# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1944_S92
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

92 ; - ‘Seminaries“and Colleges,
Concordia College, Portland, ‘Oregon’
, (Memorial ‘111) . :

The Board: of Control of Portland’s Concordia spreads ¢ out its”
report for the past three years in a mood of joyful gratitude. For
the’ first time in fifteen years it is relieved of the responsibility
of showing cause why its charge should be permitted to continue
to exist; at this convention the cause of the school is being

espoused also by the very agencies which were instructed by the
‘ convention at Fort Wayne “in a special survey carefully to in-
vestigate” all facts that enter into consideration in determining
the future existence of the institution..

This. survey has been made by the Board of Directors and
the Board for Higher Education, and. the finding is incorporated
in the report of the Board for Higher Education. The school is
to live.

New Building

The greatest need of the institution is a new building. At
‘this ‘point the.Board of Control has. consistently been unwilling
to compromise even though it was well aware that the cost factor
might ‘tend to sway the balance of' opinion against the school at
the time when its further existence was at stake. As to the need
of a new building, Synod’s officials have been of one mind with
the Board of Control. At Cleveland the sainted Pastor Hagen
‘stated bluntly that a vote for the continuation of the school was
a vote for a new building. The record shows that since 1926
every convention resolved that Portland should have a new
' building. The urgency of this need was so apparent at the last
convention that Synod deliberately set aside its fixed policy not
to erect a building unless’ the funds are in the treasury and re-
solved that if sufficient funds were not available, the Board of .
Directors be instructed to borrow the necessary money for a new
building if the survey would reveal. that the school should be
continued. This resolution granted Synod’s Board of Directors
complete authorization to erect, anew building. The Survey Com-
‘ mittee held that ‘since Federal restrictions rendered it highly im-
probable that building operations could be undertaken in the near ©
future, it might. well wait and: make its finding a part of the
general survey report. Due to the fact that this report appeared
. shortly before the convention, it was. considered the part of.
' prudence to memorialize the. convention for a new appropriation.
The Board of Control therefore tequests Synod to appropriate the
necessary funds for a new dormitory according to plans approved
_ by the Board of Directors eighteen years ago.