Constantin Esbj?rn
Professor of Swedish, Latin, and Greek, 1877-1880; 1883-1890
(This series of Notable Faculty profiles was written in celebration Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø's sesquicentennial in 2009.)
Constantin Magnus Esbj?rn was born in Princeton, Ill., on Feb. 14, 1858. He was born to Gustava and Lars Paul Esbj?rn, who was the founding president of Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø from 1860 to 1862. He traveled with his parents to Sweden in 1863, returning in 1873.
C.M. Esbj?rn attended Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø in Paxton, Ill., and followed the college when it moved in 1875 to Rock Island. He remained at Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø until 1877 when he graduated with a bachelor of arts degree. After his graduation from Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø, C.M. Esbj?rn became an assistant professor of Latin, Greek, and Swedish for Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø up to the year 1880.
He then moved to Philadelphia's Lutheran Seminary, and in 1883 he returned to Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø. At this time he married his first wife. Hilmore Elizabeth Swan. and became professor of Swedish at Å·ÖÞ±ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø, a position he held until 1890.
C.M. Esbj?rn was ordained in 1888. In 1890, he moved to San Francisco and was a pastor there until 1893 when he moved again, this time to Marshfield, Ore. Esbjorn's wife Hilmore died on Jan. 27, 1895. In 1897, he married Anna Sofia Rasmusson; their daughter, Hilmore Sofia, was born on Nov. 1 of that year. The family moved to Kingsburg, Calif., and lived there until Constantin Magnus Esbj?rn passed away on Nov. 25, 1911.