List of Augustana University alumni

Augustana University is a private Lutheran university in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The university was called Augustana College and Seminary from 1860 to 1918, Augustana College and Normal School from 1918 to 1926, and Augustana College from 1926 to 2015. Established in 1889, the Lutheran Normal School merged with Augustana in 1918.

## Academia

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* David Amland, painter and professor at Midland University[1]
* Robert M. Berdahl, 1959, college and university administrator, former chancellor of UC Berkeley[2]
* Larry Brendtro, author and professor emeritus of special education in the field of behavior disorders at Augustana University, University of Illinois and The Ohio State University[3]
* Allan C. Carlson, scholar and former professor of history at Hillsdale College[4]
* Charlotte Erickson, 1945, Paul Mellon chair of American History at the University of Cambridge[5]
* Donald Evenson, 1964, biologist and chemist, professor at South Dakota State University[6]
* Damien Fair, 1998, behavioral neuroscientist, professor at the University of Minnesota, and director of the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain[7]
* Elizabeth Glidden, lawyer, public policy professional, adjunct faculty at Humphrey School of Public Affairs in Minnesota[8]
* Gordon Iseminger, 1959, professor of history at the University of North Dakota[9]
* Raymond Olson, 1934, President of California Lutheran College[10]
* Ola Ordal, (1898, Lutheran Normal School), president of Pacific Lutheran College[11]
* Robert J. Swieringa, 1964, dean and is a professor emeritus of the S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University[12]
* Robert T. Wagner, 1954, president of South Dakota State University[13]

## Business

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* Linda Avey, 1982, co-founder of 23andme[14]
* Jeffrey W. Hayzlett, chief marketing officer of the Eastman Kodak Company[15]
* Dale Hoiberg, 1971, senior vice president and editor-in-chief of Encyclopædia Britannica[16]

## Entertainment

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* Phil Bruns, actor known for Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman[17]
* Myron Floren, the accordionist on The Lawrence Welk Show between 1950 and 1980[18]
* Mary Hart, 1972, television host known for Entertainment Tonight[19]
* Jonathan May, cellist and conductor[20]
* David Soul, non-degreed, actor known for Starsky & Hutch[21]

## Law

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* Max Gors, South Dakota Circuit Judge, acting associate justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court, and South Dakota secretary of commerce[22]
* David Lillehaug, 1976, associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court and United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota[23]

## Military and defense

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* Jarret Brachman, 2002, author, terrorism expert, and former director of research at West Point's Combating Terrorism Center[24]
* Oscar Randolph Fladmark, 1948, American fighter pilot who flew 164 "no-injury" combat missions in World War II and the Korean War[25]
* John Hamre, 1972, United States Deputy Secretary of Defense and Comptroller of the Department of Defense[26]

## Politicians

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* Daniel Ahlers, 1997, South Dakota House of Representatives and South Dakota Senate[27]
* Debra R. Anderson, 1971, Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Speaker of the South Dakota House of Representatives[28]
* Barney A. Boos, 1938, South Dakota House of Representatives[29]
* Nancy Erickson,1984, Secretary of the United States Senate[30]
* Richard O. Gregerson, 1957, South Dakota Senate[31]
* Roger Haugo, 1958, South Dakota House of Representatives[32]
* Ried Holien, South Dakota Senate[33]
* Roger W. Hunt, 1959, South Dakota House of Representatives[34]
* Arthur Larson, United States Under Secretary of Labor and director of the United States Information Agency[35]
* Jenifer Loon, 1985, Minnesota House of Representatives[36]
* Dave Munson, 1973, South Dakota State House of Representatives and South Dakota Senate[37]
* Michael J. O'Connor, South Dakota State House of Representatives and South Dakota Senate
* Doug Peterson, Minnesota House of Representatives[38]
* Lee Schoenbeck, 1980, South Dakota Senate President Pro Tempore[39]
* Jamie Smith, 1993, South Dakota House of Representatives[40]
* David J. Strom, South Dakota House of Representatives[41]
* Hans Ustrud (1895, Lutheran Normal School), lieutenant governor of South Dakota and superintendent of public instruction[42]
* Lynn Wardlow, Minnesota House of Representatives[43]
* Susan Wismer, 1978, South Dakota State House of Representatives and South Dakota Senate[44]

## Religion

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* Megan Rohrer, 2001, bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American, activist for the homeless and LGBTQ+ rights[45]

## Science

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* Brent Loken, 1994, conservation scientist and Global Food Lead Scientist for World Wide Fund for Nature[46]

## Sports

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* Tom Brown, 1985, professional football player[47]
* Mike Daly, 1971, college football coach[48]
* Lyle Eidsness, 1963, college football coach[48]
* C. J. Ham, 2015, professional football player[49]
* Ross Horning, professional baseball player in the minor leagues and a professor of Russian history at Creighton University[50]
* Gary Hudson, 1971, college women's basketball coach[51]
* Daniel Jansen, 2016, professional basketball player[52]
* Les Josephson, 1964, professional football player[53]
* Kevin Kaesviharn, 1998, professional football player[54]
* Ted Kessinger, 1963, college football coach inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame[48]
* Arvid Kramer, 1979, professional basketball player[55]
* Corbin Lacina, 1993, professional football player[56]
* Jordan Milbrath, professional baseball player[57]
* Ben Newcomb, college football and baseball coach[58]
* Chub Reynolds, college football coach[59]
* Heath Rylance, 1994, professional football player with the Canadian Football League[60]
* Brad Salem, 1992, college football coach[48]
* Bryan Schwartz, 1994, professional football player[61]
* Wayne Sheley, 1938, professional football player with the Canadian Football League[62]
* Pete Sterbick, 2003, college football coach[63]
* Brett Szabo, 1991, professional basketball player[64]
* Roger Thomas, college football coach and athletics administrator[65]
* Troy Westwood, 1991, professional football player with the Canadian Football League[66]

## References

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1. ^ "David Amland". Museum of Nebraska Art. June 17, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
2. ^ "Robert M. Berdahl | Office of the President". University of Texas at Austin. January 11, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
3. ^ "Larry K. Brendtro, Ph.D. | Office of Justice Programs". Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
4. ^ "Allan Carlson". Conservative Book Club. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
5. ^ "Charlotte J. Erickson". MacArthur Foundation. January 1, 2005. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
6. ^ "Donald Paul Evenson". Legacy. Retrieved July 6, 2025 – via Legacy.com.
7. ^ "Damien Fair". Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
8. ^ "'I have loved this job more than I ever thought I would love something': a Q&A with outgoing Minneapolis Council Member Elizabeth Glidden". MinnPost. December 22, 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
9. ^ Johnson, Jennifer (September 26, 2012). "Dr. Gordon Iseminger '59 - 50 years of teaching". Augustana University. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
10. ^ "Past Presidents". California Lutheran University. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
11. ^ "Past Presidents | Office of the President". Pacific Lutheran University. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
12. ^ Johnson, Cornell. "Faculty Profile". Cornell Johnson. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
13. ^ "Legacy Robert Wagner". South Dakota Hall of Fame Programs. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
14. ^ "Co-Founder, 23andMe". Big Think. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
15. ^ "Moments with marketers: Jeffrey Hayzlett". Marketing Mag. July 22, 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
16. ^ "Augustana University Names Alumna as its New Director of Alumni Engagement". www.augielink.com. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
17. ^ "Phil Bruns Obituary 2012". Hartquist Funeral & Cremation Services. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
18. ^ "Legacy Myron Floren". South Dakota Hall of Fame Programs. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
19. ^ "Hart, Mary Johanna Harum | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture". Oklahoma Historical Society | OHS. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
20. ^ "Jonathan Paul May: His musical legacy will keep growing". Orlando Sentinel. March 1, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
21. ^ Renshaw, Eric (January 10, 2018). "Looking Back: How David Soul made it from Sioux Falls to 'Starsky and Hutch'". Argus Leader. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
22. ^ "Circuit Court Judge Max A. Gors is retiring and has accepted a position as Senior Staff Attorney with the South Dakota Department of Corrections". News.SD.gov. December 11, 2006. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
23. ^ "David L. Lillehaug". Minnesota State Law Library. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
24. ^ "Dr. Jarret Brachman '02 Discusses Latest U.S. Strike Against al-Qaeda". Augustana University. June 8, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
25. ^ "Major Oscar Fladmark". National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
26. ^ "John J. Hamre". Center for Strategic and International Studies. Archived from the original on April 2, 2025. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
27. ^ "Former State Rep. Dan Ahlers - Biography". LegiStorm. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
28. ^ "Debra Anderson Obituary - Washington, DC". Dignity Memorial. November 2022. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
29. ^ "Bernard Boos Obituary (2005) - SIOUX FALLS , SD - Rapid City Journal". Legacy.com. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
30. ^ "About the Secretary of the Senate | Nancy Erickson, 2007–2015". United States Senate. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
31. ^ "Obituary for Richard O. Gregerson". Miller Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory - Downtown. 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
32. ^ "Past Alumni Award Recipients | Augustana University". www.augie.edu. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
33. ^ "Ried Holien's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
34. ^ "Roger Hunt's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
35. ^ "The Administration: New Man". Time. April 5, 1954. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
36. ^ "Loon, Jenifer - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present". Minnesota Legislature Reference Library. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
37. ^ "David Munson's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
38. ^ "Peterson, Doug - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present". Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
39. ^ "Lee Schoenbeck is New Columnist for South Dakota Magazine". www.augielink.com. November 1, 2011. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
40. ^ "Jamie Smith's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
41. ^ "Obituary for David J. Strom". Argus-Leader. Sioux Falls, South Dakota. November 30, 2007. p. 16. Retrieved November 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
42. ^ "Biography of Hans A. Ustrud". South Dakota Genealogy. July 17, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
43. ^ "Wardlow, Lynn - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present". Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
44. ^ "Susan Wismer". Ballotpedia. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
45. ^ Martin, Bryce (October 1, 2021). "Evangelical Lutheran Church installs first transgender bishop". The Asbury Collegian. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
46. ^ "Meet the 2020 Augustana Alumni Achievement Award and Horizon Award Recipients". Augustana University. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
47. ^ "Tom Brown (1998) - Hall of Fame". Augustana University Athletics. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
48. ^ a b c d "The Ole Odney Award Winners". Augustana University Athletics. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
49. ^ "Minnesota Vikings player C.J. Ham: This is what connects me to Sioux Falls". SiouxFalls.Business. July 1, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
50. ^ "Educator Here Gets Ph.D. Degree". Leader-Telegram. Eau Claire, Wisconsin. November 2, 1958. p. 13. Retrieved March 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
51. ^ "Gary Hudson". Sooner Stats. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
52. ^ "Daniel Jansen | Faculty & Staff". Palmetto Christian Academy. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
53. ^ "Lester Josephson (1980) - Hall of Fame". Augustana University Athletics. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
54. ^ "Kevin Kaesviharn (2018) - Hall of Fame". Augustana University Athletics. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
55. ^ "Arvid Kramer (1992) - Hall of Fame". Augustana University Athletics. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
56. ^ "Corbin Lacina (2005) - Hall of Fame". Augustana University Athletics. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
57. ^ "Jordan Milbrath Stats, Fantasy & News". Minor League Baseball. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
58. ^ "Augie Names Grid Coach". The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. April 19, 1969. p. 8. Retrieved November 3, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
59. ^ "Coach Reynolds Goes Out a Winner" (PDF). NCCAA News Update. 2 (2). National Christian College Athletic Association: 7. January 1991.
60. ^ "Heath Rylance (2007) - Hall of Fame". Augustana University Athletics. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
61. ^ "Bryan Schwartz (2005) - Hall of Fame". Augustana University Athletics. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
62. ^ "Wayne Sheley (1970) - Hall of Fame". Augustana University Athletics. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
63. ^ "Pete Sterbick - Head Coach - Staff Directory". Colorado School of Mines Athletics. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
64. ^ "Brett Szabo (2002) - Hall of Fame". Augustana University Athletics. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
65. ^ "Roger Thomas Receives D2 ADA Lifetime Achievement Award". National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. January 29, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
66. ^ "Troy Westwood (2011) - Hall of Fame". Augustana University Athletics. Retrieved November 2, 2023.

## External links

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* Official website