Title

First building of the United Church Seminary at Franklin and 26th Avenues, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Creator

Preview

Creation Date

1893

Description

Pictured here is the United Church Seminary's first building at the corner of Franklin Avenue and 26th Avenuein Minneapolis. The United Norwegian Lutheran Church was formed in 1890 by a merger of the Anti-Missourian Brotherhood, the Norwegian Augustana Synod, and the Conference for the Norwegian-Danish Lutheran Church in America, commonly known as "the Conference." The Conference brought its Augsburg Seminary to the merger and it was to become the seminary of the new church body. The formerly independent St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn, was made a college of the new church. But Augsburg was a nine-year school (two years preparatory, four years college, and three years seminary) and a controversy soon developed over the future of Augsburg's four-year college vis-a-vis St. Olaf. Augsburg was incorporated with an independent board of trustees which when presented with an ultimatum refused to turn control of the seminary over to the United Church while the college question was unsettled. The United Church formed a new seminary in 1893. After a bitter court battle, the supporters of Augsburg formed a new denomination in 1897, the Lutheran Free Church, with Augsburg as its college and seminary. Front of photograph reads: U.C. Seminary 1893-1901. Back of photograph reads: M.E. Waldeland, donor, son Olaf Waldeland.