Ralph and Joyce Sturdy Initiate Philosophy Scholarship at North Park
Dr. Elder Lindahl
For years, Mel Soneson and Elder Lindahl were partners in the Philosophy department at North Park College. Many former students think of this dynamic duo as the heart of the liberal arts tradition which they so deeply appreciate and have found to be a spring of life through the years. Where would we be without the metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical questions they raised? To lift up and perpetuate this cherished heritage, Pastor Ralph and Joyce Sturdy of Lincoln, Nebraska have made the initial contribution to establish a scholarship in their names. Pietisten joins Ralph and Joyce by announcing the scholarship and by soliciting contributions.
Dr. Mel Soneson
Former students remember Professor Mel Soneson as the person who awakened them from their dogmatic slumbers. They tell stories of these awakenings with gratitude and, usually, with humor. Dr. Soneson taught at North Park from 1956 to 1986. He was a member of the Philosophy Department and taught religion, Bible and sociology, as well. He also taught a number of courses in North Park Seminary. Mel grew up in Cook, Minnesota, where he played basketball and, before World War II, worked with bulls. With the help of the GI Bill, he studied at Bethel College and the University of Minnesota. He received the Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.
The Soneson home was a place where students came with personal concerns and with ideas they wanted to discuss. Mel seemed tireless in his willingness to listen and talk. Mel and Dagmar now live at Covenant Manor in Golden Valley, Minnesota.
Professor Lindahl taught at North Park from 1952 to 1990, and he was Chairman of the department for many years. He grounded his students in the history of philosophy and set an example of sound thinking with his thoughtful critiques of philosophers and their ideas. Elder, also using the GI Bill, did undergraduate work at North Park JC and the Michigan State University. He earned a M.A. in Philosophy at the University of Michigan and received the Ph.D. from Northwestern University.
Elder grew up in Iron River in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Pietisten readers are well acquainted with his thoughtful essays which are a mainstay of nearly every issue. Elder and Muriel reside at Covenant Manor in Golden Valley, Minnesota.
We invite you to contribute to this fund and to share in encouraging the study of Philosophy at North Park by perpetuating the spirits of Mel Soneson and Elder Lindahl. If you want to join in this endeavor, please make out your check to Pietisten and mark it for the Mel Soneson/Elder Lindahl Scholarship Fund. We also invite you to share stories and tributes to Mel and Elder.