# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1956_S81
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

SEMINARIES AND COLLEGES 81

In February 1955 Dr. Erwin Lueker received a call to the
chair of Systematic Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo.
Dr. Lueker felt it was the Lord’s will that he accept this call.
The Seminary’s Board of Control acceded to our request that
Dr. Lueker be permitted to remain at our school until the close
of the 1954—55 school year. The withdrawal of Dr. Lueker from
our teaching staff posed a grave problem for our school. To add
to the school’s problems, late in the triennium, Prof. Lando Otto,
the school’s librarian, received a call as “librarian with rank of
professor attached to the Department of English” from Concordia
Senior College, Fort Wayne, Ind., a second time. This time the
Lord moved him to accept. He intends to take up his work at the
Fort Wayne school at the end of August.

Instructor Daniel DeBlock terminated his service with our
school at the end of the 1953—54 school year; Instructor Warren
Rubel at the end of school year 1954—55. Both of the gentlemen
received and accepted a call into the holy ministry.

Mr. L. H. Grothaus was engaged as instructor in the field of
English and Social Studies as successor to Mr. D. DeBlock. He is
also serving as housemaster in Biltz Hall. Mr. Roland Haas,
housemaster of Brust Hall, is teaching Religion and Physical
Education. Miss Tabea Ryll was engaged to serve as instructor
in the field of German and Social Studies. She also served as
housemother in the girls’ dormitory. Mrs. W. Rosin also served
for a time as instructor in German and Social Studies in place of
Professor Otto, who was granted a sabbatical leave in 1954 to
accept a Fulbright Fellowship to a university in Vienna, Austria.

On January 19, 1955, a call was extended to Rev. Roland
Hopmann, White Bear Lake, Minn., to serve as assistant professor
in the Department of English and Religion. The Lord moved him
to accept the call. Pastor Hopmann joined our staff in August 1955.
Mr. Marvin Middendorf, a seminary graduate, was engaged to
teach in the classical field to replace Professor Gienapp, who was
granted a sabbatical leave from June 1, 1955 to June 30, 1956.
Mr. Harry: Voigt, Conover, N.C., was engaged to teach in the
field of Humanities. Missionary Heerboth of our Japanese mission
field, who is spending a sabbatical year in Concordia, Mo., has
been given a teaching assignment at St. Paul’s College also.

With the approval of Synod’s Board for Higher Education,
Mr. Earl Fuhrman was raised to the status of assistant professor
in August 1955.

The death of one of our professors emeriti, Prof. William F.
Schaller, occurred in St. Louis, Mo., on December 3, 1955. After his
retirement from teaching in 1942, Professor Schaller was active in