# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S880
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES ; 183

In its thorough exploration of the possibility of reorganization
~ within the existing system, the Board prepared an extensive and
P. detailed 65-page report, supplemented by numerous statistical
" studies and supporting graphs. These materials were then pre-
sented in successive meetings to the large advisory committee
which had been appointed by President Behnken (at the request
of the 1949 Fiscal Conference) and to the Plenary Council, con-
sisting of all the college presidents of our Synod and some special
consultants. Only the essential features of this plan can be listed
here. (For complete detail, see Exhibit 2, next page.) It was
proposed to separate the specialty services from the main seminary
at St. Louis in order to allow room for an undergraduate student
body of 500 students on that campus. The Springfield seminary
would become a school for 250 students and would be held to
produce 40 graduates annually when the plan would be in full
effect. A senior college for 450 students would be established on
the present St. Paul, Minn., campus. This would involve the loss of
high school and junior college services for. that entire region and
would also mean that the entire current faculty, administration,
and student body (except seniors) would withdraw in order to
leave all facilities available to the senior college and to create an
opportunity for free choice of staff. The school would have an
enrollment of 380, with 175 graduates moving to St.Louis an-
nually. A library (included in “Building for Tomorrow” collection)
would have to be built; a physical education plant (promised. by
the District) would be needed; and a building would have to be
remodeled. The geographic location to existing synodical colleges
is indicated on Exhibit 3, page 185.

In order to secure sufficient space to train the required number
of ministers and teachers in the existing system (without the
St. Paul institution), it was proposed to reduce all of the nine
remaining preparatory institutions to four-year junior colleges
(junior and senior year of high school plus freshman and sophomore
year of college).

Still further adjustments were proposed to supply increased
teacher production. The River Forest enrollment would be re-
stricted to male students with a total enrollment of 500 and a
consequent production of 125 male graduates annually. The Seward
institution would be left relatively undisturbed; however, the pos-
sibility of elimination of the high school would be explored further.

In this plan a terminal teacher-training course would be intro-
duced at both the Fort Wayne college and the college at Winfield,
Kans. Each of these institutions would be held to train approx-
imately 150 women teacher training students and to produce about
75 graduates annually. This would involve the addition of facilities