# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1857_S358
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 358 —

...the English academy now coming into being would offer these
students a special and excellent opportunity — not only to take part
generally in various subjects falling within their field, but in
particular to acquire the thorough knowledge of the English language,
so indispensable to them, and a ready command of its use.

The Opening of the English Academy at Fort Wayne.

It is known from our synodical report [Synodalbericht] of 1854 how
the Synod, in 1852 at Fort Wayne and in 1853 at Cleveland, appointed
and charged a committee with deliberating on and promoting the
establishment of an English academy at Fort Wayne. The first and most
necessary requirement for this was a suitable school building. The
means for erecting one were to be raised through voluntary
contributions. Many congregations, however, given the poor harvests
and high prices of those years, had churches, parsonages, and
schoolhouses of their own to build. At the same time, the expansion of
Concordia College in St. Louis had become an urgent need and had
already made its own prior claim on the synodical congregations'
charity. In addition, space at the Fort Wayne seminary had become too
cramped, making an expansion necessary there as well. Under such
circumstances the committee did not dare come forward publicly with an
appeal for contributions toward building the academy; it believed it
had to wait for more favorable times. Then the Fort Wayne congregation
proposed combining the planned academy building with the seminary
expansion that had become necessary, so that both needs could be met
at once and a substantial building erected. The committee readily
accepted this proposal, being convinced that, under the circumstances,
this was the best and most practical course. Appeal was then made
first and chiefly to the congregations of the Fort Wayne conference
district [Conferenz-District], asking for generous pledges and
contributions toward this new building. These congregations, and
especially the Fort Wayne congregation, proved very willing and
generous, pledging some 7,000 dollars toward it, part of which has
already been paid. Under God's protection and blessing, a large,
handsome, and spacious seminary and academy building has been erected
and completed; and its solemn dedication on October 26 — in which all
the synod's members, the seminary's teachers and students, the members
of the Fort Wayne congregation and neighboring congregations, many
dear guests from St. Louis, and also some of our English-speaking
fellow citizens here took part — formed a worthy and uplifting close
to this year's general synodical convention.

The Synod again charged the existing academy committee with
continuing to deliberate on and advance the institution's further
arrangements, in particular with giving attention to selecting and
appointing a suitable and capable teacher for it. The committee has
accordingly lost no time in doing so, since a man very well suited for
this post was already at hand, one who, both by character and by his
knowledge and experience, has earned our fullest confidence. This is
Mr. A. Sutermeister, formerly a teacher at an English mathematical
institution in Boston. He has accepted this call. The committee, with
the involvement of Professor Crämer and Pastor Föhlinger, has, working
with him, arranged and organized the entire