gather in a place tied so closely to Norwegian history.

“It was actually the Atlantic Ocean that brought so many Norwegians to this beautiful land,” Anniken Huitfeldt, the Norwegian ambassador, said in welcoming alumni, leaders, and friends of the college. “So we are so grateful to host you in this space tonight.”

That history, of migration, connection, and enduring partnership, framed an evening hosted by the St. Olaf Office of Alumni and Parent Relations that brought together members of the St. Olaf community from across generations. Held in a space symbolic of Norway’s ties to the United States, the gathering highlighted a relationship a century in the making. 

“The bonds between countries are based on the bonds between its people, and St. Olaf has built and kept those bonds for more than 150 years,” Huitfeldt noted. “I cannot think of many places where American-Norwegian cooperation has brought more results than St. Olaf College. St. Olaf holds a very special place in very many Norwegian hearts, and so many Americans have come to know the beauty of our countries’ relationship because of St. Olaf. ”

Huitfeldt reflected on recent milestones shared between the college and Norway, including the 200th anniversary of organized Norwegian migration to the United States — a bicentennial St. Olaf helped commemorate both on campus and abroad, through the St. Olaf Orchestra’s tour of Norway in the summer of 2025, and the visit of Crown Prince Haakon Magnus in the fall. 

“Last October, Crown Prince Haakon visited St. Olaf, and he deeply appreciated the warmth shown to him by the students, faculty, and staff,” the ambassador remarked. “We so look forward to continuing to nurture our relationship with St. Olaf.” 

For St. Olaf President Susan Rundell Singer, the evening was both a celebration of recent collegiate accomplishments and a commemoration of the ongoing legacy of institutional excellence. In honor of both the 200th anniversary of organized Norwegian migration and the 150th anniversary of St. Olaf College, Rundell Singer presented a small gift to Huitfeldt: a St. Olaf fleece. 

“It is such an honor to be here tonight, and we are so grateful for the relationship between our school and your nation, which has endured since our founding,” she said. 

That sense of shared history and destiny was echoed by Susan Gunderson ‘79, chair of the St. Olaf College Board of Regents. 

“The partnership between St. Olaf College, your nation, and our peoples is deep and rich and strong,” she said. “It will continue to be so.”

Surrounded by alumni, family members, and friends, the evening served as both reunion and reaffirmation — of the Oles whose identities, heritage, and communities continue to cross oceans.