# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1887_S28
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

28 Proceedings of the 20th General or

"As for the attendance of the institution in the past three school
years: in 1884–1885 there were 100 students in the seminary, 10 of
them Norwegians; 29 took the examination. In the year 1885–1886
the institution was attended by 95 students, 8 of them Norwegians;
34 took the examination. In the current school year 1886–1887 there
are 93 students at the institution, 6 of them Norwegians; 32 will, God
willing, take the examination.

"The students at all times submitted themselves, in doctrine and life,
to the discipline of the divine Word, and also practiced Christian
discipline among themselves. No regrettable incidents, let alone any
necessary expulsions of students from the institution, are to be
reported.

"Unfortunately, by God's wonderful counsel, two harsh blows have
struck our institution with regard to the faculty. The first was that in
the month of March of last year Professor Schaller suddenly became
unable to work, a stroke [Hirnſchlag] having struck him and left him
for a time almost completely paralyzed. The second, still harder blow
to strike our institution was that, likewise since November of last
year, its president [Präſes], our dear and highly deserving Dr.
Walther, has been ill and unable to work. Despite many fervent
prayers sent up to God on his behalf, his illness has only increased,
and to human eyes it has every appearance that God will soon call him
out of the church militant into the church triumphant, out of labor
into eternal sweet rest.

"It will now be incumbent on the Reverend Synod to see to it that new
strength comes to the institution at St. Louis. The other professors
have, to be sure, with great willingness divided the lectures of the two
who fell ill between themselves, but have thereby also taken on so
heavy a workload that they cannot possibly bear it much longer. The
welfare of the institution also requires that help be provided as soon
as possible, and specifically that the existing gaps be filled already for
the new academic year. The supervisory board has, on this matter too,
asked the opinion of both Dr. Walther and Professor Schaller, and both
stated that even in the most favorable case — namely, if both of the
sick men were able to work even a little again — a new professor would
still have to be called to the institution. But since, according to the
physicians' statement, Dr. Walther will never again be in a position to
resume his work at the institution, and since Professor Schaller, who
does intend to make an attempt after Easter to lecture two hours a
week, is nevertheless simply unable to do the work that a regular
professorship at our institution involves, there are, in the judgment of
the supervisory board, two vacancies for the Synod to fill.

"The supervisory board further takes the liberty, in accordance with
the professors' wish, to call attention to the following: the resolution