Bethany Lutheran College is pleased to announce that Professor Silas Born and the late Mr. William (Bill) Overn have been named the 2025 recipients of the Exceptional Service to Bethany Award. This prestigious honor, selected annually by the Bethany Alumni Board, recognizes individuals or groups who have made significant contributions to the mission and well-being of Bethany Lutheran College and the former High School.
Professor Emeritus Silas Born has dedicated more than six decades to Lutheran education. His service includes calls to St. John’s Lutheran School (Sparta, WI), Holy Cross Lutheran School (Madison, WI), and Skola Martina Luthera (Plzen, Czech Republic) while also substitute teaching for a time in Menomonee Falls, WI. He spent over 25 years at Bethany, where he was a foundational part of the Education Department. Born’s roles included professor of education, education major coordinator, director of the Student Success Center, and ELS Director of Christian Education. Even after his formal retirement, he continued to teach and mentor students, returning most recently as an adjunct professor and student teacher supervisor until 2023. A humble servant, Born consistently redirects recognition to the Lord, giving thanks for the opportunities he has had to share the “One Thing Needful.”
Born earned his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Martin Luther College (1963), a master’s in curriculum and supervision from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (1970), and he pursued doctoral studies in rehabilitative psychology and special education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He lives in Mankato with his wife, Mary, and they have two sons, both of whom attended Bethany, John (’90) and Peter (’92). To this day, he still remains an active resource to Bethany and other Lutheran schools.
Mr. William Overn served on the Bethany Board of Regents for an extraordinary 44 years (1969–2013), including 36 years as vice chair. His tenure spanned the leadership of six college presidents and included pivotal milestones in the College’s history—such as transitioning from a two-year associate’s program to a four-year bachelor’s institution, adding numerous academic programs, and overseeing the construction of ten campus buildings and expansions.
A veteran of World War II, Overn served in the Army Air Corps and completed engineering training at Yale in 1944. He later earned his degree in electrical engineering from the University of Minnesota and worked at Remington Rand/Univac/Sperry, where he received several patents in computer science. He also co-founded the Twin Cities Creation Science Association and the Bible Science Association. Overn, a member of Heritage Lutheran in Apple Valley, Minn., passed away in 2020. He, and his wife Anne Marie, shared 63 years of marriage before her passing. The couple were blessed with two children, Jane (’76) and Matthew (’80), both Bethany alumni.
Both recipients will be honored during a special presentation following the 9 a.m. worship service in Trinity Chapel on Sunday, September 21, 2025, as part of Bethany’s Fall Festival – A Homecoming Weekend. A reception will follow in the chapel narthex. Bethany President Dr. Gene Pfeifer, along with others close to Born and Overn, will offer remarks during the ceremony.
Nominate a future recipient of the Exceptional Service to Bethany Award by visiting HERE
For additional information, contact:
Jake Krier – Director of Alumni Relations
Office of Advancement
Bethany Lutheran College
Jake.Krier@blc.edu / 507-344-7519