Wartburg College - Fortress Yearbook (Waverly, IA)

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4- S Even as the teacher who makes the child his study, seeing in the light of his pupil’s present behavior the influences that shaped him, look8 beyond the present and makes a forecast of this child’s future, So we hope in our representation of the 1 Yartburg that is and for what it stands , you may see a glimpse of its past, and, in the light of such knowledge, obtain a suggestion of its future . A [Pane Three]

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History of Our School The bud of a thriving and prosperous plant is unfolding. In our imagination we can already see, as the flower, the new administration building, as it will adorn Wart- burg’s campus in a very short time. This marks but another mile-stone in the growth and development of Wartburg. The very germ of the present Wartburg Normal College we find in the Orphan’s Home at Andrew, Iowa, when in 1879 Director Grossmann privately instructed several students there. Seeing the possibilities pf this little sprout, the authorities in the same year transplanted it to Waverly, Iowa, its present location. At this time it also received the name Wartburg Teachers’ Seminary, which it retained for many years. A rented house on South Water Street was the first home of this newly formed organization. Very soon, however, it was moved into the old Cedar Valley Hotel, near the Illinois Central tracks. This also was only a temporary home. In the following fall, after having donated much work and time to the cause, the thirteen students en¬ rolled were permitted to enter a permanent home, the present Old Main. At the time it was certainly a wonderful building, and well could these few students be proud to live in it. It has faithfully served the institution all these years and will stand as a memorial of Wartburg’s past when it must be abandoned for the new. Besides pro¬ viding the home and classrooms for the students, Old Main housed the two professors, Director Grossmann and Professor Eichner, and their families. In 1885 a branch, as it were, was grafted onto the stock of this growing plant, when the College department from Mendota, Ill., was moved to Waverly. Realizing the need for more room, because of the increased enrollment, a friend of the synod erected a building, half of the present North Hall, which was used as kitchen, dining hall, quarters for two professors, and classrooms. Since, however, space was still inadequate, the College department was again removed to Clinton, in 1894, and per¬ mitted to enter the new building erected there for it. This change left Wartburg with but seven students and one teacher. Director Lutz was called in this same year and the enrollment again increased to twenty-five, including those enrolled in the evening class. It is at this time that the two permanent branches, the academic and commercial departments, were formed. In 1905 we find a third definite branch taking form, when the Proseminary Department was added to this institution. This has grown to be one of the strong branches of the school. It serves to prepare young men for entrance into the Seminary at Dubuque. In 1907 the institution became coeducational, thus giving women as well as men an opportunity to secure a religious training. It was as a result of this action in the following years that lady Lutheran parochial school teachers were provided. The following figures show the gradual, yet steady increase in its enrollment: 1884. 7 1910. 86 1920.241 1900.60 1915.158 1925.262 In order to meet the demands of this increase, new buildings were erected and old ones enlarged. In 1910 North Hall had to be enlarged to its present size The second floor was used as a dormitory for boys. In 1913 the girls were permitted te enter the beautiful new Wartburg Hall. Up to this time they had roomed and boardM at various private homes in the neighborhood. In 1910 a house intended as a profeset i residence was erected. It was, however, then, as at present, used to accommodate commercial department of the school. In 1919 the boys were permitted to leavs their “nigger heaven” in Old Main and their quarters in North Hall and move into the new dormitory, Grossmann Hall. The loyalty of the Alumni to their Alma Mater was sfcewiif