Treasures from the Archive: Snow Weekend

January can get pretty nasty in Minnesota. The excitement of the Christmas season has worn off, the snow has settled in for good, and the cold winds start to blow right through you. Rather than complain about it, why not have a party and celebrate our Minnesota heartiness!

In January 1959, Concordia’s Pep Club sponsored the first Snow Days Weekend. The festivities included a coronation ceremony, ice skating party, a wrestling meet and basketball game, and a party at the Student Union. 

Concordia's first Snow King and Snow Queen Art Plath and Donna Jean Demm.

The first Snow Days was so much fun that the event would be held annually for decades. Moving forward, that weekend would expand until Snow Weekend became Snow Week. Each day of this week had some sort of activity for the Concordia community. Events mainly revolved around winter sports and entertainment such as snow sculpting, variety shows (…I hear Jason Rahn, CSP Alum and now Associate VP for Student Life, put on a pretty sweet Magic Show), dances or, in one case, outdoor hot tubs were temporarily installed on the Knoll for those brave enough to partake. Snow is fun; and besides, nothing beats the winter cold like a little fun (…or migrating south for the winter!)

1965 Snow Weekend Court sporting Scandinavian sweaters.

Michael Hernick recently graduated from Concordia University, Saint Paul with a major in History. He spent his summer buried in the Archive digging up interesting nuggets of Concordia's history. We will be highlighting his work with Throwback Thursday post, Treasures from the Archive, throughout the year!

Treasures from the Archive: Folkers Nativity Collection

"Jesus is Here" hand carved nativity set from China

One of our Christmas traditions at Concordia University, Saint Paul Library Technology Center is pulling out the Folkers Nativity Collection and filling our display cases with some of our favorites.

Terra cotta nativity set from Peru. 

Robert A. Folkers was born in Peoria, Illinois in 1922, where he lived most of his life until his death in February 2005. He was a WWI and Korean War Air Force veteran and a graduate of Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois. He had a 31 year career with Caterpillar, Inc., working as a field Engineer in research and development. He was an active member of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church for 68 years, volunteering in many areas of ministry.

Hand carved nativity set from Indonesia

Travel was a big part of Bob’s life; his work with Caterpillar took him throughout the world. After his retirement, he continued to travel extensively, both for pleasure and numerous volunteer and educational purposes. He participated in seven mission trips with the Luther Layman’s League and Lutheran Bible Translators. The trips took him to such diverse locations as Liberia, Ghana, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, and Russia.

Hummel nativity set from Germany; the set that started the collection!

Nativity collection began when Bob purchased his first set, a Hummel, at a PX in Germany in the 1950s for $50.00 (today a complete set is worth much more than that!) From then on, whenever he found an interesting set, he brought it home. After retirement, his travels increased and he went out of his way to unearth unusual sets. The collection grew to over 110.

Bob’s sister, Dorothy Ebs, knew that her brother wanted the set to be kept together and enjoyed by the public. She knows he would be pleased that they now call Concordia University home.

Lefton China hand painted "Yamada Originals," 1999. 

Treasures from the Archive: Luther Hall

The first new residence hall to be built on campus was the East Dormitory, or as we know it today, Luther Hall. In 1922, Concordia's enrollment had reached an all time high of 238. The current dormitory accommodations could house 150. It was painfully apparent that more housing was needed.

Concordia's administration hired an architect to design a block plan (which was eventually abandoned) for a campus that would serve a student body of 300 (at that time, there were thoughts that enrollment would be capped at this number.) The southern end of the campus would consist of three dormitories forming a quadrangle, the East Dormitory would the first to be built.

The cornerstone for the building was laid on August 9, 1924 and the building was completed by November 1925.

One of the most interesting and unique features of the building are the stone sculptures above the front entrance and around the columns flanking the front entrance.

Those that live in Luther Hall may (or may not) have noticed these gargoyle-like faces staring down at them if they enter the building from Syndicate Street.

Directly above the entrance to the building is Martin Luther. The central placement of Luther's face on the building and Luther's significance to Concordia as a Lutheran school, were factors in renaming the dormitory to Luther Hall in 1947.

Luther is flanked by two great leaders of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Dr. Francis (Franz) Pieper and Dr. C.F.W. Walther.

Left to right: Dr. Francis Pieper, Dr. Martin Luther, Dr. C.F.W. Walther

Dr. Francis Pieper flanks Luther to the left. At the time of the building's construction, Dr. Pieper was president of Concordia Theological Seminary and, in addition to being immortalized on the East Dormitory, was selected to be the main speaker at the building's dedication. One of his great contributions to Lutheran theology was Christliche Dogmatik (Christian Dogmatics), doctrinal theology of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

Dr. C.F.W. Walther flanks Luther to the right. Dr. Walther was the founder, first president, and one of the most influential theologians of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

In addition to the sculptures of these three influential men, there are also sculptures around the columns flanking the entrance to Luther Hall. The faces here are meant to be representations of young students and their teachers. The faces of the teachers were modeled after Philip Melanchthon, a theologian of the Protestant Reformation and colleague of Martin Luther, known for being the chief compiler of the Lutheran Confessions.

Though they may not be noticeable at first glance (but I bet you won't be able to ignore them from now on!) much thought went into the sculptures decorating the entrance to Luther Hall. The men immortalized here are founding fathers of Lutheranism and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod as well as teachers--making them appropriate guardians of the young men that first lived under the formidable roof of the East Dormitory. 

Treasures from the Archive: A Bit of Choir History

As we enter into the month of December, I would like to talk about the roots of the choir program at Concordia. So, like all great stories from history, let us start at the beginning...

The choral roots lie in the Lutheran tradition of the “singing church,” and as such, the Missouri Synod always sought to have music as part of the curriculum at its colleges. When Concordia first opened, 2 hours per week of singing were required for all students, in addition to studying musical theory and instrumental practice.

1926-27 Glee Club

This requirement lasted through the winter of 1926. The following spring, the Concordia Glee Club was established as a voluntary student club. As this club became more successful and popular, it also became more selective. The club was restricted to thirty-two members and the group decided to move away from including secular music and performed only sacred music. The club began traveling for the first time in 1934, and completed extensive concert tours every year following. In 1936, the name of the club was officially changed to the Concordia Choral Club. In 1939-40, it was decided that membership in the Choral Club would be restricted to college students and a new Glee Club was formed for high school students.

1948-49 Concordia Choral Club

Up until 1953, the Choral Club was an all-male chorus. When the college became coeducational in 1950, a mixed group of thirty men and women formed the Chapel Choir (as the Choral Club was closed to women.) In the fall of 1953, women became eligible to join the Choral Club. The 1953-54 Choral Club had an initial membership of thirty-two women and twenty-eight men.

1950-51 Chapel Choir

Both the Chapel Choir and Choral Club continued to be anchors of the Concordia music program. The Choral Club adopted a new name in 1965, the Concordia College Chorale, and today we know them as the Christus Chorus. Shortly after it was established, the Chapel Choir started going by the name Schola Cantorum; today, our chapel choir is known as the Jubilate Choir.

If you have the opportunity, make sure to attend the annual Christmas concert this weekend, December 4-6, and, also, keep your ears open for carolers in the halls as an end-of-the-semester treat!

- Michael

 

Michael Hernick recently graduated from Concordia University, Saint Paul with a major in History. He spent his summer buried in the Archive digging up interesting nuggets of Concordia's history. We will be highlighting his work with Throwback Thursday post, Treasures from the Archive, throughout the year!

Treasures from the Archive: Graebner Memorial Chapel

Original chapel in Old Main, 1894-1918

Our campus has always had a chapel, but it has not always been the beauty of a building that it is today. In the earliest days of the school, the chapel was a large room on the first floor of Old Main. The pews were school desks, but it had a lovely pipe organ.

By 1914, enrollment had increased to the point of overcrowding in classrooms and dormitories. A new building, the Administration Building (or Meyer Hall as it is known now), was planned to house a new chapel-auditorium, a faculty room, a reception room, offices, seven new classrooms, a library, museum, and science laboratories.

The north end of the Administration Building was designated for the chapel-auditorium, or Aula. It was two stories high with a bank of beautiful stained glass windows facing Syndicate. The Aula was designed in the Renaissance style and featured elaborate ornamentation with Greek motifs. It had a stage, a gallery, and seated an audience of 350. The Aula served as the school’s chapel from 1918 until 1954.

Chapel-auditorium, Aula, in the Administration Building, 1918-1954

In 1953, construction began on the Lutheran Memorial Center—a new athletic facility. This created the opportunity for other remodeling projects on campus. The Aula was converted into 5 new classrooms and additional office space. The “old gymnasium” was transformed into the Graebner Memorial Chapel.

Graebner Memorial Chapel dedication service, November 13, 1955

As anyone who has been in our chapel can see, the renovations to the gymnasium made it almost unrecognizable as a former basketball court! Interior brick walls were added to enclose the vestry and sacristy; they were oriented to direct visual focus towards the altar. Stained glass windows and pews were installed. 

A new entrance and narthex were added to create a more “churchly” appearance. A steel bell tower topped with a cross was built near the entrance to house the old college bell and give it new life as the new chapel bell.

Exterior of the Graebner Memorial Chapel, 1955-2007

The addition of the Cross of Christ Fellowship Center and the slight renovations to the interior of the chapel make it the striking building that it is today.

As one of the oldest buildings on campus, Graebner Memorial Chapel has an interesting history. So, the next time you find yourself seated in the chapel, don’t be surprised if you think you hear the squeak of sneakers, the thump of a basketball being dribbled, the swoosh of the net, and cheers of fans… 

Treasures from the Archive: Luther Statue

On October 30, 1921, our statue of Martin Luther was installed on campus. This week marks the 94th anniversary of the installation. We recently had a number of silent films from our archive digitized through Minnesota Reflections. This film is from the dedication ceremony of the Luther Statue.

Treasures from the Archive: Dick Siebert

As the professional baseball season is coming to a close, let’s highlight one of Concordia’s "claims to fame": Dick Siebert. Before Richard “Dick” Siebert played first base for the Philadelphia Athletics and became one of the greatest coaches in college baseball history, he played baseball for Concordia Academy and Concordia College.

College Baseball Team, 1929 or 1930. Dick "Lefty" Siebert is center of the seated row. 

“Lefty” was pitcher for the Concordia Comets. During the 1929 season, his junior year of college, he was approached by a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals; however, Dick had every intention of become a Lutheran minister and wanted to continue his education at Concordia Seminary. While at Seminary, baseball continued to tug at Dick’s heartstrings until he got an offer he couldn’t refuse and signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1932. Between 1932 and 1945, Dick played pro baseball with the Dodgers, Cubs, Cardinals, and finally, the Philadelphia A’s as the first baseman. During the off season, Dick coached basketball for Concordia, Saint Paul high school and junior college.

1937 Concordia Comets basketball team. Coach Dick Siebert's first year as basketball coach.

In 1948, he took a job as head coach for the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher’s baseball team. Over the next 30 years, Coach Siebert became one of the greatest coaches in college baseball history, was twice named as college baseball’s Coach of the Year, is a member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame, and a recipient of the Lefty Gomez Trophy for outstanding contribution and service to college baseball.

Treasures from the Archive: Homecoming, Birth of a Tradition

Homecomings are a deep rooted tradition in many schools and Concordia is no different. In fact, this Saturday marks 46 years since the school’s first college homecoming! That’s not to say that this was our first ever homecoming. In fact, the homecoming tradition started in 1949 with Concordia High School and its Meteors.

When football was first introduced on campus it was only a high school sport. The first homecoming was a week of prep rallies and build up as the theme of “Wreck Breck” was taken to heart by the students. Yet on game day, it was the Meteors who were wrecked, 19 to 38. Though the first big game was a loss, the enthusiasm leading up to it helped cement football into our school’s structure.

After a 2 year hiatus during the high school merger, 1969 brought the triumphant return of football to campus under Athletic Director Robert Barnes. Our first college homecoming was on Friday, September 26. Concordia faced Northwestern and history was not repeated as the Comets won 14 to 6!

Enjoy OktoBEARfest this year!

- Michael

The following photos are from 1969 Homecoming celebration and the 1969 football season:

President and Mrs. Poehler at the 1969 Homecoming Banquet. 

1969 Homecoming Queen candidates await coronation. Anne Andrich (far left) was crowned Concordia's first Homecoming Queen. 

1969 Comets. Concordia's first college football team. 

Co-captains Phil Mueller and Mike Bailey present Concordia's first game football to President Poehler. 

Concordia Comettes, the college drill team. 

1969 Pep Band

Michael Hernick recently graduated from Concordia University, Saint Paul with a major in History. He spent his summer buried in the Archive digging up interesting nuggets of Concordia's history. We will be highlighting his work with Throwback Thursday post, Treasures from the Archive, throughout the year!

Treasures from the Archive: Concert Organ for the Buetow Music Center Auditorium

For those of you who have been into the Buetow Music Center Auditorium you have seen the breath-taking ceiling-high organ that dominates the wall behind the stage (for those who have yet to see it, you are in for a treat). Considering the organ is an integral part of the auditorium, it may surprise you that it was not part of the auditorium for the first few years of Buetow’s existence.

Buetow Music Center Auditorium before the installation of the concert organ.

During the dedication ceremony of the Buetow Memorial Music Center, Mr. Paul A. Schilling, a life-long friend of the building’s namesake Herbert P. Buetow, was inspired to fund the concert organ project.

Mrs. and Mr. Paul A. Schilling talk to Dr. Paul O. Manz about the pipe design for the new concert organ. 

The renowned Schlicker Organ Company was selected to build Concordia’s concert organ. The organ was designed specifically for the auditorium. Paul O. Manz, who was a member of Concordia’s music faculty at the time and is as beloved name in church music, worked closely with Herman L. Schlicker, founder and president of the company, to develop the tonal designs of the organ. Our organ was one of the last to be made by Schlicker. This organ is a master-crafted piece of work (I am not kidding about that breath-taking bit) and cost over $94,000 (how many semesters of tuition is that? I’ll let you do the math). The organ was delivered in pieces (pipes, keys, trackers, wind chests) and put together by John Obermeyer, local representative for Schlicker, and chief voicer, Louis Rothenbueger, who tuned and voiced the instrument to accurately fit the auditorium.

Completed Schlicker concert organ installed in the Buetow Music Center Auditorium.

A dedicatory recital was performed by Dr. Paul Manz on October 6, 1974.

Paul A. Schilling at the organ dedication on October 6, 1974.

Michael Hernick recently graduated from Concordia University, Saint Paul with a major in History. He spent his summer buried in the Archive digging up interesting nuggets of Concordia's history. We will be highlighting his work with Throwback Thursday post, Treasures from the Archive, throughout the year!

Treasures from the Archive: Arndt Science Hall

Professor Arndt, 1911

Edward L. Arndt was Concordia Saint Paul’s first science professor. He was installed in March 1897, and taught at CSP for 13 years. Professor Arndt was a man of strong convictions and an inability to compromise—especially when it came to academic excellence. Judging from some of the student life pictures we posted previously, he and the students may have been on different wavelengths! Arndt was at odds with the rest of the faculty regarding academic standards and was asked to leave CSP in 1910. He went on to establish The China Mission Society and spent the rest of his life as a missionary to China. In the archive, we have a set of Arndt’s autobiographical materials. If you are interested in finding out more about Professor Arndt, contact us to see the materials!

President William Poehler and Walter Sohn lead the groundbreaking ceremony for Arndt Science Hall, August 18, 1964

The Arndt Science Hall celebrates its 50^th anniversary this month. In September 1965, Arndt Science Hall was dedicated to Professor Arndt as the first professor of science at Concordia College. The groundbreaking ceremony was held in August 1964, during the Minnesota South District Synod Convention. All attendees were asked to bring a shovel or a spade, line up along the marked outline of the building, and dig an outline of broken ground around the perimeter of the proposed building.

Construction of Arndt Science Building, 1964-65

The building was designed for staged renovation. The first floor of classrooms and labs and the second floor housing Concordia’s museum, curated by Professor Oswald Overn, were completed for the 1965-66 academic year. The building was designed to support a third floor if further expansion was required. In 1988-89, the building was renovated to complete the second floor. The Arndt Science Hall has continued to adapt as CSP’s programs grow. The building has been modernized to include new labs, audio-visual facilities, and a cadaver lab!

Treasures from the Archive: E.M. Pearson Theatre

Week 4: E.M. Pearson Theatre

Aerial shot of campus circa 1959

Concordia’s campus has its fair share of wonders, right? The Knoll at any time of the year, the Beutow Auditorium, but one that serves as a beacon for the school has to be E. M. Pearson Theatre. It opened September 10, 1994, (21! Who is taking it out for drinks?) and whether you are on campus or off, the building is a sight to behold.

In 1989-90, President Johnson and consultants raised 15 million dollars for future projects. This money was put toward E. M. Pearson Theatre and the Gangelhoff Center. Previously, drama productions were performed in the Beutow Music Auditorium, while a beautiful space, it was not designed specifically for drama. The Pearson Theatre was designed for flexibility; rows of seats can be added or subtracted, balconies and side wings can be used for seating or performance space, and hydraulic staging was designed so it could be lowered for additional seating or used as an orchestra pit. The theatre was designed with students in mind, so the entire space was designed to be used as a classroom—including the stage itself. In addition to the theatre, the building also houses a theatre lab and a dance studio/drama classroom.

This theater was, and still is, a beautiful addition to Concordia. My first impression of it was when I was 12 and I came to see a play; to me, Pearson was awe-inspiring.

- Michael

Groundbreaking for E.M. Pearson Theatre, 1993

Pearson Theatre site

Pearson Theatre under construction

Pearson Theatre completed

Michael Hernick recently graduated from Concordia University, Saint Paul with a major in History. He spent his summer buried in the Archive digging up interesting nuggets of Concordia's history. We will be highlighting his work with Throwback Thursday post, Treasures from the Archive, throughout the year!

Treasures from the Archive: Concordia Academy

Week 3: Concordia Academy

New bus of Concordia Junior College and High School, St. Paul, Minn.

For those of you who paid attention and still remember our first post, you may recall that Concordia did not start out as a university, but as a high school and junior college. Like all things in life, change must come, and such was the case in the transition from high school to four year college. Up until Concordia became a coeducational school in 1950, the all-male high school dominated Concordia’s educational focus. However, Concordia was striving to become a four-year college and for accreditation purposes, a separation of high school and college needed to take place.

In 1967, a four-year merger between Concordia High School and the St. Paul Lutheran High School Association (LHSA) began. The LHSA owned a high school in Roseville, just six miles north of Concordia, making it an ideal candidate for consolidation. As Concordia High School was formerly a residential campus, during the four year transition, students that were previously enrolled in the high school lived in Luther Hall were bussed to Concordia Academy. After the four year transition, Concordia Academy was officially owned and operated by the LHSA and the 74 year era of the all-male high school here at Concordia ended.

Concordia High School graduated 2,146 students over its 74 years, many of whom continued studying to enter professional service in the church.

- Michael

Below are some images from our postcard collection. Campus life was a little different before those girls showed up and started "distracting" all the boys...

Michael Hernick recently graduated from Concordia University, Saint Paul with a major in History. He spent his summer buried in the Archive digging up interesting nuggets of Concordia's history. We will be highlighting his work with Throwback Thursday post, Treasures from the Archive, throughout the year!