Two presidents of Luther Theological Seminary, Alvin N. Rogness (1954-1974) on the left and T.F. (Thaddaeus Franke) Gullixson (1930-1954) are observing Fredrik A. Schiotz plant a seedling on the campus of Luther Theological Seminary in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood of St. Paul. Fredrik A. Schiotz was the president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church from 1954 to 1960. Back of photograph reads: Education, College & Sem, Luther Sem., St. Paul, Minn.
In this group photograph, dated June 4th, 1939, Muskego Church provides the backdrop for the attendees at the closing session of the Southern Minnesota District Convention of the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America. In 1844, Norwegian settlers at the Muskego Settlement in southeastern Wisconsin dedicated one of the first Norwegian American Lutheran church buildings. The building was moved to the United Church Seminary campus in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood of St. Paul in 1904. In 1917, United Church Seminary became Luther Theological Seminary. Front of photograph reads: Closing session, So. Minn. Dist. Conv.-N.L.C.A., Muskego Church, Saint Paul, Minn., June 4th 1939.
The United Church built a new seminary at 2375 Como Avenue in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood of St. Paul. Shown here is the building's dedication at the annual meeting of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church in 1902. The building was later named for Markus Olaus Bockman (1849-1942), professor and president of the United Church Seminary, 1893-1917, and its successor, Luther Theological Seminary 1917-1930. Front of photograph reads: Annual Meeting of Norw American Church at St. Anthony Seminary. Back of photograph reads: United Seminary main building, dedication, aka Bockman Hall.
This is the main building of Luther Theological Seminary. It was later named Bockman Hall in honor of M.O. (Markus Olaus) Bockman, president of Luther Theological Seminary, 1917-1930. This one building contained dorms, classrooms, faculty offices, a chapel, and a gym. In 1917, three Norwegian Lutheran church bodies, the United Church, the Norwegian Synod, and Hauge's Synod united to form the Norwegian Lutheran Church. Old theological differences on the doctrine of election (predestination) were smoothed over in a document known as the ""Opgor"" (""Agreement""). The seminaries of the three church bodies, the United Church Seminary, Luther Seminary (Hamline Ave., St. Paul), and the Red Wing Seminary, were merged to form Luther Theological Seminary on the United Church Seminary campus on Como Avenue in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood in St. Paul.
Luther Theological Seminary Professor Emeritus Gustav Marius Bruce, holding the Bible, and Luther Theological Seminary President Thaddaeus Franke Gullixson, with hands on the shovel, are praying at the 1946 groundbreaking ceremony for the new library and classroom building. This building was later named for T.F. Gullixson. Gullixson's background was in the Norwegian Synod and Bruce's was in Hauge's Synod of the Lutheran church. Professor Emeritus Bruce was also a former Second Vice President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Note attached to photograph reads: Dr. T. F. Gullixson and Dr. G. M. Bruce (holding the Bible) at ground breaking ceremonies for the new library-classroom building at Luther seminary. Dr. Bruce is a former professor at Luther seminary and former second vice president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
In the late 1940s, this second major building was constructed on the Luther Theological Seminary campus to house a library and provide additional classroom and office space. It was later named Gullixson Hall in honor of T.F. (Thaddaeus Franke) Gullixson, president of Luther Theological Seminary, 1930-1954. Back of photograph reads: LTS, Gullixson Hall.
Luther Seminary moved to this facility on Hamline Avenue in St. Paul in 1899 and remained there until its 1917 merger with Red Wing Seminary and the United Church Seminary at the latter's campus in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood of St. Paul. This building is on the corner of Hamline Avenue and Capitol Avenue. Back of photograph reads: Rev. O.E. Brandt, Luther Seminary, Capitol & Hamline.
Music was always an important part of church life among the Norwegian-American Lutherans. Pictured here is the 1905(?) Glee Club of Luther Seminary. Many of these men went on to hold positions of prominence in the church. Seated, left to right: Thaddaeus Franke Gullixson (1882-1969) served as president of Luther Theological Seminary, 1930-1954, and as president of the American Lutheran Conference, 1944-1955; Johan Carl Keyser Preus (1881- ); Nils Martin Ylvisaker (1882- ); Henry Ingrebritsen (1876- ); Axel Bergh (1873- ). Standing, left to right: Sigurd Christian Ylvisaker (1884-1959) served as president of Bethany College, Mankato, MN 1930-1950; Nils Stockfleth Magelssen (1880- ); Professor John Dahle (1853-1930) was an accomplished composer and arranger of hymns and choral music and served as one of the editors of the Lutheran Hymnary (1913), which was one of the first English-language hymnals used by Norwegian-American Lutherans; Hartwick Carinius Smeby (1879-1945); Sigurd Bernhard Hustvedt (1882- ); Back of photograph reads: Luther Seminary Glee Club, Norw. Synod R62A.
The Muskego Settlement in southeastern Wisconsin was founded by Norwegian settlers in 1839. One early settler was Even Heg, later a celebrated Civil War colonel, whose barn provided a way station for many a new immigrant and a meeting place for worship services. In the fall of 1843, the fledgling congregation issued a letter of call to C.L. (Claus Lauritz) Clausen who was ordained in Heg's home on October 18. On Palm Sunday, 1844, a new church building was dedicated, the interior of which is shown here. This building, Muskego Church, was moved to the campus of the United Church Seminary in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood of St. Paul in 1904, where it stands today. Muskego Church is still used for commemorations and special services.
In the years following World War II, great numbers of men enrolled in Luther Theological Seminary seeking to become pastors in the Lutheran Church. This panoramic photograph includes both students and faculty with most of the seminary faculty seated in the center of the front row. The group was posed in front of the new library and classroom building that was in the midst of construction. This building was later named Gullixson Hall in honor of T.F. (Thaddaeus Franke) Gullixson, president of Luther Theological Seminary, 1930-1954.
A common practice among church bodies and seminaries is to have an annual conference or ""convocation"" for the clergy for the purpose of fellowship, edification, and continuing education. Shown here is one such convocation on the campus of the United Church Seminary in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood of St. Paul in 1910. A caption indicates that room rent was 50 cents and board cost $3. Attendees were required to bring their own bedclothes and towels. It is interesting to note a number of women and children front and center on the photograph. Since the clergy was all male at this time, they are presumably the family of attendees or faculty. Front of photograph reads: Convocation at the United Lutheran Seminary Aug. 31-Sept. 7, 1910. Back of photograph reads: Ministers Conference at Luther Seminary August 1910?, Convocation lecture topics: Pastor & the young people - Dr. C.M. Wesnig, Organized Young Peoples Work - Dr. C.M. Wesnig, Luther League Topic - Dr. C.M. Wesnig, Bible Hours - Pastor Peder Tangjerd, Intro to Pastoral Theology - Pastor Halvard Roalkram, New Testament Study - Dr. M.O. Bockman, Our Madagascar Mission - Prof. O.M. Stolee, Absolution & Lord's Supper - Pastor N.B. Thvedt, Psychotherapeutics - Pastor Thore Eggen, The Church Situation in Norway - Pastor Solendahl.
Though often stereotyped as the sternest of the Norwegian-American Lutherans, this photo shows a group of Norwegian Synod seminary students having fun with a good old-fashioned snowball fight at its seminary, Luther Seminary, on Hamline Avenue. Front of photograph reads: Snow-balling at Lut. Sem., 1906.
A common practice in the early part of the 20th century was to have photographs printed on ""picture postcard"" stock. This photo, from the Constance W. Johnson collection, shows the interior of the chapel in the United Church Seminary building. Back of postcard reads: Chapel in Bockman Hall, Luther Theological Seminary.
This photo depicts the cornerstone laying for the United Church Seminary building. The cornerstone is inscribed with the date ""1900,"" but we know the building was not used until 1902, so the exact timing of events requires more research. It was not uncommon to mark cornerstones with the centennial dating to capture the spirit of the age, even if it was not the exact date. This building was later renamed Bockman Hall. Note the people watching the ceremony from the window openings and the open umbrellas even though it doesn't appear to be raining. Back of photograph reads: Bockman Hall, 1899-1900, Luther Seminary, Cornerstone laying.
A common practice in the early part of the 20th century was to have photographs printed on ""picture postcard"" stock. This photo, from the Constance W. Johnson collection, shows the gymnasium at the United Church Seminary. Three children are posed on the parallel bars. Some equipment items shown are: parallel bars, free weight, punching bag, juggling pins, rings. Back of postcard reads: Gymnasium, Bockman Hall, Luther Theological Seminary, Constance Weswig Johnson in center.
The United Church built housing for its faculty on the St. Anthony Park campus. This panoramic views shows the United Church Seminary building (later named Bockman Hall) on the left and faculty housing on the right connected by dirt roads.
Shown here is an exterior of the United Church Seminary in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood of St. Paul. Until the library was built in 1948, this single building housed classrooms, faculty offices, recreational areas, a chapel, and student dormitories for the entire seminary. The building was later named for Markus Olaus Bockman (1849-1942), professor and president of the United Church Seminary, 1893-1917, and its successor, Luther Theological Seminary, 1917-1930.
This photo shows seminary students in a classroom at the United Church Seminary in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood of St. Paul in 1905 or 1906. Note the formal dress and the gas lamps. Seminary students and clergy at that time were exclusively male. Front of photograph reads: United Lutheran Seminary student body, 1905-06, in the classroom of Bockman Hall, first floor, west side. This was made into dormitory rooms when Bockman Hall was remodeled in 1956. Notice the plug hats, the class pictures and the gas lighting.
A common practice in the early part of the 20th century was to have photographs printed on ""picture postcard"" stock. This photo, from the collection of Constance W. Johnson, shows United Church Seminary students relaxing outside the seminary building, ca. 1905. Back of postcard reads: LTS seminary students outside Bockman Hall ca. 1905.
Wartburg Chapel, which was named after Wartburg Castle in Germany, was located in Bockman Hall on the campus of Luther Theological Seminary in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood of St. Paul. Note the carved reredos with painting behind the altar. This chapel was later converted to dormitory and office space when daily chapel services were held in Aasgaard Hall. Back of photograph reads: Interior of Bockman Hall (from small snapshots of Bockman Hall - photo).