Carleton, St. Olaf Colleges Donate $150,000 to City of Northfield

Editor's note: Submitted by St. Olaf College.

Continuing with a tradition that dates back nearly nine decades, Carleton College and St. Olaf College presented their annual contributions to the city of Northfield at Northfield City Hall on Dec. 5. Representatives from the two Northfield colleges and the city gathered as St. Olaf and Carleton made a total donation of $150,000 to the colleges' host city. 

Presenting equal amounts of $75,000 to Northfield were St. Olaf Vice President and Treasurer Alan Norton and Carleton Vice President and Treasurer Fred Rogers. Accepting the donations on the city's behalf were City Administrator Tim Madigan and Mayor Mary Rossing. Beginning in the 1920s, Carleton and St. Olaf were among the first colleges in the United States to make such gifts to their host city. 

Nearly 5,000 college students from the two colleges call Northfield home for the academic year. The city provides the students with a wide array of services, including restaurants, shopping, emergency and professional services, plus employment and other opportunities to expand their academic experiences with internships in local professional settings. Northfield, in turn, benefits from a large base of potential clients and consumers for its businesses, and volunteers for local organizations and schools. 

Local citizens also are able to enjoy a wide range of athletic, art and musical offerings from both colleges—most of which are free and open to the public. 
The two colleges are among the largest employers in Northfield, with more than 1,500 employees combined.

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