Gilbert C. Christopherson Biography


	This biography appears on pages 615-616 in "History of Dakota Territory" 
	by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				GILBERT C. CHRISTOPHERSON. 

	Gilbert C. Christopherson is president of the Sioux Falls 
Business College, in which institution he has embodied his high ideals 
concerning technical and practical training for the business world. His 
standards are being constantly elevated to meet changing conditions and 
the school is recognized today as the foremost business college of 
South Dakota and as an important factor in the educational system of 
the state. 

	Mr. Christopherson was born on a farm in Fillmore county, 
Minnesota, representing one of the pioneer families of that county, his 
parents having come from Vang Valdris, Norway, and established their 
home in Minnesota. After acquiring his early education in the district 
schools, our subject completed an academic course in Decorah, Iowa. 
Later he pursued a business education in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and at 
Columbus, Ohio. Subsequently he devoted three years to service as an 
accountant but entered upon active connection with educational work in 
1887, when he was employed to manage the Sioux Falls Business College. 
He purchased the school in 1892 and has since bent his energies toward 
its development and improvement. It is thoroughly modern, meeting 
present-day conditions in the business world, with every facility for 
promoting business education. The method used is known as the Actual 
Business Method. In other words, the school employs all the methods 
that are now in operation in the largest and best offices in the entire 
country. The success of the institution and the excellence of the work 
of its students have fully established the superiority of this system 
of instruction. In order to carry on the work according to his plan, 
the students are organized into a facsimile business community and they 
perform among themselves the same transactions that characterize 
ordinary business dealings, being supervised in their work by an expert 
accountant. There are today about two hundred and fifty students in the 
school and the subjects taught are business practice office training, 
real estate and insurance, banking, shorthand, typewriting, penmanship, 
arithmetic, spelling, business grammar, commercial law, rapid 
calculation and civil government. Each student receives individual 
attention, which is of great benefit in learning rapidly and correctly. 
There is in conjunction with the school a mail course in bookkeeping, 
shorthand and penmanship for the benefit of those who cannot leave 
their homes to enroll as regular students. All graduates are guaranteed 
positions, and yet it is impossible to supply the demand made upon the 
school for help. Since becoming proprietor of this institution Mr. 
Christopherson has spared neither expense nor effort in making it one 
of the best schools in the land, and it ranks favorably with similar 
educational institutions throughout the entire country. Its student 
body has "made good" in the business world and the thorough and 
practical plan of instruction qualifies a pupil to become at once a 
valuable factor in the conduct of commercial interests. 

	Mr. Christopherson was married in 1894 to Miss Caroline M. 
Christopherson, whose home was in Hartland, Freeborn county, Minnesota. 
They have become parents of five children, namely: Oswald, Gerald, 
Norman, Harold and Bjarne. 

	Mr. and Mrs. Christopherson occupy a high position in the regard 
and respect of the residents of Sioux Falls and the hospitality of 
their attractive home is greatly enjoyed by their many friends. 

	Mr. Christopherson is interested in all that pertains to the 
welfare and progress of his community and cooperates heartily in plans 
for the general good but concentrates his efforts chiefly upon the 
development of the school, and the value of the method which he has 
instituted has made his work of great worth to the community and 
indirectly in all those localities where his students have become 
active factors in the business world.