# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S889
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

190 SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES

G. I. Enrollments
St. Louis Springfield

8 17 4% 1946—47 41% 93 87
14 29 6 % 1947—48 49% 129 50
7 31 6 % 1948—49 46% 136 21
10 24 45% 1949—50 42% 141 | 19
Graduates Expected
Year St. Louis | Springfleld | Total *
1950 97 | 27 124
1951 60 : 46 106
1952 103 70 173
1953 106 61 167
1954 162 53 215

* Average for next five years: 157.

To expand the St.Louis seminary physical plant by con-
struction which would match the superb quality of the existing
buildings would be very expensive at current construction costs,
Besides, it is the considered opinion of the Board that the operation
of a seminary of that size would make virtually impossible the
personal and individual contacts which we believe to be essential
to sound ministerial training.

While it is quite true that various administrative devices may
be applied to break up the large mass into smaller groupings,
most educators will agree that the best results are achieved in
small groups and that an elaborate system of professional counsel-
ing is only a substitute device to offset the disadvantages of mass
education. In an effective system of ministerial training, we be-
lieve that the inspiring impact of intimate association with devout
Christian scholars and leaders is essential and that direct, personal
contact with great teachers is of highest value.

Consideration was given, also, to the possibility of establishing
two seminaries of the St.Louis type. The cost factor would, of
course, be a major deterrent. In addition, the establishment of
a second seminary of the St. Louis type to accommodate the excess
enrollment from the first seminary would automatically require
furnishing financial support for three theological seminaries or
changing the program of the seminary at Springfield. In consider-
ing this possibility the‘Board was also aware of the fact that, his-
torically, such duplicate seminaries tend to develop their separate
programs in isolation and to emphasize their independence rather
than the parallelism which would be intended. A final negative