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Name: Paul Jersild
Career: Retired theological educator in
Virginia
Major: Philosophy with minors in History and English
Graduation
Year: 1953
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Where he lives now: Norfolk, Virginia |
Campus activities while at Dana:
Career Achievements:
I'm now retired, but my professional career has been theological
education. I taught in the religion departments at Dana
College, Luther College
(Decorah, Iowa), Saint Xavier University (Chicago) and then at two of our
Lutheran seminaries, Wartburg Theological Seminar (Dubuque,
Iowa) and Lutheran Theological
Southern
Seminary (Columbia, South Carolina), where I was academic dean and
professor of theology and ethics. Between college and seminary
I also received
a
master's degree in philosophy at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
After graduation
from seminary, I studied in Germany at Heidelberg University and
Muenster University, receiving my doctorate at the latter
institution. I received
scholarships at
all of the schools I attended.
How did Dana help prepare you for your
career or graduate school?
I thrived in the academic atmosphere at Dana — It wasn't
a high-pressure environment, but there were always excellent
students around that encouraged
one to be serious about one's studies. There were also excellent
teachers who were fine human beings both inside and outside
of the classroom. But, of course,
the most important thing is that the students themselves bring a
high motivation to their studies, and Dana has always attracted
highly motivated students.
What do remember most about your
time at Dana?
It was a time of significant growth for me — academically, spiritually
and socially. Being surrounded by people of faith and character is a real blessing
that tends to bring out the best in you. The friendships made at Dana will often
remain throughout the rest of your life. |
