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The first Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Texas was organized in 1851 by eight pastors who would gather fellow-immigrants from Europe in congregations. Synod bought an existing campus at Rutersville in 1872 and operated her German-American College there until 1881 with Pastor H. Merz as president. In 1891 the Synod acquired a school plant on this site and established her Evangelical Lutheran College here. The courses were preparatory, commercial, teacher training, and classical. A dormitory for boys stood at Pecan and Clinton. Successive administrators were Pastors G. Langner, O. Hartmann, J. H. Romberg, E. Gerfen, F. Zimmermann. Synod closed the college in 1906, then founded an Evangelical Lutheran Pro-seminar on this campus to specialize in training students for entrance to a theological seminary. Launched Sept. 18, 1906, it prospered for six years under leadership of Pastor C. Weeber. Synod's fourth venture in field of higher education blossomed on Sept. 10, 1912, at Seguin, with the dedication of a new institution known later as Texas Lutheran College. Pastor C. Weeber, first president, served until 1929, raising its status to the rank of a junior college. |
