What inspires people to live lives that integrate values into work, relationships, and service to their communities?

A plan to explore the history of Hamline University through the lives of 150 alumni, faculty, staff, and others representative of its 150-year history was included in Hamline’s proposal for a Theological Exploration of Vocation Program, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. An editorial advisory committee formed in 2002 to develop a selection process and a historical framework for the project, called “150 Lives That Make a Difference.”

In 2003, an invitation was sent to more than 23,000 Hamline alumni, faculty, staff, and students, asking them to nominate individuals from Hamline’s past and present who have acted as compassionate citizens of the world or who have worked to make their part of the world a better place. The lives we sought to learn more about included not only some well-known names in Hamline’s history, but also lesser-known individuals who have made a difference. We were particularly interested in the exploration of vocation and the variety of ways in which individuals have applied passion and talent to meet the world’s great needs, both locally and around the globe.

By fall 2003, potential subjects had been identified and individuals from the Hamline community were invited to participate in developing their stories through archival research and interviews. A class of graduate and undergraduate students wrote many of the stories; in all, thirty-seven student, faculty, staff, and alumni writers contributed to the book.

Learning about the amazing stories of those associated with Hamline, past and present, has been an inspiration and a blessing to all of us. We hope these stories are an inspiration to all who read them and that their telling inspires all of us to be attentive to and to honor, tell, and retell the life stories that surround us.

The book is expected to be available in March 2005.