Texas Lutheran University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Texas Lutheran University

Former names	Evangelical Lutheran College (1891–1912) Lutheran College of Seguin (1912–1932) Texas Lutheran College (1932–1996)
Motto	Veritas Christi Liberat Homines
Motto in English	The truth of Christ sets people free
Type	Private university
Established	1891; 134 years ago (1891)
Religious affiliation	Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Endowment	$95.68 million (2022)
President	Debbie Cottrell
Undergraduates	1,400
Location	Seguin, Texas , U.S. 29°34′26″N 97°59′10″W / 29.574°N 97.986°W / 29.574; -97.986
Campus	Small town/Suburban
Colors	Black and gold
Nickname	Bulldogs
Sporting affiliations	Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Division III
Mascot	Lucky the Bulldog

Texas Lutheran University (TLU) is a private university in Seguin, Texas. It is connected with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

History of TLU

100th anniversary sign of TLU in Seguin, unveiled 2011

Texas Lutheran University historical marker in Brenham

TLU started in 1891 as the Evangelical Lutheran College. It was founded in Brenham, Texas by a group of German Lutherans. Its first president was Reverend Gottlieb Langner.

In 1912, the school faced money problems. Local business people offered 15 acres of land and $20,000 to move the school to Seguin. It was then called the Lutheran College of Seguin, Texas. At first, it had only one building and 46 students.

By 1928, the school became a junior college. In 1929, another Lutheran school, Swedish Lutheran Trinity College from Round Rock, Texas, joined with it. This helped the school grow. In 1930, the combined school was renamed Texas Lutheran College. It became a four-year college in 1948.

In 1954, Clifton College, a Norwegian Lutheran school, also joined Texas Lutheran. This brought more teachers and support. In 1953, the college was fully recognized as a senior college. Students and teachers rang the "Victory Bell" for hours to celebrate!

In 1996, after many years of growth, the college changed its name again to its current name: Texas Lutheran University. Over 100 years, TLU has grown to more than 40 buildings and sports fields. It covers 184 acres and has about 1,400 students each semester.

Academics at TLU

Texas Lutheran University is highly rated among universities in the West. It is officially recognized by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. This means its programs meet high quality standards.

TLU Campus Life

Entrance sign to Texas Lutheran University

The TLU campus is located in Seguin, Texas. It is easy to find, just off Interstate 10. The campus has over 40 buildings and many athletic fields. It also has a biology field station at nearby Lake McQueeney.

The campus is beautiful with many trees. You can see student and alumni art all around. Some sidewalks have special bricks dedicated to people connected to TLU.

Chapel of the Abiding Presence

The Chapel of the Abiding Presence

The Chapel of the Abiding Presence is in the middle of the campus. It is also known as the Weinert Chapel. This beautiful building was designed in 1954. After a fire in 1969, it was rebuilt with a new look inside.

Today, the chapel is used for many activities and services. It also hosts weddings for students and alumni. Short chapel services are open to everyone on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings during the school year.

Other Important Buildings

Langner Memorial Hall, named for the first president of TLU.

Langner Hall is named after TLU's first president. It has classrooms and offices for subjects like English, history, and psychology. It also has a museum and a geological garden.

Where Students Live

TLU offers different places for students to live. There are residence halls and on-campus apartments. Some residence halls are for both boys and girls, while others are for one gender. They are also separated by grade level.

First-year students often live in Centennial, Baldus, Trinity, and Clifton Halls. Second-year students might live in Seguin Hall.

Older students (juniors and seniors) can live in on-campus apartments. These include the North, South Efficiency, and Glazener apartments. They have two bedrooms and some have full kitchens. Bogisch family housing is for students who are married or have children.

Centennial Hall is the newest residence hall. It has 160 beds and community bathrooms.

Alumni Student Center (ASC)

The ASC is a busy place on campus. It has the bookstore, a snack bar called Lucky's Kennel, and places to relax. You can also find meeting rooms, a post office, and computer labs here. The ASC also has offices for student counseling and career help.

Blumberg Library

The Blumberg Memorial Library at TLU opened in 1970.

The Blumberg Library opened in 1970. It has over 262,000 books and other materials. Students can also access many online journals and databases. This helps them find information for their studies.

Hein Dining Hall

Weimar and Paula Hein Dining Center

Hein Dining Hall is the main place to eat on campus. It offers cafeteria-style food with different stations. The Centennial Commons is the main dining area for students. There are also smaller dining rooms used for meetings.

Jackson Auditorium

Jackson Auditorium seats 1,050 for concerts and other events.

Jackson Auditorium can seat 1,050 people. Many special events happen here, like concerts and talks by guest speakers. Community groups also use this auditorium.

Classrooms and Other Buildings

Tschoepe Hall, a classroom building

Schuech Fine Arts Center

Other important buildings include the Moody Science Building and Tschoepe Hall, which are classroom buildings. The Schuech Fine Arts Center has a theater, music studios, and art labs.

The Jesse H. Jones Physical Education Complex has a large gym for sports games. It also has locker rooms, racquetball courts, and a swimming pool. There are also fitness centers and labs for studying movement.

The O.G. Beck College Center is the administrative headquarters of the university.

The campus has many outdoor sports fields. These include fields for soccer, baseball, softball, and tennis courts. There's also a police department and maintenance complex on campus.

In 2013, TLU started a big project to improve its sports facilities. They built a new stadium for football and track and field. They also added lights to the baseball and soccer fields so games could be played at night.

Student Life at TLU

Students at TLU can join many different groups and clubs.

Greek Life

Some students choose to join sororities (for girls) and fraternities (for boys). These are social organizations that often do community service and host events.

Student Organizations

There are many student organizations based on different interests. You can find clubs for specific subjects like the Geography Club. There are also honor societies for students with high grades. Other groups focus on professional skills, campus ministry, or community service.

Students can also join groups like the Cheerleaders or the Student Government Association. There are clubs for theater, music, and student publications like the Lone Star Lutheran magazine.

Texas Lutheran Bulldogs
University	Texas Lutheran University
Conference	Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
NCAA	NCAA Division III
Athletic director	Bill Miller
Location	Seguin, Texas
Varsity teams	18
Football stadium	Bulldog Stadium
Basketball arena	Jesse H. Jones Complex
Baseball stadium	Katt-Isbel Baseball Field
Softball stadium	Morck Softball Field
Soccer field	Gustafson Soccer Field
Mascot	Bulldogs
Nickname	Bulldogs
Colors	Black and gold

TLU Sports Teams

Almost one-third of TLU students play on one of the university's sports teams. All TLU sports teams are called the Bulldogs. They compete in NCAA Division III. This means student-athletes do not receive sports scholarships.

Sports Offered

TLU offers many sports for both men and women. These include baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, golf, tennis, and volleyball. There are also teams for cross country and track & field. Football is also a popular sport at TLU.

Since 2013, TLU has competed in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference for most sports. The football team plays in the American Southwest Conference. TLU's football team won two national championships in 1974 and 1975! These teams were coached by the famous Jim Wacker.

Conference Championships

TLU teams have won many conference championships over the years. Here are some of their wins:

TLU Media

Students at TLU can get involved in different media projects.

Lone Star Lutheran Magazine

The Lone Star Lutheran (LSL) is a magazine run by students. It used to be a newspaper. Students can write articles for the magazine and even earn class credit for their work.

Bulldog TV

Bulldog TV is a cable channel all about TLU. It shares news and events happening at the university.

Christmas Vespers

Every year, TLU choirs and the band put on special Christmas Vespers services. These concerts celebrate the important role music plays at TLU. The services are held in Seguin and sometimes in Austin. They are open to everyone.

Krost Symposium

Each year, Texas Lutheran hosts the Krost Symposium. This event focuses on a new and interesting topic. It brings in guest speakers who share different ideas and experiences. The symposium is free and open to the public. It has been held every year since 1981.

Famous People Who Attended TLU

Many successful people have attended Texas Lutheran University. Here are a few:

• Laurie Corbelli was a volleyball player who won a silver medal at the 1984 U.S. Olympics.
• Lee Eun-chul is an Olympic gold medalist in shooting from South Korea.
• Cameron Beckman is a professional golfer who has won PGA Tour titles.
• Alton Chung Ming Chan is a Grammy Award nominated concert pianist.
• Verne Lundquist is a famous sportscaster for CBS Television Sports. He is known as "the Golden Voice."
• Don Mischer is a producer and director of TV shows and live events. He has won many Emmy Awards.
• Jeff Hiller is an actor and comedian.