LCMS. Board for Higher Education

The predecessor to BHE was the Survey Committee c.1930. A Committee on Higher Education was appointed by the synodical Board of Directors in 1932. The Rev. Henry Grueber was the chairman. His files constitute the second series of this collection. See Board for Higher Education, Grueber Files, Folder 1.

At its November 1932 meeting the committee created two subcommittees: (1) “Committee No. 1 on Curriculum” and (2) “Committee No. 2 on Colleges and Seminaries.” The former was to study the curricula of the synod’s schools and recommend changes. The latter was to consider the closing or continuation of schools, the location of a proposed senior college, the question of the Springfield seminary and the question of the synod’s “Normal” (teacher education) schools. In subsequent meetings the committee on curriculum came to be referred to as “Sub-committee B” and the committee on colleges and seminaries as “Sub-committee A.”

In 1938 the synod created a Board for Higher Education to replace the committee. The new board’s first meeting was held on 9–10 February 1939 at Concordia College (Milwaukee, Wisconsin). Henry Grueber was elected as the first chairman.

The board created a Standing Advisory Committee at its first meeting. This advisory committee was called for in the synodical resolution creating the board. It consisted of representatives of the synodical institutions of higher education.