Luther College (Louisiana) facts for kids

Luther College was a private school in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. It was a special school for African American students. The school was started in 1903 by a church group called the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America. They wanted to help African Americans in the Southern United States after the American Civil War.

Luther College opened in the same year as Immanuel Lutheran College (North Carolina) in Concord, North Carolina. Both schools had three main parts. They had a secondary school (like a high school), a normal school (for training teachers), and a seminary (for training church leaders).

In 1910, the school closed its seminary part. Only one student ever graduated from that program. In 1925, the church group closed Luther College completely. They said it was because the seminary was gone and new buildings would cost too much money. The money that went to Luther College was then used for Concordia College Alabama in Selma, Alabama, which had opened in 1922.

The Story of Luther College

After the American Civil War, the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America started helping African American communities in the southern United States. They opened several schools and colleges. In 1903, they started Immanuel Lutheran College (North Carolina) in North Carolina. Later that year, they opened Luther College in New Orleans.

Early Years and Growth

Luther College officially opened in September 1903. Classes first took place in a small room at St. Paul's Church. Reverend F. J. Lankenau was the leader of the school. In 1904, a new school building was built next to St. Paul's Church. It cost about $4,000.

Reverend Lankenau had two helpers, Reverend K. Kretzschmar and Reverend J. Kossmann. The school was set up like the one in North Carolina. It had a high school, a teacher training program, and a program for church leaders. In 1904, Luther College had 25 students. Two of these students were studying to become church leaders. St. Paul's Church also had a local school with over 200 students.

Changes and Challenges

By 1908, Luther College was listed as a school for both boys and girls. It offered classes to prepare students for college. That year, the school had 14 male students and 9 female students. Their ages ranged from 13 to 24 years old. Three white male teachers taught them. Six students were studying to become church ministers.

In September 1908, Reverend Lankenau left New Orleans. Frederick Wenger took over as president of Luther College and minister of St. Paul's. By 1910, the school's property was worth $6,000. Its yearly costs were about $2,500. Most of this money came from the church group, with some extra funds from student fees. In 1910, the program for church leaders closed. Only one student, Clavin Peter Thompson, had graduated from it.

School Review and Closure

In February 1914, people from the United States Office of Education visited Luther College. They were doing a study on African American education across the country. At that time, President R. E. Schmidt led the school. It had two teachers, all white men. The school had 37 students and offered ten grades. Students above seventh grade could take sewing classes.

The office noted that most students were in the younger grades. For the 1913–1914 school year, the school earned $1,400. Most of this money ($1,300) came from the church group. The rest came from student fees. The school's property was valued at $10,500. This included the land, the two-story building, and school equipment.

The office suggested that the school should get more students. They also recommended offering industrial education (like trade skills) for male students. They thought that other Lutheran schools in the city should give money to Luther College. This would help it become a "first-class secondary school" (a very good high school).

In 1922, the church group opened the Concordia College Alabama in Selma, Alabama. This area was important for their church work. A few years later, in 1925, Luther College closed. The money that had gone to Luther College was then sent to the new school in Alabama. A book from 1927 explained why Luther College closed. The main reasons were that the program for church leaders was gone. Also, it would have cost about $18,500 to build new buildings for the school.