FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 9, 2004
CONTACT: Rebecca Hauger, 651-523-2475

HAMLINE UNIVERSITY TO DEDICATE NEW KLAS CENTER ON SEPTEMBER 11
Community fall festival, Hamline football game to follow dedication ceremony

ST. PAUL, Minn. (September 9, 2004) – Hamline University will dedicate The Robert and Alexandra Klas Center during a ceremony on September 11. The dedication will begin at 10:30 a.m. on the plaza of the new building, located at 1537 Taylor Ave. Guests will be invited to participate in self-guided tours of the building following the ceremony. The public is invited to attend.

"Sandy and I are honored that we could provide such a magnificent building for the students, faculty, staff and friends of Hamline University to enjoy,” said Bob Klas, a 1952 graduate of Hamline University’s College of Liberal Arts and a Hamline Life Trustee. “We share a strong interest in Hamline athletics and wanted our gift to increase the visibility of student-athletes who work hard in the classroom and on the field. This wish has become a reality.”

Following the dedication, Hamline will continue the celebration with a Fall Festival. Activities include a rock climbing wall, caricature artists, face painters, photo booths, jazz music, a children’s concert with the Teddy Bear Band and more. The festival will be held on Old Main Mall, located at 1536 Hewitt Ave., from 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. A picnic lunch will also be available; the cost is $4 per adult and $2 for children. The public is invited to attend.

Hamline University will also play its first football game at the new Klas Center in a contest with the University of Minnesota-Morris at 1 p.m. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for students. Admission for children 9 and under is free. Admission for Hamline students, faculty, and staff is free with Hamline ID. Tickets may be purchased at the ticket window prior to the game.

"The Klas Center is a wonderful addition to Hamline’s campus and the dedication of the building is an exciting way to continue our 150th anniversary celebration,” said Hamline University President Larry G. Osnes.

The $7.1 million, four-level Klas Center is a multi-use university facility, built on the site of the former Norton Stadium. The 27,000 square-foot facility has a glass façade facing historic Old Main and features a large reception area, exhibit space for university history and memorabilia, and a café.

The second floor provides flexible classroom and meeting space for academic learning, events and conferences. The third floor features a large events hall, which can accommodate up to 500 people (300 for dinner), and has panoramic views of both Old Main Mall and the athletic fields. Locker rooms are built into a lower level. Stadium bleachers and a new press box are built into the north side of the building, facing the football field and track.

Additional funds for the Klas Center were provided by longtime Hamline Trustee and past board chair, Kay Fredericks, and her husband Richard Cisek. The couple donated $1 million toward the construction of the Klas Center, with half of the gift directed toward building the Kay Fredericks Room, the large event and gathering space, providing a scenic view of the campus, on the top floor of the Klas Center. The remainder of their gift was designated to construct the beautiful and functional outdoor plaza in front of the Klas Center, named in honor of Hamline University President Larry Osnes and his wife, Sue Osnes. Dr. Osnes will be retiring in 2005, after 16 years of leading the university.

Hamline University also received a $250,000 gift from Hamline Life Trustee and immediate past chair Ronald Mitsch (a 1956 Hamline graduate) and his wife Marilyn to create the Ronald and Marilyn Mitsch History Lounge. This interactive history center will be located on the first floor of the Klas Center. It will feature kiosks that display information, photos, and historical facts about Hamline University and its 150-year history, and it will provide an excellent area for relaxation and small group discussions.
Four other trustees contributed to the Klas Center project. In addition to anonymous donors who funded the renovation of the stadium wall, classrooms were funded by Gloria (1992 MALS graduate) and Ivars Kauls with Juris (Class of 1964) and Laura Kauls, Louis and Kathrine Hill, and John and Leslie Turner.

More information about the Klas Center can be found on Hamline University’s Web site at www.hamline.edu/150/klas\

Rigorous academics and innovative programs attract and challenge a diverse and talented student body in Hamline University’s undergraduate college, graduate schools, and law school. Guided by faculty who are leaders in their fields, Hamline’s nearly 4,400 students experience an intimate environment of small classes and personal attention along with the opportunities of a comprehensive university.

Ranked first in Minnesota in quality and value among comprehensive universities by U.S.News and World Report, Hamline is also Minnesota’s first university, founded in 1854.