Raymond and Florence Sponberg were people committed to promoting world peace. Raymond received his bachelor's degree from Gustavus Adolphus in 1937. He joined the United States Army Air Forces in 1942 and after his discharge in 1946 felt a strong urge to promote the importance of peace in and around the world. They founded and continue to support the annual Mayday Peace Conference at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota.
During college Raymond worked construction while Florence held a secretarial position. They discussed the wage differential and how difficult it was for a woman to make a living on such a low salary. For this reason, their scholarship is stipulated for women. The Sponberg's believed women had a greater need for the monetary opportunity in order to pursue higher education.
Florence Sponberg received her bachelor's degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. She taught high school for five years and English at Mankato State for twenty-seven years before retiring in 1980. Since then, she has devoted her energy to promoting world peace. Raymond Sponberg passed away in July of 2000 at the age of 86.
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Department of History