# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1914_S28
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

28 Proceedings of the 29th General or

installed in his office by Rev. Th. Kohn. The Reverend President of
the North Illinois District, Rev. Fr. Brunn, delivered the address
on that occasion.

3. At the end of the 1913 school year, our assistant, Mr. Walter
Sassmannshausen, answered a call into the teaching office. In his
place, Mr. A. Käppel and several other seminarians are this year
helping out with music instruction.

4. The steward, Mr. Julius Stahmer, also laid down his office. In
his place the board of control chose Rev. P. L. Möser, who, with his
wife, now oversees the household at the seminary in River Forest.

5. The Relocation of the Teachers' Seminary from Addison to River
Forest, Ill. — Since the Reverend Synod had resolved in 1911 to
relocate the institution to River Forest, the local board proceeded
without delay to confer with the Synod's General Board of Control
about the new building.

The scale of the undertaking made it advisable for the local board
to draw in several other men, particularly businessmen from the
Chicago congregations, who together with it formed the building
committee. This committee consisted of the board of control and of
Messrs. Wm. Schlake, T. C. Diener, A. W. Beilfuss, Wm. Schulze, Prof.
Alb. Miller, Rev. P. P. Sauer, and teacher Ottomar Kolb.

This committee invited three architectural firms of the highest
reputation to submit plans and drawings for the new institution,
namely Jepsen & Frommann, Worthmann & Steinbach, and J. Allschlager &
Son. The plans of the last-named firm were adopted, and when the
Reverend President of the General Synod made the official
announcement that the funds for the new building were on hand,
contracts could promptly be awarded and the work begun.

On November 12, 1912, the first ground was broken in the presence of
the Reverend President of the General Synod and the whole building
committee, and on December 15 of the same year the cornerstone was
laid. Despite the cold weather, some 7,000 to 8,000 fellow believers
from Chicago and the surrounding area attended this celebration.

Construction proceeded well, so that we were able to begin the new
school year in River Forest in October 1913. The move from Addison
to River Forest took place in the first days of October, and on
October 12 the solemn dedication of the institution took place. This
was probably the largest Lutheran festival gathering not only in the
history of our dear Synod but in the history of our Church at large.
It is estimated at 40,000 persons. Preaching took place at three
different locations on the festival grounds. The festival preachers
were: Dr. F. Pieper and Prof. F. Bente; Director M. Albrecht and Rev.
W. Köpchen; Director M. Lücke and Director G. Weller.

The interior of the institution has also been furnished with new
furniture through the generosity of our dear Christian people, and