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Many Voices, One Story:LSTC’s First Twenty Years1962-1982“Chaotic but cheerful” is how Professor EmeritusJames Scherer described LSTC’s first years in a 50thanniversary forum held on October 18. Three emeritusfaculty members, Philip Hefner, Wilhelm Linss,and James Scherer, shared memories and insightsabout LSTC’s first 20 years.Scherer recalled that in the first months at 1100East 55th Street, the faculty offices still lacked walls,the administrators and deans were in cubicles set upin the first floor of the library wing, and the openingconvocation was held in an unfinished ChapelAuditorium. Nonetheless, they were “so happy to behere. The architecture, with the glass curtain wallsembodied what we were about—emphasizing anopenness to the world.”The three recalled the turbulent times of LSTC’sbeginning. “Everyone was doing teach-ins. TheUniversity of Chicago administration building wasoccupied for 51 days by the students,” Scherer said.Phil Hefner stated that during the 1960s “studentswere radicalized in the sense of wanting to bepart of the power process and insisting that they playan important role (in institutional decisions).” Herecalled that the assassination of Dr. Martin LutherKing Jr. hit LSTC hard and that students organized toinitiate an anti-racism program for the entire IllinoisSynod. They were not successful in getting a meetingwith the bishop and, Hefner says, they “raised hell.”Dr. Wilhelm Linss provided another perspective.He and several colleagues came to LSTC fromCentral Seminary in Fremont, Neb. They were theonly predecessor school to be required, by the newLutheran Church in America, to become part ofLSTC. The other predecessor schools had made theirown choice to merge.Linss said that he and his Central colleagueswere well-received by the other LSTC faculty. Hewas asked to become registrar shortly after he joinedthe faculty, which provided some balance to anadministration that was largely from the Augustanatradition. Unfortunately, not many of the studentsfrom Central came to LSTC—many of them chose totransfer to Wartburg Theological Seminary.A podcast of the forum is available on LSTC’swebsite at www.lstc.edu/voices/podcasts/2012-10-18-50th-emeriti.php.Highlights of LSTC’s first 20 years1962The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago was formallyestablished on September 4, as a result of themerger of four institutions: Augustana TheologicalSeminary at Rock Island, Illinois; Chicago LutheranTheological Seminary at Maywood, Illinois; and GrandView Seminary, and Suomi Theological Seminary, whichhad been holding their classes at Maywood since 19601964Stewart Herman installed aspresident; the exact site of thenew $8 million academic unitfronting 55th Street betweenUniversity and GreenwoodAvenues was selected in midsummer;L. Dale Lund electedDean1965Demolition of buildings onsite begins in September. Aground-breaking ceremonywas held on October 6Demolition in preparation for LSTC's new buildingStewart Herman13