# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1944_S461
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Report of Board for Higher Education — 461.
3. ST. PAUL'S COLLEGE |
CONCORDIA, MISSOURI

. Historical Data ;

ce 1884 St. Paul’s College has prepared young men for service in
inistry. Countless graduates of ‘the institution are tied by bonds
dyalty to their Alma Mater, which has nurtured them and sent

~ forth as consecrated workers in the Lord’s service. The con-. -
aéricy of the Western District has loyally supported the institution
‘thin its borders with both funds and students. °

unded in 1884 by the sainted Rev. F. J. Biltz, St. Paul’s College
the urgent requirements for pastors of the rapidly expanding.
urch. In its early years the college served the vast territory west
the Mississippi River, from the Gulf to the Pacific Coast.

s time went on, other institutions came into existence in this large
> In 1893 St. John’s College was founded in Winfield, Kans.,
y Mr. J. P. Baden. In 1906 the Pacific Coast area opened its own
¢hool at Oakland, Calif. But in spite of such losses of territory,
Paul’s College continued its growth. In 1905 it became a six-year
ioo}. . The enrollment attained its peak in 1912 with 177 students.

¢ St. John’s College in Winfield, Kans., and St. Paul’s College in
‘oncordia, Mo., are 225 miles apart, and the ‘territory which they
rve is unable to support both institutions with a pretheological . :
rollment sufficient to justify the maintenance of two institutions in
he area. The enrollment figures indicate this quite clearly. For
@ first decade after 1912 Winfield continued to grow to 175 students.
ring the same ‘period Concordia’s student body declined to 94.
Ttie combined enrollment of the two colleges :was’ quite constant at:
about 270-290. In the next decade the situation was. completely
4 reversed. Concordia ‘almost attained its former peak enrollment,
while Winfield experienced a startling decline. Obviously many
causes operated to bring about these changes. The Winfield decline
was’ accelerated, for instance, by the opening of another institution. in
‘Austin, Tex., in 1926. There appears to be little doubt, however, that
the territory could not provide enough students to fill each institution

to. capatity.

, Table 10
’ Enrollment
1898-1899: 41
1906-1907 : 148 root :
1912-1913: 177. Statistical Yearbook lists as college peak
Decline to 1921-1922: 111 : ‘ ‘
Increase to 1931-1932: 163 : °
Decline to’ 1941-1942: 70 Plus 5 non-theotogical
1942-1943: 79 Pius 4 non-theological

The geographical origins ‘of students at the two institutions in terms
f distance traveled. is presented in Table 11.

.