For the first time since 2019, Midland University welcomed LutherFest back to its campus.

About 40 alumni of Luther College made their way to the Midland campus on July 15-17. Luther College was founded in 1883 and operated in Wahoo, Nebraska until 1962, when it merged with Midland College. The name was changed to Midland Lutheran College at that time.

Erin Hauser, Curator of the Saunders County Historical Society, presented a history of Luther College to all attendees. Other highlights included worship services, musical performances, and a Midland University update from President Jody Horner.

It was also announced that thanks to a contribution from Larry and Laurel Erickson, along with support of other Luther alumni, the honors program at Midland University will now be known as the Howard Hanson Honors Program. After graduating from Luther College in 1911, Hanson went on to study at the Institute of Musical Art and Northwestern University. For more than 40 years, Hanson served as the director of the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester in New York. He was a prolific composer, winning a Pulitzer Prize in 1944 for his Symphony No. 4, op. 34, subtitled Requiem.

Midland University’s Institutional Advancement department is exploring ways to honor Luther College in 2023, the 140th anniversary of the institution.

See photos from the event on the LutherFest 2022 Photo Gallery page.