Lutherans in Wisconsin founded Concordia College in 1881. Thirteen students began their instruction, with Carl Huth as the first professor and only faculty member, in the basement of Trinity Lutheran Church in downtown Milwaukee. In 1882, property located on 31st Street between State and Highland Streets was purchased to start a permanent campus. The Rev. Christoph Henry Loeber was called to serve as the school’s first President in 1885.
In 1886, Concordia received a perpetual charter from the State of Wisconsin, which authorized it to provide classical, technical, and religious instruction to young men and students who desire to prepare themselves for the ministry of the Lutheran Church. By 1893, during Rev. Max Albrecht’s presidency, the student body numbered more than 250. For approximately eight decades, Concordia offered high school and the first two years of a liberal arts college program.
In 1912, the Rev. G. Christian Barth was installed as Concordia’s third President and a modern college campus took shape during his tenure. Cultural activities, with an emphasis on the arts, characterized the presidency of Dr. Leroy C. Rincker in the 1930’s and 1940’s. President Rincker also placed an emphasis on the need for a library, thus bringing about the construction of the Rincker Library.
During Dr. Walter W. Stuenkel’s administration (1953-1977), many innovative changes transpired, including the admission of female students in 1965, the start of the lay ministry program, and the assimilation of the business program from the former Spencerian College of Business.
A huge milestone in the school’s history was reached in 1977, under Dr. Wilbert Rosin’s administration, when Concordia became a four-year college and began developing Bachelor of Arts programs. In 1978 Concordia was authorized by The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) to become a 4-year accredited college providing education in a variety of areas.
A declining enrollment, a substantial debt and a rapidly declining neighborhood were three challenges facing the Rev. Dr. R. John Buuck as he became the seventh Concordia President in 1979. In a farsighted move in 1982, the LCMS purchased the former 125-acre campus of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Mequon, Wisconsin. The attractive campus subsequently expanded to 155 acres on the shore of Lake Michigan, just 15 minutes north of downtown Milwaukee. After several years of preparation, Concordia expanded its curriculum by opening both graduate and accelerated adult education programs.
Following the move, scholarship funds rapidly increased and new programs were added to the curriculum. On August 27, 1989, the Board of Regents approved changing the college to university status. Concordia University Wisconsin became the first University in the Missouri Synod college system. In 1990 the Board of Regents also gave its approval and financial support for students to have an international study experience. A $3.2 million Health Services wing was built several years later to house new additions to the curriculum.
In July 1997, the Rev. Dr. Patrick Ferry was elected as Concordia’s eighth President and was installed in August of that year. Under Dr. Ferry’s leadership Concordia began focusing on a vision of building a distinctive Lutheran higher education community dedicated to integrating faith and learning. Concordia’s new mission now includes a unique, 3-way holistic approach to education focusing on enriching mind, body and spirit.
In 1998 ground was broken for a $6 million residence hall (Regents Hall, which was dedicated in May 1999). Between May 2001 and August 2004 Rincker Memorial Library was renovated. The library gained new flooring, newly painted walls, new shelving, remodeled office space, and three special rooms a senior seminar room, a rare books room and an art education collection room. The entire main library collection of books, curriculum materials, folios, videos, and the periodicals collection, including microfilm/fiche, is now housed in the South Wing. A $100,000 bequest from Henry Hett, memorializing his wife Lucille, has been used to build a state of the art foreign language laboratory in Luther Hall in 2001.
Another new structure, dedicated in October 2002, was the $2.7 million Sports Fitness Center addition to the R. John Buuck Field House. This Center is a state-of-the-art facility for the academic program in athletic training, weight and fitness training rooms, athletic training area for student athletes, and coaches’ offices. It also contains a conference room, athletic hall of fame and outdoor patio.
In 2003-2004 the Luther Hall/Administration Building entrance was remodeled, thanks to generous gifts from the CUW Board of Regents, the CUW Foundation, and the Classes of 1953-1955. The new entrance was dedicated to the memories of Professors Gienapp, Jenne, and Rupprecht all whom were both alumni of and faculty at Concordia. The campus was improved with landscaping features and the mounting of seasonal banners. May 2004 Commencement featured the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, as the speaker.
2004-2005 saw successful accreditation visits for Athletic Training, Business and Nursing and HLC approval for expanded program offerings in the Department of Public Instruction (Education), and Medical Assisting. CUW also embarked on one of the most impressive renovation and redevelopment projects in its history - The Lakeshore Environmental Enhancement and Education Project (LEEEP).
The 2005-2006 school year marked Concordia’s 125th Anniversary and featured a number of special occasions in celebration of the anniversary. The school year began with the annual Opening Service at Trinity Lutheran Church where CUW had its beginnings and featured LCMS President the Rev. Dr. Gerald Kieschnick as the speaker. Extensive progress was made on the LEEEP Project as in excess of 80% of the fill needed to move was accomplished and the upper terraces of the newly formed 2:1-sloped bluff were planted.
The 2006-07 school year saw continued progress on the LEEEP Project as this major renovation neared completion. Also, CUW’s E-Learning program showed substantial growth and was granted partial HLC accreditation for teaching and developing programs in Computer Science, Business Communications and Lay Ministry. In addition, the beginning of the school year saw the opening of completely renovated faculty offices in Luther Hall, new landscaping and walkways in the chapel courtyard and the beginning construction of the first phase of the lakeside Coburg dormitory. When complete, this $21 million 5-story structure will house 355 students; feature 3 new classrooms and beautiful views of Lake Michigan.
Through all these changes Concordia seeks to develop mature Christian students by sharing the teaching of Jesus Christ in all of its educational programs. This prepares students to competently communicate their vocational knowledge in the written and spoken word by serving the Church and society
