Concordia College is a

private college Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grants. D ...

Moorhead, Minnesota Moorhead () is a city in and county seat of Clay County, Minnesota, United States, on the banks of the Red River of the North. Located in the Red River Valley, an extremely fertile and active agricultural region, Moorhead is also home to several ...

. Founded by Norwegian settlers in 1891, the school is associated with the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant Lutheran church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. , it has approxi ...

and practices the

liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term '' art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically th ...

. Concordia is accredited by the

Higher Learning Commission The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...

and has a total student enrollment of 2,531. It offers

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

Bachelor of Music Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of presc ...

Master of Education The Master of Education (MEd or M.Ed. or Ed.M.; Latin ''Magister Educationis'' or ''Educationis Magister'') is a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum ...

, and

Master of Science in nutrition Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

degrees. Since Concordia was founded, it has articulated a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

and

global Global means of or referring to a globe and may also refer to: Entertainment * ''Global'' (Paul van Dyk album), 2003 * ''Global'' (Bunji Garlin album), 2007 * ''Global'' (Humanoid album), 1989 * ''Global'' (Todd Rundgren album), 2015 * Bruno ...

curriculum. Students are required to take courses in health, communication, religion, and culture. The university maintains athletic teams in 22 sports and carries 19 music ensembles, including The Concordia Choir,

The Concordia Orchestra ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...

, and

The Concordia Band ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...

History

Concordia College was dedicated as a private academy on October 31, 1891, by a group of approximately one dozen Norwegian pastors and laymen who had recently settled in the

Red River Valley The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North; it is part of both Canada and the United States. Forming the border between Minnesota and North Dakota when these territories were admitted ...

. The school was founded on the property of the former Episcopalian Bishop Whipple School, which had closed in 1887. English professor

Ingebrikt Grose Ingebrikt Fredrick Grose or Ingebricks F. Grose (1862 – October 10, 1939) was an author, college professor and founding president of Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota. Background Inglebrikt was the first child of Johan and Ingeborg Grose. ...

St. Olaf College St. Olaf College is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. It was founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian-American pastors and farmers led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus. The college is named after the King and the Patron Saint Ola ...

was asked to preside over the academy, which at that time offered

mixed-sex education Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

in English literature, natural sciences, mathematics, piano, and organ.Rolfsrud, 19-20. The school opened with three faculty and twelve students. In 1892, Rasmus Bogstad, a Norwegian pastor, raised funds to build a male dormitory on campus grounds. His efforts led to the construction of Academy Hall. In 1893, Grose resigned and recently hired business professor Hans Aaker took his place. Aaker became mayor of Moorhead in 1900 and left two years later when that job compromised his dedication to the school. Bogstad was appointed Concordia's next president and established its liberal tradition. Under Bogstad, Concordia constructed a new academic building, now called Old Main. Henry O. Shurson held the presidency after Bogstad resigned in 1910 until Johan A. Aasgaard was appointed in 1911. Under Aasgaard, the nearby Park Region College and Bruflat Academy were merged with Concordia, and a new library was built in what is now called Grose Hall. In 1925, John N. Brown became president and oversaw Concordia's accreditation by the

North Central Association The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), also known as the North Central Association, was a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states engaged in educational accreditation. It ...

in 1927. Eleven years later, a female dormitory was built, named Fjelstad Hall, and in 1947, a male dormitory was built, later called Brown Hall. Joseph "Prexy Joe" Knutson became president in 1951, and presided over the construction of 16 buildings and the increase in enrollment to 1592 students. Under his leadership, the Concordia Annual Fund, which continues today, was established to raise money for the college's interests. Dr. Paul J. Dovre took the presidency in 1975 and oversaw new college programs and articulated Concordia's

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

mission. Since 1999, the college has been presided by 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. Today, the school is led by Dr. William J. Craft.

Academics

Concordia is accredited by the

. It enrolls 2,531 students and offers 61 majors and 12 pre-professional programs.

degrees are offered, and the most popular majors are business, education, and communication. The college upholds a curriculum that centers on a

and

perspective. Affiliated with the

, Concordia practices the

from the

theological tradition. Faculty are encouraged to retain ''Becoming Responsibly Engaged in the World'' (BREW) as a thematic focus in their instructions. The college operates by a semester calendar and first-year students are required to take courses in

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

communication Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inqu ...

religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural ...

, and

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these grou ...

. An honors program is offered for motivated students. Concordia is included in the Open Doors survey of the top twenty baccalaureate institutions that send students abroad. The college offers four global education programs and offers instruction in nine languages. Moreover, students are permitted to study at two neighboring universities,

Minnesota State University Moorhead Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) is a public university in Moorhead, Minnesota. The school has an enrollment of 7,534 students in 2019 and 266 full-time faculty members. MSUM is a part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities ...

and

North Dakota State University North Dakota State University (NDSU, formally North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota. It was founded as North ...

, for course credit to their degrees.

Student life

Music

The college maintains five choirs, three bands, two orchestras, three jazz ensembles, two percussion ensembles, and two handbell choirs. Music education began with the college's 1891 formation, when piano and organ lessons were taught by one instructor. The college has since expanded to include a music department of 45 faculty that offers five

degrees and two

degrees. The Concordia Choir is a 78-member

mixed choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which s ...

that travels internationally and has performed at major performance venues, including Carnegie Hall and the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

. The choir was founded in 1919 by the college's voice instructor and began touring in 1923 under the direction of Herman Monson. The choir grew to national prominence in the following decades when Paul J. Christiansen became the director. Christiansen remained in the position for 49 years until composer

René Clausen René Clausen (born 1953) is an American composer, conductor emeritus of The Concordia Choir, and professor of music at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. His works are widely performed by high school and church choirs while his more tec ...

took over in 1986. Under Clausen, The Concordia Choir has released numerous recordings and has performed with the

King's Singers The King's Singers are a British a cappella vocal ensemble founded in 1968. They are named after King's College in Cambridge, England, where the group was formed by six choral scholars. In the United Kingdom, their popularity peaked in the 1 ...

. He was succeeded in 2020 by Micheal Culloton. The college has put on an annual Christmas concert since 1927 that remains a tradition of the local community. From its inception, it has featured the music department's choirs and orchestra. In 1940, Christianson began working with painter

Cyrus M. Running Cyrus M. Running (August 2, 1913 - December 25, 1976) was an American regionalist painter. Cyrus Maynard Running was born in Veblen, South Dakota. He was the son of Lutheran minister Alfred Running (1879-1970) and his musician wife, Julia Sophia ...

to incorporate murals with the concert to reflect the music's themes. Running completed the designs until 1978, when their development was taken over by

David J. Hetland David J. Hetland (1947-2006) was a nationally recognized artist from Fargo, ND, known particularly for his liturgical works in mosaic and stained glass. Biography Hetland studied under regionalist painter Cyrus M. Running (1913-1976) while a stud ...

, whose murals have traditionally extended . After Hetland's 2006 death, mural designs were taken over by artist Paul Johnson. The concert is currently performed four times annually on Concordia's campus and twice annually at Orchestra Hall. Over 450 students perform for an audience of twenty thousand, and the concert is broadcast on radio and television. The 2009 concert, ''Journey to Bethlehem'', was recorded by

Twin Cities Public Television Twin Cities Public Television, Inc. (abbreviated TPT, doing business as Twin Cities PBS) is a nonprofit organization based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, that operates the Twin Cities' two PBS member television stations, KTCA-TV (channe ...

and won a regional Emmy. It was broadcast nationally by members of the

Public Broadcasting Service The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educa ...

Athletics

2009-0522-Concordia-JakeChristiansenStadium

Concordia–Moorhead athletic teams are the Cobbers. The college is a member of the Division III level of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athlete, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic sports, ...

(NCAA), primarily competing in the

Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) is a college athletic conference which competes in NCAA Division III. All 13 of the member schools are located in Minnesota and are private institutions, with only two being non-sectarian. ...

(MIAC) since the 1921–22 academic year. Concordia–Moorhead competes in 20 intercollegiate varsity sports, in which more than 800 students participate. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, ice hockey, soccer, tennis, track & field, and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, ice hockey, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, and volleyball.

Origins

Athletics began when a baseball club was organized in 1903 and a basketball team was formed after the construction of a gymnasium in 1907. Football emerged in 1916 and Concordia joined the MIAC in 1920. Soon after, teams for tennis, golf, wrestling, softball, volleyball, track, cross country running and others were formed. Athletics grew further when Jake Christiansen, brother of conductor Paul J. Christiansen, was appointed physical education director in 1941. He coached the football team to five conference championships over his 28-year career. In 1952, Christiansen designed a new athletic facility that promoted the college's reputation in the region. One of Christiansen's former students,

Jim Christopherson James Monroe Christopherson (born February 17, 1938) is an American football player and coach. He played professional football for the Minnesota Vikings in 1962 and was the head coach at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota from 1969 to 20 ...

, took over coaching in 1969 and led the team to nine conference titles and two national championships. Both coaches have been inducted in the

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were v ...

. The

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C., Un ...

Concordia–Moorhead women's basketball team defeated Mount Mercy, 73–72, to capture the Cobbers' first

AIAW The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women's athletics in the United States and to administer national championships (see AIAW Champions). It evolved out of the Commission on Inter ...

Division III national championship. The Cobbers defeated

St. John Fisher John Fisher (c. 19 October 1469 – 22 June 1535) was an English Catholic bishop, cardinal, and theologian. Fisher was also an academic and Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He was canonized by Pope Pius XI. Fisher was executed by ...

in the 1988 NCAA Division III championship game, 65–57, to claim the Cobbers' first NCAA national title.

Notable faculty

Notable faculty include: *

Basit Bilal Koshul Dr. Basit Bilal Koshul is a Pakistani sociologist, and a member of the Rehmatul-lil-Alameen Authority. Bilal Koshal is an associate professor at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). His areas of interest include the relationship betw ...

, Pakistani researcher writer and editor *

Chris Coste Christopher Robert Coste (born February 4, 1973), is an American author and former professional baseball catcher, who first played in Major League Baseball (MLB) at age 33, after twelve seasons of independent and minor league baseball. He was an a ...

, 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.

Notable alumni

Cynthia L. Bauerly Cynthia L. Bauerly (born 1970) is an American civil servant who currently serves as the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Revenue. She was appointed commissioner in January 2015 after joining the department as deputy commissioner in th ...

, member of the

Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Cam ...

William F. Beck William Frederick Beck (August 28, 1904 – October 24, 1966) was an American Lutheran minister best known for his biblical translation, ''The Holy Bible, An American Translation''. Biography William Frederick Henry Beck was born in Little ...

– Lutheran pastor, author of ''The Holy Bible, An American Translation'' of the Bible * Barry Bennett, former defensive lineman for the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

, New York Jets and

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansio ...

* Alan Bjerga, president of the

National Press Club Organizations A press club is an organization for journalists and others professionally engaged in the production and dissemination of news. A press club whose membership is defined by the press of a given country may be known as a National Pres ...

* Marianne C. Brown, businesswoman *

, former linebacker and placekicker for the

, former

Major league baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catcher ...

and

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...

Kevin Cramer Kevin John Cramer (born January 21, 1961) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator for North Dakota since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he represented North Dakota's at-large congressional district ...

, current

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and p ...

for

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, S ...

Gabriel Hauge Gabriel Hauge ( ; March 7, 1914 – July 24, 1981) was a prominent American bank executive and economist. Hauge served as assistant to the president for economic affairs during the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower. Background Gabriel Haug ...

, administrative assistant to President Eisenhower, chairman of the Board of Manufacturers Hanover * Clint Hill,

United States Secret Service The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security, Department of Homeland Security charged with co ...

agent credited with saving the life of

Jacqueline Kennedy Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A po ...

during the

assassination of John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated on Friday, November 22, 1963, at 12:30 p.m. CST in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza. Kennedy was in the vehicle wi ...

* David Joerger, current head coach of the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

* Leon H. Johnson, president of

Montana State University Montana State University (MSU) is a public land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's largest university. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's degrees in 68 fields, and doctoral degrees in 35 fiel ...

(1964-1969)"President of Montana State Dies of Apparent Heart Attack." ''Associated Press.'' June 19, 1969. *

Coya Knutson Cornelia Genevive Gjesdal "Coya" Knutson (née Gjesdal; August 22, 1912 – October 10, 1996) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Minnesota. She served two terms in the Minnesota House of Representatives, from 1951 to 1955, befo ...

, former United States congresswoman * Gary Larsen, defensive tackle for the

, member of

Purple People Eaters Purple People Eaters were the defensive line of the Minnesota Vikings from the late 1960s to the late 1970s. The term is a reference to a popular song from 1958, the efficiency of the defense, and the color of their uniforms. The motto of the Purp ...

Adolph Murie Adolph Murie (September 6, 1899 – August 16, 1974), the first scientist to study wolves in their natural habitat, was a naturalist, author, and wildlife biologist who pioneered field research on wolves, bears, and other mammals and birds in Arct ...

, first biologist to study wolves in their natural habitat ''A Brief History of Wolf Research, '' Steve Grooms, ''International Wolf'', Summer, 2002, Volume 21, No. 2, p. 9 * Ole H. Olson, former

Governor of North Dakota The governor of North Dakota is the head of government of North Dakota and serves as the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The Constitution of North Dakota specifies that "the executive power is vested in the governor" in Se ...

* Sidney Rand, former United States Ambassador to Norway and President of

. *

Roxana Saberi Roxana Saberi (born April 26, 1977) is an American CBS News correspondent and former Miss North Dakota pageant winner. In 2009, she was held prisoner in Iran's Evin Prison for 101 days under accusations of espionage. She subsequently wrote a ...

, journalist charged with espionage by

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkm ...

and released in 2009 * Olaf Storaasli, former

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedi ...

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a U.S. multiprogram science and technology national laboratory sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and administered, managed, and operated by UT–Battelle as a federally funded research an ...

scientist * Arlene Buckneberg Ydstie, composer * Phyllis Zimmerman, composer, choral conductor * Brandon Zylstra, wide receiver for the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

*
Official athletics website
{{authority control Liberal arts colleges in Minnesota Lutheranism in Minnesota Education in Fargo–Moorhead Education in Clay County, Minnesota Educational institutions established in 1892 Buildings and structures in Clay County, Minnesota Tourist attractions in Clay County, Minnesota Moorhead, Minnesota Private universities and colleges in Minnesota 1892 establishments in Minnesota