History

Theological Seminary of the Wisconsin Synod of the Lutheran Church opened at Watertown in the fall of 1863.  Wisconsin University was founded two years later.   The four departments which made up Wisconsin University were liberal arts, normal, theological and commercial.  The theological seminary was removed to St. Louis, MO in 1870, and the normal school to New Ulm, MN in the 1890’s.  Wisconsin University became Northwestern University in 1878 and Northwestern College in 1908.  By 1918, the Black and Red advertised Northwestern College’s three departments as collegiate, preparatory and commercial.

The main building—the Kaffeemuehle—burned in 1894, but the school prospered.  By 1905 when a new dormitory was built, the enrollment reached 300.  The student body was overwhelmingly male and overwhelmingly German. Some portions of the Black and Red are written in German.   The 1917 and 1918 graduation classes each totaled 16 -17, with another dozen graduating from the commercial program.  Several of the commercial graduates were female.  Under “Societies” the Black and Red listed four: music, turnverein, literary, and military company.  Northwestern had a chorus, a band and an orchestra.  In addition to supporting the literary and military societies, the musical groups did an annual concert.  Beta Rho literary society sponsored both essay writing and declamation.  The Turnverein was a gymnastics society.  The military society did weekly drills and performed an annual sham battle.

In 1993 the Synod voted to merge campuses.  Northwestern College and Dr. Martin Luther College of New Ulm, MN were combined at New Ulm.  Northwestern Prep and Dr. Martin Luther Prep from Prairie du Chen, WI were combined at Watertown.  This merger was effected in the fall of 1995.