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History of Concordia College

The history of Concordia College mirrors that of the Norwegian Lutheran immigrants to the Red River Valley who founded the college. Concordia was dedicated on October 31, 1891 — only about 10 years after the first settlers had made their home in the Red River Valley.

The Norwegian settlers valued education and their religious heritage. Because schools were few in the area, especially at the secondary level, the establishment of quality schools was high on the settlers’ list of priorities.

The Northwestern Lutheran College Association, composed of Red River Valley Lutherans, purchased the property of the Bishop Whipple School in Moorhead, which had been started by the Episcopalians a few years earlier and had closed for lack of students. Bishop Whipple Hall, the oldest building on the campus today, recalls those early years in the life of the college. As the country and the Norwegian settlement matured, so did the college. The necessity for adding regular liberal arts courses on the college level to those offered on the academy level was soon apparent, and in 1913 a complete college department was organized. The first baccalaureate degrees were granted in 1917, and in 1927 the academy section of the
institution was discontinued. Park Region College of Fergus Falls, Minn., became a part of Concordia College in 1917; one of Concordia’s residence halls commemorates this addition.

The college observed its centennial with a series of events beginning August 28, 1991, and concluding May 3, 1992. Concordia College has always maintained a strong relationship with Lutheran congregations in the Upper Great Plains area. It is owned and operated by the congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in northern Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana. These congregations, through their conference organizations, send delegates to an annual corporate meeting in October of each year, at which time the regents of the college are elected. The ELCA Division for Education supervises the college and grants a yearly appropriation toward its support. As a coeducational college of the arts, literature and sciences, Concordia is also supported by gifts and grants from foundations, corporations and individual friends of the college.

Concordia’s current student body comes from many backgrounds and places — from 40 states and 36 countries, and representing 53 different religions and denominations. Student enrollment is 2,700, including 117 international students. There are 220 full-time and 28 part-time faculty members. Student-faculty ratio is 14:1.

Presidents

Ingebrikt F. Grose — 1891-1893
Hans H. Aaker — 1893-1902
Rasmus R. Bogstad — 1902-1909
Henry O. Shurson — 1909-1911
Johan A. Aasgaard — 1911-1925
John N. Brown — 1925-1951
Joseph L. Knutson — 1951-1975
Paul J. Dovre — 1975-1999
Thomas W. Thomsen — 1999-2003
Paul J. Dovre (interim) — 2003-2004
Pamela M. Jolicoeur — 2004-present