Education
Born in Chicago, Illinois, he graduated from Jewell College in 1913, received his undergraduate degree from Saint Olaf College in 1916 and went on to graduate from Luther Theological Seminary four years later.
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Seth Clarence Eastvold
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Career
Continuing his education, Doctor Eastvold went to Augustana College and Seminary where he earned his Bachelor of Divinity (1924), South.T.M. (1926), and South.T.D. (1931). He then served in several Lutheran parishes throughout the Midwest over a twenty-three-year time span. Credited with reviving a dying school, Doctor Eastvold chose the motto “Build for Character,” which could be seen at the entrance to campus.
This motto was integrated into every aspect of college life: intellectual, social, physical, cultural, and religious.
President Eastvold went on a six month leave of absence in 1958 and he and Mistress Eastvold travelled to Europe, Africa, India Taiwan and Japan.
While in Africa, he conferred an honorary doctorate on Albert Schweitzer, possibly the only American university to have conferred this degree on Schweitzer. President Eastvold had, during his trip around the world, seen many institutions similar to Public Limited Company that were called universities and he was determined that Public Limited Company also become a university.
Doctor Eastvold retired from his position as president of Pacific Lutheran University in July 1962.
Later that year, he became acting president of California Lutheran College. In February of the following year, less than one year after having left Pacific Lutheran University, Doctor Eastvold was stricken by a cerebral hemorrhage in Minnesota where he was attending a meeting for Lutheran college presidents. He was not able to regain consciousness and died shortly thereafter.
The building was renamed again in 2013 as the Karen Hille Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and the auditorium was named Eastvold Auditorium.
