Official visit to the US: St. Olaf College

President Singer
esteemed faculty 
honoured guests and dear students,

I have been sitting where you are sitting now. Not in that exact spot, and maybe not in this room, but I also had my fair share of lecture halls and auditoriums studying in the United States. Like so many other young people from around the world, I wanted to come and study here because your country is known for its excellent universities and colleges.

America has always believed in the power of knowledge, and you have built some of the best learning environments in the world. St. Olaf is part of that proud tradition.

When I was a student at UC Berkeley, I learned from impressive professors. I learned a lot from them. But I learned just as much from my fellow students—people from every corner of the globe, with every kind of perspective. We didn’t always agree. But we listened. We argued. We learned. That is the essence of a free society: the opportunity to exchange ideas without fear.

Independent teaching and research is at the heart of democracy. And so, to the students here today: cherish that freedom. Seek out those who are different from you. Be curious. Be generous. Because that is how we grow.

The reason we’re gathered here today is to celebrate the 200 year anniversary of Restauration’s arrival in America. After more than three months at sea, several storms and a child birth, Restauration’s safe passage marked the start of a remarkable wave of migration from Norway to America.

More than 800 000 Norwegians emigrated between 1825 and 1925, which means that around one in three Norwegians left the country. Only Ireland had a bigger migration to the US as a share of its population.

The migrants came for land. For liberty. For a chance to live out their faith. And when they arrived, they built communities—right here in Minnesota, and across the Midwest. They built churches and schools. They built lives. And they built a bridge between our nations that still stands today. Some claim that every Norwegian with any kind of initiative took off to America. On behalf of all of those that stayed, I hope that isn’t entirely true.

As we celebrate the 200 year anniversary of Restauration, I also want to congratulate the Norwegian American Historical Association (NAHA) on its 100 year anniversary. I don’t think it’s by chance that the two celebrations coincide. Based here at St. Olaf, NAHA has established one of the richest ethnic archives in the country. For academics as well as the general public, it is a unique source of insight into migration history.

I would also like to thank St. Olaf for its major and lasting contribution to keeping our common history and legacy alive. Not just as dusty memories fixed in time, but as a living bond that keeps evolving.
I think a key to that success is the way you have lifted the Norwegian-American experience into a contemporary global context, welcoming students from all backgrounds.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you again for receiving me so kindly here today. And I look forward to joining a panel with some of your students to discuss the bonds between our country further.

Thank you for your attention.