LCMS. Office of the President. J. A. O. Preus Administration

This mini-biography intends to sketch only a broad outline of the life of Dr. J. A. O. Preus and is largely drawn from Preus of Missouri by James E. Adams. Jacob Aall Otteson Preus was born January 8, 1920 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He was the 3rd of 4 children though his twin elder siblings died at an early age. Professor Robert Preus was his younger brother. Jack, as he was generally known, shares his name with his father who was generally known as Jake. Jack’s mother was Idella nee Haugen. Jake Preus would rise to be governor of Minnesota and would later move into a successful career in business (insurance). The family moved to the Chicago area (Highland Park) in 1926 where the Preus family joined Redeemer Lutheran Church (LCMS) though the family remained closely connected to their Norwegian Lutheran roots. Jack would remain a member of the LCMS until his ordination in 1945. Jack’s collegiate education began at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, a family stronghold. Jack’s great-grandfather Herman Amberg was one of three incorporators of Luther College in 1857. His grandfather, C. K. Preus served as professor and president of the school (1898-1921) and Jack’s uncle was serving as acting president when Jack matriculated in 1937. His father was a graduate of the school. Jack studied classics and history and graduate magna cum laude in 1941. He followed graduation with enrollment at Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota during the fall of 1941. In 1943 Jack was married to Adelpha nee Holleque on June 12, 1943 and they had 8 children (7 daughters and 1 son). In 1943-1944, he served his vicarage at Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Following his ordination in 1945 he accepted a call to Trinity Lutheran Church, South Saint Paul, Minnesota. During his pastorate (1946) at Trinity, Jack enrolled in the University of Minnesota Ph.D. program in the Classics department. He would complete the degree in 1951. While is studies were ongoing he accepted a teaching post at Bethany Junior College, Mankato, Minnesota (1947) where he would service until 1950 at which time he began serving parishes in Luverne, Jasper, and Ellsworth, Minnesota. In 1958, Preus accepted a call as Professor at Concordia Seminary, Springfield, Illinois of the LCMS. His reputation quickly grew and in 1962 when the Presidency of the seminary was left vacant, it was Preus who was called upon to serve as interim president. In October of the same year, Preus was installed as the president where he would remain until elected to the presidency of the LCMS in 1969. Over the next 12 years, the Preus Presidency would be involved in the volatile events and contentious debates over the nature of the scriptures and confessional subscription. The Synod in convention at Milwaukee (1971) accepted the report of the Presidential Fact-Finding Committee. In New Orleans Preus was re-elected (1973) where he submitted his Report of the President, known widely as the Blue Book. The following year (1974), the controversy peaked when the majority of faculty and students “walked-out” and formed Christ Seminary-Seminex. Preus was again re-elected in 1977 which would be his final term as president. The years following his presidency (as they were during his presidency) were often characterized by travel overseas. He died on August 13, 1994 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.