Concordia College - Spire / Concordian Yearbook (Fort Wayne, IN)

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eight students came to Fort Wayiie, where they were confronted by grievous difficuhies. As the transfer had been made so suddenly, the housing facili- ties were inadequate, and, besides, an epidemic of typhoid broke out. Both students and faculty were gravely afflicted, and the work of the institution was seriously hampered. Fortunately no deaths resulted. By 1867 the mmiber of students had reached one hundred and thirty, and the faculty was increased by the addition of two new professors. The Synod liberally supported its college, and erected all necessary buildings, so that by 1869 the following buildings, besides the old seminary, were found on the college campus: four professors ' residences; a large building, containing the kitchen and a residence for the steward, his family, and the servants; a dining hall; a bakery; and a large new building intended to serve as a dormitory, in which, however, large class-rooms were provided. This was already under cover, but not yet finished in the interior when a fire, in the night of December 28, 1869, gutted the old college building. The students in the dormitory lost all their meager belongings and barely escaped with their lives. Liberal contributions by the various congregations of the Synod enabled the students to fit themselves out anew, and permitted a speedy repair of the damage. The new dormitory was completed as rapidly as possible and, being calculated to accommodate two hundred students, afforded plenty of room for the student body. In the year following Concordia College continued to flourish and in 1889 celebrated the fiftieth, and in 1914 the seventy-fifth anniversary of its founda- tion. In both instances alumni and friends of the institution from far and wide assisted in making the occasion impressive and worthy of remembrance. Such of the former students as have not been able to visit their Alma Mater for many years would undoubtedly be favorably impressed with the many improvements and additions that have been made in the course of time. The Old Gym. ESr

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struction of which both the necessary money and a ten- acre plot of ground had been provided by the St. Louis congregation. In the spring of 1852, the school was legally incorpo- rated and was thenceforth known as Concordia Col- lege. In die same year the num- ber of students increased to thirty-four, and to accom- ' ' Old Bmhlmg. modate them another build- ing was erected in close proximity to the first. Within a period of six years the school had again grown to such an extent that it became necessary to resume building operations. Accordingly a new structure was placed between the two existing buildings to form one unit with them. This was dedicated to its purpose in 1858. Thus the institution continued to flourish ai St. Louis, the same building accommodating both the college and the theological seminary. In 1860 seventy-four students were enrolled in the collegiate department, who were instructed by six professors, three of whom devoted their entire time to the college, while the remaining three offered courses in the seminary also. The following year, 1861, was to be of the The Old Roadway. greatest importance to the development of Concordia College. The Synod, after carefully weighing the pros and cons, had decided to combine the Practical The- ological Seminary at Fort Wayne with the seminary at St. Louis, and to transfer its college to Fort Wayne. The outbreak of the Civil War and the resulting unrest in St. Louis hastened the exe- cution of the plan. In sum- mer, 1861, three professors, one assistant and seventy-

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i The Old Mess Hall. The dormitory of 1869 was renovated and modernized in 1903, and in place of the old frame dining hall a large brick building meets the eye. Then, besides, since 1869 there have gone up four new professors ' residences; a hospital; a swimming pool, and a central heating plant. A large, beautiful lecture hall with an auditorium seating approximately 7.50 persons was com- pleted in 1905. Through the liberality of friends and former students of the college it was made possible to erect a spacious gymnasium, which affords ample room for drilling, basket ball games, and the like. Its large dimen- sions become apparent when the fact of its seating comfortably between two and three thousand persons is mentioned. But the progress that the school made is not only attested by the improve- ments made in adding new structures on the campus. Changes were made that af- fected the students deeply to their own advantage. Mili- tary training was introduced in 1907, and the results of this innovation have thus far been exceedingly gratifying from every point of view. Naturally, the course and the aim of the institution