# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1887_S29
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Fifth Delegate Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, 1887. 29

of the last delegate synod, which set the beginning of the school year
for all synodical institutions on the last Wednesday of August, has of
course also been carried out at our institution in St. Louis. Experience
has shown, however, that this starting date is too early for St. Louis,
since precisely the latter half of August is the hottest time of year for
St. Louis, and students coming from the North in particular suffer
under it. We therefore recommend that a later starting date be set for
the St. Louis institution by the Reverend Synod.

"Finally, let it also be noted, first, that since Mr. Wehking left the
supervisory board on moving away,*) the same board has elected Mr.
Heinrich Debus, a member of the Holy Trinity congregation there, in
his place; and second, that the institution has gained, in the person of
Mr. Benjamin Hoffmann, a member of a St. Louis congregation, an
excellent house-father [Hausvater], so that the former deficiency has
now been remedied." (Report of the supervisory board at St. Louis,
Mo., written on 17 March.)

The Synod was also informed of a letter from Professor Schaller in
which he expresses the hope that he will gradually regain his strength
and again be able to attend to his office. This hope, however, will
probably not be fulfilled according to the physician's judgment. A
recent attempt by Professor Schaller to show himself active again in
his office seems to confirm the physician's judgment. After lengthy
deliberation on this matter, the Synod arrived at the conviction that,
given the present suffering condition of our dear Professor Schaller,
his hope could possibly be fulfilled at some later time only if he were
relieved of all the obligations his professorship placed upon him. He
could then, as he pleased, depending on his physical well-being,
occupy himself here and there with literary work, which, according to
the physician's judgment, would be permissible provided it were done
with the necessary caution. Much as the Synod would have liked to
leave this well-deserving teacher of theirs in his theological
professorship, it could nevertheless not bring itself to expose him
thereby to the danger of a renewed stroke, which, in the physician's
conviction, threatens if Professor Schaller does not refrain from
exercising his office. The Synod therefore resolved, though with a
heavy heart, to retire Professor Schaller with a pension of $750.00 per
year — a sum from which the house rent to be paid out of it is
estimated at about $150.00.

Since Professor Schaller's professorship had to be filled again as soon
as possible, and since the professorship that Dr. Walther had held
could likewise not remain unfilled, the Synod further resolved,

*) Mr. Wehking has since returned to St. Louis.