Latest News
Concordia Celebrates a Century in Bronxville
The College marked an important milestone in January—the completion of its first century in Bronxville. While the six professors and 75 young men who began classes here on January 4, 1910 are but treasured memories, the three striking brick buildings that formed the new campus remain today little changed in function or exterior appearance.
Concordia’s centennial celebration began with an illustrated talk about Concordia as it was in 1909-1910 by Eloise L. Morgan, Bronxville Village Historian and Assistant to President Viji George. Her PowerPoint presentation featured beautiful hand-colored 100-year-old glass slides, first used by Rev. William Koepchen, member of both the Concordia and Lutheran Education Society boards, to promote the College and its move to Bronxville. An exhibition, also based on the old slides, will run through February in the Krenz Academic Center, moving to the Bronxville Library in March.
Bronxville is the College’s third home, but the first to become permanent. Founded in 1881 in lower Manhattan, Concordia prepared adolescent boys for the Lutheran seminary. After an 1894-1908 sojourn in Hawthorne, NY, during which the school reached its long-held goal of a six-year curriculum (high school plus two college years), Concordia resolved to move closer to Manhattan. A large level site was purchased in the young suburb of Bronxville. Even though it was surrounded by almost open country, the location had superb public transportation, with electric trolley lines running on both sides of campus and a railroad station nearby.
The award-winning architect of Ellis Island, Edward L. Tilton, designed the 14-acre campus and the three buildings that opened in 1910: the administration/classroom building (now Feth Hall), The Commons dining hall, and the Bohm Hall dormitory. Concordia also gained standing in 1910 to offer the official New York State High School curriculum, which prepared its graduates for secular colleges as well as seminary. One of the January 1910 students was an 18-year-old black man from Staten Island. He was quarterback of the football team, played third base, and delivered an oration in Latin at his 1911 graduation. He appears to have been ordained in 1914 and served as pastor in several black Lutheran mission congregations.
Bohm Hall was named for the first president of Concordia. A large 1910 bronze plaque honoring Rev. Karl Bernhard Edmund Bohm’s service from 1881-1895, unearthed from storage and refurbished, will be reinstalled in Feth Hall as part of the 100th anniversary celebration, which will continue with various events throughout the centennial year.
About the Current
- Executive Editor: Paul Grande Pré, Vice President for Institutional Advancement
- Editor: Charlie Browne, Director of Communications, x2167, charlie.browne@concordia-ny.edu
- North Callahan, Senior Director of Marketing
- Laura Gossage, Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations
- Chris Koutsovitis, Assistant Dean for Student Development
The Concordia Current is published by Concordia College-New York, which is solely responsible for its content. ©2010.
Visit Any of the Websites in the Concordia Community...
