Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1915-09-01
LUTHER COLLEGE CLUBS
Toy' SEVENTEEN
Prof. o. A. II Nad Of Decorah
Gave Address e.. Ne Albert
Lea Luther ! Club.
LARGE NUMBER STD vs.
ENTER TIN VSTRY
Total Number of Students WHO Have
Attended Luther is 3,O18. The
College Has Been In Exis.
tence for Fifty.fOur
Years.

In a recent issue Of the Lutheran
Herald there appears very interest
ing article concerning the activity of
Luther graduates to service in the
church. 1t is from an address by
Prof. O. A. Tingelstad, Of Luther, be-
fore the Albert Lea Luther College
Club:
Luther College Clubs.
Prof. Tingelstad enumerates to-
tai of II Luther college clubs. These
are the following: Albert Lea Luther
College club, Chicago Luther College
club, Luther College Club of South
ern Wisconsin, Twin City Luther
College club, Red River Luther Col
lege club. Decorah Luther College
club, La Crosse Luther College club,
Central Minnesota Luther College
club, Western North Dakota Luther
College club, Atlantic Luther College
club, Western Minnesota Luther Col
lege club, Eastern Wisconsin Luther
College club, Inter-Mountain Luther
College club, South Dakota Luther
College club, Puget Sound Luther
College club, Central Iowa Luther
College club, and Northern Minnesota
Luther College club.
Percentage Of Graduates Increasing.
Regarding the percentage of grad
uates to the number of students en-
rolled Prof. Tingelstad submitted the
following figures:: ..
THE total number of students
who have attended Luther college il
3,018. The total number of gradu-
ates is go, or 22.2 per cent, or ?
out of every 8. Luther college has ex-
listed for fifty-four years, or three
times eighteen years. At the end Of
the first eighteen years, or in 1879,
the total number of students who
had attended was 913, the total num-
ber of graduates 81, and the percen-
tage of graduates 1915. Eighteen
years later (1S97 these numbers had
increased to 1910, 800, and 1872 re-
spectively. Today, as before stated,
the numbers are respectively S,01S,
go, and 22.2."
Number in Ministry Large.
In reply to a question, How many
of the graduates entered the minis
try? Prof. Tingelstad stated:
''At the end Of the first eighteen
years (1879), out Of total of 7S
graduates at the end of the preceding
years, 81 were ordained ministers
and 23 students Of theology, max
ing total of so theologians, or 1873
per cent; at the end Of the second
eighteen years (189O, out of to-
tai OF 292 graduates at the end OF
the preceding year, 1872 were ordain-
ed ministers, and 13 living and
dead as students of theology, making
q total of 179 theologians, or 61.3
per cent; today, at the end of the
third eighteen years, out Of a total
Of CAT graduates at the end of last
year, 307 were ordained minister's
and Is living and dead as students
of theology. making total of 33(
theologians, or 51.2 per cent. The
percentage of graduates entering the
ministry has steadily decreased
That has been the experience of 9th
er church bodies as we'll. But re
member that the percentage of stu
dents graduating has increased. Thi
attendance at Luther. college has no
varied very widely since 1870. In tn
first l8 years Of its existence Luthe
college gave our church 60 theolO
gians who were college graduates, II
the second 18 years 119, and in th'
last 18 years 1913. To put it in an
other way, during its first 1S year
Luther college returned as colleg
graduate theologians per cent o
its students, during it's next 1S year
~ per cent, during the last 1S year
Ills per cent. On the average, thel
one out of every or 9 boys register
ing at Luther college graduates from
college and enters the ministry. On
out Of every five graduates fror
college.
1--WE remember. then, that $50, o
51.2 per cent. of the graduates Q
Luther college have either entere
the ministry or died as students Q
theology. or are studying theolog
now. All Luther college can DO. how