Augsburg University Athletics

Luther Bakken was a standout thrower for the Augsburg track and field teams of the late 60s and early 70s, while also playing football his first two years at Augsburg. A native of Westbrook-Walnut Grove, Minn., and current resident of Louisville, Ky., Bakken graduated as the school record-holder in the shot put and discus and remains the school record-holder in the outdoor shot put with a throw of 50-feet, 9-inches. His shot put record, set in 1972, is the second-oldest record on the Augsburg men’s track and field record list. Bakken graduated from Augsburg with honors, earning a degree in economics and finance, and went on to earn his MBA from the University of Memphis in 1980. He has worked for several companies in the finance industry, including Cargill, Bemis, Tennessee Textiles and the Louisville Bank for Cooperatives/CoBank. Since 2008, he has owned his own agribusiness consulting firm, Agri Financial Consulting LLC. He has also served his church as a deacon and adult Bible teacher, while also taking four evangelistic mission trips to Cuba. Since 2012, he has served as a board member and volunteer for the Hopeful Hearts Foundation, which supports orphans and at-risk children throughout the world. Bakken and his wife Karen will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary next year. They have two children, Leigh and Luke; and four grandchildren, Jack, Alex, Walt and Cate, and live in Louisville, Kentucky.