From Michelle Twait ’98,Librarian and Faculty in the Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library:
The Library recently received a very generous gift from the estate of Dorothy Rasmussen ’49 and I want to take a few minutes to tell you about this amazing individual.
(Photo courtesy of Gustavus Archives)
“While I did not have the pleasure of knowing her personally, we followed a similar path: she and I each grew up in small towns in Minnesota, both of us completed our undergraduate education at Gustavus, and each of us found our way back to St. Peter to work as librarians for the College. Her brother, Lowell, told me that Dorothy was instrumental in convincing him to attend Gustavus and assured him that the College would be able to support him as a paraplegic – at a time when there were few, if any, accessibility services. In the 1950s, Dororthy moved to Illinois and was a beloved librarian for the residents of Skokie for 30+ years. (I’ve been at Gustavus for about 23 years, so I’m catching up to her.)
Dorothy was clearly a good friend to Gustavus and someone who valued lifelong learning. I hope that she would be pleased to know that her gift will provide resources to support the scholarship and creativity of our students and faculty for many years to come.
The Library is grateful to have so many generous friends – including those of you reading this newsletter! Your gifts help ensure the long-term sustainability of our mission to advance the intellectual life of the College by selecting and facilitating access to information.
========================================================
From Dorothy’s yearbook photo:
DOROTHY RASMUSSEN ’49
Ras, a senior from Hutchinson, leads a campus life filled with a variety of responsibilities. Carrying a full load of credits and working part time in the Book Store, she still finds time to be an active member of the T.M.T. sorority, Weekly staff, Gustavian staff, and A.W.S. Ras hopes to use her English major next year in library work.