Walther Christian Academy (formerly known as Walther Lutheran High School) is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

high school and middle school in Melrose Park,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

, United States. Established in 1954, the school is affiliated with the

Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), also known as the Missouri Synod, is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 1.8 million members, it is the second-largest Lutheran body in the United States. The LC ...

History

Walther was founded and built in its present location with the support of Lutheran congregations in the western suburbs. St. Paul Lutheran Church in Melrose Park had purchased the land from Superior Street to Iowa Street at a relatively low cost. Since St. Paul was planning to build a new church and school, they wanted to sell this land to get funds for their building project. There were several laymen from the surrounding congregations who played a key role in development of Walther. Most prominent was Bill Bussert of St. Paul, who built a log cabin on the property that could be used for church purposes and to show the community that they were serious about building a high school there. The Lutheran High School Association wanted to name the new school Luther West to match the Chicago schools ( Luther South and Luther North) but that idea met strong opposition from several of the academy's founders. They brainstormed with other leaders and came up with Walther Lutheran High School, in honor of C. F. W. Walther, the first president of the

; the youth and young adult groups of the synod at that time were called Walther Leagues. The nickname “Broncos” came because Walther was the school "out west". There were 34 sophomores and 72 freshmen the first year at Walther. The initial classes on September 12, 1954 were held at Grace Lutheran School, on the campus of Concordia Teachers College, in River Forest because the building in Melrose Park had not been completed.

Notable alumni

Doug Dumler Douglas Marvin Dumler is a former professional American football player who played offensive lineman for five seasons for the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based ...

, American football player who played as an offensive lineman for the New England Patriots

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walther Christian Academy Melrose Park, Illinois Private high schools in Cook County, Illinois Lutheran schools in Illinois Secondary schools affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod 1954 establishments in Illinois Educational institutions established in 1954