Picture This: Bethel University Then and Now
Here are a few snapshots conveying the Bethel experience across decades. Travel through time in this visual exploration of our 150-year history as an academic institution centered on Christ.
By Katie Johnson ’19, content specialist | Kristi Ellison ’10, senior graphic designer | Photos by Krista Rose Koester
January 28, 2022 | 10:15 a.m.
Bodien Residence Hall Lobby | 1986 (inset) and 2021 | photo held by Colby Johnson ’25, political science and business major
This story originally appeared in the winter 2022 issue of Bethel Magazine.
When Bethel was founded in 1871, it would have been hard to fathom how much the world would change in the next 150 years—let alone how much Bethel itself would change. But while the name, location, programs, and campus evolved over the past 150 years, Bethel’s core identity always remained: a foundation of faith, a commitment to academic excellence, and a uniquely supportive community that feels like home to Bethel students, generation after generation. Whatever your connection to Bethel, travel across the years through these snapshots and see what community looks like—then and now.
Kresge Courtyard and Nelson Residence Hall | 1980s (inset) and 2021 | photo held by Annika Hillstrom ’24, organizational communication and graphic design major
Post Office Mailboxes | 1970s (inset) and 2021 | photo held by Albert Smith ’22, psychology major
Bethel University Library Atrium Chapel Service | 1973 (inset) and 2021 | photo held by Benn McKean ’25, business and psychology major
Bethel University Library Study Area | 1980s (inset) and 2021 | photo held by Lulu Shwe ’25, art therapy major
Hallway to Hagstrom Center | 1970s (inset) and 2021 | photo held by Abby Gessesse ’23, community health major
Chemistry Lab | 1970s (inset) and 2021 | photo held by Hailey Thom ’22, biology major
Dock on Lake Valentine | 2016 (inset) and 2021 | photo held by Amy Ruiz Plaza ’23, biology major
Chapel locations: Robertson Center Gymnasium & Benson Great Hall | 1970s (inset) & 2021 | photo held by Terrence Johnson ’25, accounting and finance major
Study at Bethel.
Bethel’s 247-acre lakeside campus in suburban Arden Hills, Minnesota, offers a natural and spacious setting only 20 minutes from downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis. The campus includes the notable Benson Great Hall venue as well as the modern Brushaber Commons student center, which houses a two-story dining center, a restaurant, coffee shop, expanded campus store, offices for student organizations, and a green roof.