Two Wartburg graduates who became educators and were deeply involved in the arts and community will receive Wartburg Medals Tuesday, Sept. 2.
The contributions of Waverly residents Bob Gremmels, Wartburg professor emeritus of journalism, and Jon Tehven, a former high school English teacher and current Wartburg Community Symphony Association president, will be recognized at the college’s Opening Convocation at 10:15 a.m. in Levick Arena.
Dr. Brian Ernsting, Wartburg’s newly hired vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, will deliver the convocation address.
Gremmels, a 1952 graduate, is the great-great grandson of the college’s founder and first president, Georg Grossmann, and served the college for more than five decades.
The former editor of the Trumpet, Wartburg’s student newspaper, Gremmels became responsible for the college’s publications and public relations in 1964 and later taught. He helped create the Communication Arts Department (now Journalism and Communication) and served as its chair from 1984 until his retirement in 1994. Gremmels received a Wartburg Alumni Citation in 1970.
In addition, Gremmels helped launch the Keep on Learning lecture series, was president of the symphony association, and wrote a book on the history of the Wartburg Artist Series. He organized a family reunion of Grossmann descendants and families that led to the founding of the Saemann Foundation, which has made generous contributions to the college.
Gremmels also was president of the Society for Collegiate Journalists and named a Distinguished Newspaper Adviser by College Media Advisers.
Two children, Jill and Jon, are Wartburg graduates, while Ariana is an incoming student.
Tehven, a 1958 graduate, taught in Iowa and Illinois, then joined Lutheran Mutual Life Insurance (now CUNA Mutual Group) in sales. He currently works as a development associate in Bremer County with the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa and has been an adjunct professor at Wartburg in the Department of Business Administration/Economics.
As president of the symphony association, Tehven helped establish its endowment fund. He is a former president of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, where he chairs its annual fund drive, and also has chaired the Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community annual fund effort.
He has served on the Self-Help International Board and as international secretary of the Sons of Norway Fraternal Benefit Society.
Tehven and wife, Gloria, a 1960 Wartburg graduate, have daughters, Teresa and Wendy, who are Wartburg graduates. Grandson Matt Dickman graduated from the college a year ago and granddaughter Danica is a current student.