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Boe Memorial Chapel grew from loss, memory and collective philanthropy. Lars W. Boe served as president of St. Olaf College from 1918 until his death in 1942, overseeing a significant period of institutional growth.

At Boe’s memorial service in 1943, Carleton College president Donald Cowling called upon the friends of St. Olaf to make possible, through their gifts, a great chapel in Boe’s honor. The resulting memorial campaign culminated a decade later when Boe Memorial Chapel opened for student use in 1953 and was formally dedicated in 1954.

The name therefore commemorates Boe’s leadership rather than identifying a single donor. The chapel stands as the product of collective giving by the wider St. Olaf community.