Lenore Johnson Larson, A’46
“My parents were Swedish immigrants and enrolled me in North Park Academy my junior year, hoping to instill a connection to our heritage. It was quite different then—we had chapel every morning, attended classes in Old Main, and we weren’t allowed to cross the street on school days. Girls were just starting to wear slacks; we were quite rebellious, changing into jeans before going to watch a game.
It was at a basketball game that I first saw my husband, Norman Eugene Larson. He was tall and stood out to me from across the gym. Our first date was a hayride party sponsored by North Park Covenant Church, and he asked me to go steady by giving me his class ring, which I wore around my neck. Norm graduated a year before me, but only lived two blocks away while attending Northwestern University, so we continued going to North Park sporting events and youth activities at church. Norm went on to become an M.D. and I finished nursing school, but I kept that connection to our heritage, staying involved at church and serving as a volunteer and Chairman of the Board for the Swedish American Museum.
After Norm passed in 1995, I established the Dr. Norman E. and Lenore J. Larson Scholarship in his honor. My only stipulation was that the scholarship support students going into medicine. I’ve collected many memories of our time at North Park in my scrapbook, which always brings a smile as I think about North Park’s campus today and the one I stepped foot on just 75 years ago.“
We’re celebrating 130 years of North Park community. You’re invited to share your own story at www.northpark.edu/share130