# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1935_S69
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio,.and Other States. 1935. 69

“2. You state: ‘The institution has furnished comparatively. few
ministerial students.’ This is granted if one compares the ministerial
output of our Conover College, which is a missionary institution, with
our older colleges in highly populous Lutheran centers. This Board
in this.connection, however, would point to the high class of men that
have entered the ministry from this institution, who are now holding,
and have been holding, leading pastorates in Synod, have filled high
executive offices, and have served in its educational institutions. The
president of Valparaiso is one of our graduates; the mayors of
Hickory and of Conover are also. We are stating this in order that
a numerical lack of graduates, when compared with our institutions
in the heavily populated Districts of our Synod, may not be permitted
to argue against the value of the institution that Synod has had in
Concordia at Conover.

“3. You state that the enrolment for a ‘general higher education’
has diminished. We would add to your statement that this is un-
deniably due also in part to our antiquated buildings and equipment.
It stands to reason that our present college at Conover cannot be
attractive to those who have the State’s attractive schools, free of
additional cost, before their doors. We feel justified, however, in call-
ing attention to the good effects of this department of the local
school’s work in view of the numbers of public-school educators,
physicians, lawyers, public officers, and influential church-members
that have come from this school. Synod in our estimation has lost
nothing through the ‘general higher education’ given now for more
than forty years at this school, rather it has gained by having this
‘by-product’ of our Concordia.

“4, We also would state that our attention in the past was
continually called to the fact that Synod has in mind really only
the ministerial course in conducting and supporting its institution
at Conover. In view of this fact the practical loss of our general
enrolment and particularly also the coeducational feature can hardly
be used as reflecting against the institution at Conover. Whilst our
enrolment is at present but twenty-four, twenty of these are boys and
seventeen of them are enrolled in the ministerial course. Never
before therefore in the history of this institution has there been
a larger ministerial enrolment. In view of the. contention in favor
of the ministerial course as Synod’s purpose in the institution the
position of our local institution ought to be considered as now
strengthened. Moreover, our enrolment now for the first time in
our institution’s history comes exclusively from our Southeastern
territory. ;

“5, With reference to the question as to whether Conover is or
is not the logical place for a college in the Southeastern territory,
we would beg. leave to state that this is a question which was to be