Among the educational institutions founded by Germans in the Middle West, the Elmhurst College, the College of the Evangelical Synod of North America, enjoys an excellent reputation, especially in the circles of those German-Americans to whom the preservation of German culture is important and neccessary. The Elmhurst College has therefore always emphasized strongly this cohesion with the educational achievements of Germany and has placed its German department, as well as its unusually voluminous library, at the service of this spiritual work.

The beginning of the institution reaches far back to the 19th century; its history is most closely and intimately connected with the external and inner development of the German Evangelical Synod of North America.

But beyond that, Elmhurst College is a beautiful and vivid expression of the educational will of a group of German-Americans, who have considered it their 2duty to co-operate actively in the cultural development of their adopted country.

This institution was founded in 1871. The beginning of Elmhurst coincides, therefore, with the incorporation and union of the two Evangelical Synods of the Northwest and West, which made the future growth and expansion of the German-Evangelical Church synods of North America possible. With it, simplification and concentration were introduced both of which symbolized that the Theological seminaries of the two groups (Pro Seminary Evansville and Melanchthon Seminary) in Elmhurst, which thus far had been divided and were independent of each other, now were welded together and brought under a united leadership. Pastor J. Hartmann, of the St. Paul Church of Chicago, and Thomas Boyan, material promoter and benefactor of Elmhurst, belong to the first advocates of the Seminary in the annals of Elmhurst. Outgrown by the needs of German Evangelical immigrants, and the desire for higher religious and cultural education, Elmhurst College, naturally, had to solve at the beginning the problem of preparing 3pastors and teachers for the Evangelical Synod.

However, at an earlier time, the wish was expressed to expand this Theological Pro-seminary to a College of Liberal Arts, to create for the entire (even for the non-theological) German-evangelical youth of America an educational center.

Elmhurst, one of the most beautiful and quietest surburbs of Chicago, only nineteen miles from the Loop, is able to offer its students two things, namely; the composure and peace of a small town and easy access to the educational facilities of the great Metropolis of the Middle West, with all its research institutions, libraries, galleries, and museums.

The Elmhurst College, as its lecture index shows, offers educational courses in all important cultural branches: Biblical literature, Biology, Chemistry, 4Economy, History, English, French, German, Greek, etc., proving therewith that its educational plan meets the standard of modern necessities and keeps step with the spirit of our time.

Through tradition and origin, as an abode of German-American youth, Elmhurst College believes itself firmly obliged to and qualified for the preservation of cultural connections between the old homeland, the land of Luther and Goethe, and the newly adapted country, the land of Emerson and Lincoln. The name that must be mentioned in this connection as the first, is that of Professor H. Brodt. For thirty five years (1883-1918) he led the German department in this spirit. Among the other teachers of the German department, the following should be mentioned: Prof. C.F. Bauer, Prof. H.E. Hansen, Dr. E.W. Avon (University of Illinois), Dr. E.W. Kaufmann (Smith College), Dr. Wolf (University of Pittsburgh), and Dr. Mohr (University of Virginia). In spite of the changed conditions of the post-war period, the German department is, even today, the largest department as far as the number of students is concerned. At present 5this department is represented by the following professors; C.G. Stanger, H.L. Breitenbach and G.H. Blenk.

Many German-Americans of the second and third generations have been helped by Elmhurst College to find the connection with the psychical and spiritual heritage of the land of their forefathers. It has educated hundreds of German-American pastors and teachers for their future profession in the spirit of a German and Christian idealism. That leading men of the German-American element refer to the institution as the abode of their youth, Elmhurst College with joy and pride; gratefully, it counts as its own, prominent men like A.C. Lueder, Chicago's postmaster, Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr (Union Theological Seminary), Dr. E.H. Hohmann, Dr. R. Schlueter (Chicago), and many others.

Still young in spite of its long past, the College is penetrated by a vivid will for the present time and always prepared to carry out wholesome innovations.

The College enters 1931 after sixty years of existence and beginning with this year, for the first time in its history, it will enroll female students.

Having proved the necessity of its work in the past 59 years, and being willing to continue it in the future, Elmhurst College believes that it can count upon the active and energetic support of the Germans of Chicago and the State of Illinois.