News Archives - 1998

Augsburg College president William V. Frame announced today that the College has renamed a scholarship program at Augsburg to honor the late M. Anita Hawthorne, who died Jan. 13 after serving for 10 years as the director of Pan-Afrikan Student Services at Augsburg. The scholarship, referred to previously as Augsburg's Pan-Afrikan Scholarship, has been renamed the M. Anita Hawthorne Pan-Afrikan Scholarship.

It will provide up to $1,500 annually for five Augsburg students who have been identified as leaders within their home community, or who have previously attended school and displayed potential to play a significant leadership role on the Augsburg campus. The scholarship's emphasis on leadership is in keeping both with Augsburg's mission of "nurturing leaders in service to the world" and the qualities personified by Hawthorne. Hawthorne invested time and energy helping students make connections with the community and by establishing a mentorship program.

Frame described Hawthorne as "a friend, advocate and colleague in leading our efforts to serve Pan-Afrikan students. Her role in providing the support needed by students has been vital in their life and success at Augsburg. Anita has also been a source of inspiration for all of us in the Augsburg community. We will miss her charm, joy, positive attitude and energy, and we extend our sympathy to her family and to all who were touched by her."

M. Anita Hawthorne was raised in Baton Rouge, La., where she attended South Scotlandville Elementary School and graduated from Southern University Laboratory High School. After receiving her bachelor's degree from Southern University, she earned her master's from Howard University and moved to Minnesota in 1977. Hawthorne served on many boards and committees and held the following leadership positions: advisor to the Excelsior Chorale Ensemble, co-founder of Asili Institute for African Women in the Diaspora, director for the Pan-Afrikan Conference and officer with the Association of Black Psychologists. For information, or to obtain an application for the M. Anita Hawthorne Pan-Afrikan scholarship, call Joe Young, interim director of the Pan Afrikan Program at 612-330-1022, or Dawn Peterson in Admissions at 612-330-1587.

Augsburg is a private college of the liberal arts and sciences and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.