Concordia College (Moorhead, Minnesota)

Old Main, constructed in 1906, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Concordia College was dedicated as a private academy on Oct. 31, 1891, by a group of approximately one dozen Norwegian pastors and laymen[6] who had recently settled in the Red River Valley. The school was founded on the property of the former Episcopalian Bishop Whipple School, which closed in 1887.[7] English Professor I.F. Grose of St. Olaf College was asked to preside over the academy,[8] which then offered mixed-sex education in English literature, natural sciences, mathematics, piano, and organ.[9] The school opened with three faculty and twelve students.[10]

In 1892, Rasmus Bogstad, a Norwegian pastor, raised funds to build a male dormitory on campus grounds. His efforts lead to the construction of Academy Hall.[11] In 1893, Grose resigned and recently hired business professor Hans Aaker took his place.[12] Aaker became mayor of Moorhead in 1900 and left two years later when that job compromised his dedication to the school.[13] Bogstad was appointed Concordia's next president and established its liberal tradition.[14] Under Bogstad, Concordia constructed a new academic building, now called Old Main.[15]

Rev. Henry O. Shurson held the presidency after Bogstad resigned in 1910 until Rev. Johan A. Aasgaard was appointed in 1911.[8] Under Aasgaard, the nearby Park Region College and Bruflat Academy were merged with Concordia,[16] and a new library was built in what is now called Grose Hall.[17] In 1925, Rev. John N. Brown became president and oversaw Concordia's accreditation by the North Central Association in 1927.[18] Eleven years later, a female dormitory was built, named Fjelstad Hall,[19] and in 1947, a male dormitory was built, later called Brown Hall.[20]

Rev. Joseph "Prexy Joe" Knutson became president in 1951, and presided over the construction of 16 buildings and the increased enrollment of 1592 students.[21] Under his leadership, the Concordia Annual Fund was established to raise money for the college's interests,[22] which still continues today. Dr. Paul J. Dovre took the presidency in 1975,[8] and oversaw new college programs and articulated Concordia's Lutheran mission.[23] Since 1999, the college has been presided by Rev. Thomas W. Thomsen, who implemented the design for a new campus center, and Dr. Pamela M. Jolicoeur, who established plans for the college's Offutt School of Business. Construction on the Offutt School of Business was completed in late 2012, and hosted students in the fall semester of 2013.[8] Today, the school is led by Dr. William J. Craft.[24]

Concordia is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.[25][26] It holds 2,531 students[2] and offers 61 majors and 12 pre-professional programs.[27] Master of Education degrees are offered,[28] and the most popular majors are business, education, and communication.[2]

The college upholds a curriculum that centers on a Christian and global perspective.[29] Affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Concordia practices the liberal arts from the Lutheran theological tradition.[30][31] Faculty are encouraged to retain Becoming Responsibly Engaged in the World (BREW) as a thematic focus in their instructions.[32] The college operates by a semester calendar[2] and first-year students are required to take courses in health, communication, religion, and culture.[33] An honors program is offered for motivated students.[34]

Concordia is included in the Open Doors survey of the top twenty baccalaureate institutions that send students abroad.[33] The college offers four global education programs[35] and offers instruction in nine languages.[36] Moreover, students are permitted to study at two neighboring universities, Minnesota State University Moorhead and North Dakota State University, for course credit to their degrees.[37]

Notable faculty include:

• Chris Coste, head coach, baseball
• Hiram Drache, historian-in-residence
• Rich Glas, Athletic director and men's basketball head coach
• Marcus J. Borg, (1942–2015) American New Testament scholar and theologian. Among the most widely known and influential voices in progressive Christianity.

• Cynthia L. Bauerly, member of the Federal Election Commission
• Barry Bennett, former defensive lineman for the New Orleans Saints, New York Jets and  Minnesota Vikings
• Alan Bjerga, president of the National Press Club
• Jim Christopherson, former linebacker and placekicker for the Minnesota Vikings
• Chris Coste, former Major league baseball catcher and infielder
• Kevin Cramer, current United States Senator for North Dakota
• Gabriel Hauge, Administrative Assistant to President Eisenhower, Chairman of the Board of Manufacturers Hanover
• Clint Hill, United States Secret Service agent credited with saving the life of Jacqueline Kennedy during the assassination of John F. Kennedy
• David Joerger, current head coach of the Sacramento Kings
• Leon H. Johnson, president of Montana State University (1964-1969)[62]
• Coya Knutson, former United States congresswoman
• Gary Larsen, defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings, member of Purple People Eaters
• Adolph Murie, first biologist to study wolves in their natural habitat[63]
• Ole H. Olson, former Governor of North Dakota
• Sidney Rand, former United States Ambassador to Norway and President of St. Olaf College.
• Roxana Saberi, journalist charged with espionage by Iran and released in 2009
• Olaf Storaasli, former NASA & Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientist
• Arlene Buckneberg Ydstie, composer
• Brandon Zylstra, wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Concordia College (Moorhead).

• Official website
• Official athletics website