Stories
Growth of Concordia: from Schwermann Hall to Now
by Sarah Deleon
In November 1924, the Edmonton Journal ran an article stating that The President of the Missouri synod of the Lutheran Church, along with members of the board of directors, had completed plans and necessary arrangements for what was then known as Concordia College. At the time of publication, negotiations on the location of Concordia had concluded, with Edmonton members of the Church making the “best case” of the competing cities that included Saskatoon and Wetaskiwin. Initially, the school, established to train male students for work in the Lutheran Ministry, was located in the McCauley neighbourhood.
No more than a week after the news of Edmonton being chosen, the Edmonton Journal ran another article titled “Ten Acre Site for Concordia College,” in which the members of the board of directors and the aforementioned President agreed upon Concordia’s structural location in the Highlands area, the site we know as Schwermann Hall. The intention was to begin construction in the early spring of 1925, with plans for students of the Lutheran Ministry to begin classes there in the early fall of the same year. Since these early moments, Concordia has grown both in the size of its structures and its population, now offering a wide diversity of programs outside of its original religious affiliation, along with many additions to the original blueprint of Schwermann Hall. Due to these foundational moments in Concordia’s history, we are able to continually strive as an institution and focus on being a “community of learning grounded in scholarship and academic freedom.”
As a student at Concordia walking through Schwermann Hall, you notice the visible differences in the infrastructure. However, you rarely can take the time to appreciate just how much of an impact this one building has had on our school as a whole. A century later, and as a community, we can all take a step back to be thankful for all the transitions Concordia has endured to be the diverse, vibrant and welcoming institution as we know it today.
About Sarah
Sarah Deleon, a third year Bachelor of Management student with an emphasis in Accounting, has been a student at Concordia since January 2019. Her interests include spending time with friends, hiking in the mountains, and any type of road trips! After graduation, Sarah hopes to pursue her CPA designation.
CUE Students and Alum to Make Their Own History
Concordia’s CUE 100 committee is very excited to feature the written work of several students and alumni as part of its centenary celebrations. As these celebrations continue, you can look forward to reading short articles by these writers on interesting aspects of Concordia’s history over the past century. Writers were given access to archival documents on particular topics which they were asked to summarize and personally respond to. You’ll be able to discover much about Concordia’s history and how it still resonates among us today. We hope you find these articles both informative and entertaining. Happy 100, Concordians!