Concordia College, Bronxville
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Concordia College (CCNY) was a four-year
liberal arts college A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on undergraduate study in liberal arts and sciences. Such colleges aim to impart a broad general knowledge and develop general intellectual capac ...
in
Bronxville Bronxville is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States, located approximately north of Midtown Manhattan. It is part of the town of Eastchester. The village comprises one square mile (2.5 km2) of land in its entirety, ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
. Concordia College was sponsored by 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 ...
(LCMS) and was a member of the
Concordia University System The Concordia University System (CUS) is an organization of seven colleges and universities and one satellite campus in the United States that are operated by the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). All of the institutions are named "Concordi ...
. It was chartered by the
Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York The Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York is responsible for the general supervision of all educational activities within New York State, presiding over University of the State of New York and the New York State Education Depa ...
to offer associate, bachelor, and master's degrees. Concordia, founded in 1881 as Concordia Progymnasium, received its original charter from the State Regents in 1936. From 1918 to 1969, it was named Concordia Collegiate Institute; in 1969, the preparatory school was closed and the present name of the college was authorized by a charter change. In 1972, the State Regents authorized the college to grant the baccalaureate degree. In 2011, the State Regents authorized the college to grant the master's degree. On January 28, 2021, Concordia announced that it would cease offering classes as of the Fall 2021 semester, and that
Iona College Iona University is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Roman Catholic university with a main campus in New Rochelle, New York. It was founded in 1940 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers and occupies a campus of in New Rochell ...
would purchase the Bronxville campus and provide a "teach-out" for current students. A parade of graduates was held on May 8, 2021, to mark the final May commencement for the college. Classes ceased being offered by the college in August 2021, with a final conferral of degrees in December 2021.


History

Concordia College was founded in 1881 in
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
as a part of the Lutheran Church of St. Matthew in Manhattan. It was established as a feeder school for
Concordia Seminary Concordia Seminary is a Lutheran seminary in Clayton, Missouri. The institution's primary mission is to train pastors, deaconesses, missionaries, chaplains, and church leaders for the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). Founded in 1839, t ...
in St. Louis, Missouri. Edmund Bohn and J.H. Sieker (director and pastor, respectively, of the Lutheran Church of St. Matthew) established a Sexta and a Quinta (the equivalent to the first two years of high school) at St. Mathew Academy and thereby in effect began a
Progymnasium ''Gymnasium'' (and variations of the word) is a term in various European languages for a secondary school that prepares students for higher education at a university. It is comparable to the US English term '' preparatory high school''. Bef ...
. Concordia soon outgrew its modest beginning and by February 1893, land was purchased in Unionville, New York (now Hawthorne) for $9,000 donated by M. S. Becker. A sub-committee was elected to locate land outside of New York City. Pastor Edmund Bohn, William Dick, and Henry Fischer took a train to the Unionville Station in
Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...
. Property was selected based on the persuasiveness of a real estate agent and a local farmer who claimed that oats, corn, vegetables, and hay could be harvested from the land and that the property contained enough stones to build a foundation. After great consideration (and myriad maintenance issues) the college was moved once again to its current home in Bronxville. were bought for $52,383 on April 23, 1908. The Bronxville property, like the Hawthorn campus, was chosen for its close proximity to Manhattan and for its bucolic backdrop. Three buildings—Feth Hall, Bohm Hall, and the Commons—were designed by
Edward Lippincott Tilton Edward Lippincott Tilton (19 October 1861 – 5 January 1933) was an American architect, with a practice in New York City, where he was born. He specialized in the design of libraries, completing about one hundred in the U.S. and Canada, inc ...
and constructed in eight months for $160,000, which included furnishings and landscaping. On January 4, 1910, the Bronxville campus opened with a student body of 100 young men. On June 28, 2019, the
Middle States Commission on Higher Education The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (abbreviated as MSCHE and legally incorporated as the Mid-Atlantic Region Commission on Higher Education) is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit membership organization that performs peer evalua ...
placed Concordia's accreditation on probation due to issues of assessment and financial stability. Despite efforts to improve its finances, Concordia announced on January 28, 2021, that it would cease classes starting with the Fall 2021 semester. The Roman Catholic
Iona College Iona University is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Roman Catholic university with a main campus in New Rochelle, New York. It was founded in 1940 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers and occupies a campus of in New Rochell ...
in nearby
New Rochelle New Rochelle (; older french: La Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. In 2020, the city had a population of 79,726, making it the seventh-largest in the state of ...
reached an agreement with Concordia in May 2021 to purchase Concordia's Bronxville campus and provide a 'teach-out' for Concordia's current students. The announcement noted that the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
had accelerated the decline in the college's financial position.


Scheele Memorial Library

The Scheele Memorial Library was dedicated on June 9, 1974, and honors the parents of Joan Scheele Mueller. Her father, business executive William Scheele, (1891-1924) and mother (1891-1957) were longtime members of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, New York. The Concordia College Archives preserves historical records of the college. The archives document the college, beginning at its first location in Manhattan, the move to Hawthorne, as well as the purchase of the present site and all its additions in Bronxville. The collection includes documents, office files, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, photographs, college publications, musical recordings, audio visual materials and artifacts.


Programs of study

Concordia offered the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees. The college also offered (on campus and online) the Master of Science in Childhood Special Education, Early Childhood Special Education, Business Leadership, a post-baccalaureate Nursing program, an R.N. to B.S. program, and accelerated associate and bachelor's degree completion programs for adults.


Nursing program

Concordia College offered three nursing programs: the Traditional Undergraduate program, the Post-Baccalaureate program, and a RN to BS program. The Traditional Undergraduate program was designed for first-year and transfer students and provided courses for traditional undergraduate students who seek a Bachelor of Science degree. The Post-Baccalaureate program was an accelerated, 15-month Bachelor of Science program for students with a bachelor's degree in another field. The RN to BS program was designed for Registered Nurses who seek a bachelor's degree to advance their careers. In 2018, Concordia College's nursing students had an 94.8% pass rate for first-time RN NCLEX test-takers.


Students and faculty

Concordia's students came from 23 states and more than 37 countries worldwide. The student-to-professor ratio was 13 to 1. Total enrollment was 1,037 students before of its closing in 2021. 93% of the college's students received some form of financial aid, whether grants or loans, and approximately 60% of Concordia's students lived on campus. The college's Math Team regularly competed in the International Contest in Mathematical Modeling where students consistently performed at or above the Ivy League and thousands of teams from China. In 2014 the team scored at the Successful Participant level, achieved by 58% of the world. Professors at Concordia were graduates of such institutions as Yale, Columbia, New York University, the University of Pennsylvania, Oxford University, and Eastman School of Music.


Student organizations

Concordia College's clubs and organizations were formed by students with common interests and objectives. The clubs and organizations that existed at Concordia are listed below. Student Government: Executive Board, Student Senate, Inter-Greek Council; Committees on Issues and Voting, and Outreach Publications: The Arcade (yearbook), The Prelude (Fellow's journal), and The Clippings (electronic newspaper) Culture/Fine Arts: Concordia Players, Tour Choir, Festival Choir, Gospel Choir, Chapel Choir, Chamber Ensembles, International, Jazz Ensembles, Music and Talent Club, Multicultural Club, and Praise Dance Team, and Spanish Dance Club Service/Spiritual Clubs: Alpha Sigma Chi, Delta Omega Pi, Theta Zeta Upsilon, Omega Psi Eta, Business Club, Education Club, Social Work Club, Praise Dance Team, Christian Campus Ministries Social/Recreational: Commuter Council, International Club, Student Activities Committee, Cheerleading, and Intramurals Academic Clubs: Biology Club, Psychology Club, Pre-Law Club,
Alpha Mu Gamma Alpha Mu Gamma () is a national collegiate foreign language honor society founded at Los Angeles City College on April 29, 1931. More than three hundred charters have been granted to chapters in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islan ...
Foreign Language Honor Society,
Alpha Sigma Lambda Alpha Sigma Lambda () is the oldest and largest national honor society for Non-traditional students (typically adults also engaged in professional careers) who achieve and maintain outstanding scholastic standards and leadership characteristics ...
Adult Education Honor Society,
Kappa Delta Pi Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education, () is an honor society for education. It was founded in 1911 and was one of the first discipline-specific honor societies. Its membership is limited to the top 20 percent of those entering ...
Honor Society, Nursing National Honor Society, and the National Student Nursing Association


Athletics

At the time of the school's closing, Concordia–New York (CCNY) athletic teams were the Clippers. The college was a long-time competitor in the Division II level of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
(NCAA), primarily competing as a member of the
Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (or CACC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Its fourteen member institutions are located in the northeastern ...
(CACC) from 2009–10 to 2020–21. The Clippers previously competed in the
East Coast Conference The East Coast Conference (ECC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located in the northeastern United States in the states of C ...
(ECC; originally known as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference (NYCAC) until after the 2005–06 academic year) from 1989–90 to 2008–09. Concordia–New York (CCNY) sponsored 12 varsity intercollegiate teams as of the 2018–19 school year: Men's sports included baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and tennis; women's sports included basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.


Facilities

The Meyer Athletic Center's 700-seat gymnasium was home to the Concordia College men's and women's basketball teams and volleyball team. It also housed the Department of Athletics offices, as well as the athletic training room, locker rooms for both men and women, and a fitness center. Also in the complex were the Clipper Baseball Field, Clipper Softball Field, and the Clipper Soccer Field.


Concordia Conservatory

Concordia Conservatory is a center for music education in Westchester County. The Conservatory attempts to integrate music into the cultural life of the lower Westchester community. In addition to grassroots programs in schools, libraries, assisted living, and day care centers, the Conservatory offers performances. More than 150 performances are given each year including: Music-on-Parade for Scholarship, the Hoch Chamber Music Series, the Chamber Music Festival, and faculty concerts. Despite the college closing, Concordia Conservatory continued as an independent organization.


Donald A. Krenz Academic Center

The Krenz Center addition to the Scheele Memorial Library's second floor, completed in August 2006, contained classrooms, including the 82-seat Pietruski Auditorium, a 20-station computer teaching room, the Darlene Hedin Krenz Center for New Media and Digital Production, The Yeager Collection, and the OSilas Art Gallery. It was named after Donald Krenz who was chairman of Concordia College's 13-member Board of Regents, a New York City lawyer, and businessman. The center was selected for the 2009 American School and University Magazine Education Interiors Showcase. The project was chosen "for its ability to integrate current and future technology, innovative use of materials, life-cycle cost versus first cost, timelessness, safety and security, clarity of design concept, and accommodation of an enhanced educational mission." The Yeager Collection is a collection of autographs of American businessmen, financiers, and wealth creators. It is underwritten by George and Barbara Yeager. The OSilas Gallery (underwritten by Si and Vicki Ford) opened on September 14, 2006. The gallery provided exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and art tours featuring a variety of art genres and styles, such as historic, contemporary, and new media. Many of these events were integrated with art and other academic programs at the college; an exhibition of Concordia student art was held annually.


Schoenfeld Building

In 1926, the college's Board of Control unsuccessfully petitioned the LCMS to build a campus gym. Subsequently, the Schoenfeld Memorial Campaign committee was formed and set out to raise $100,000 for construction costs. The Schoenfeld Gymnasium was ultimately erected by the efforts of both the church congregation and The Lutheran Education Society. The gym opened on October 1, 1928. The final cost for the construction project was $140,000. The gymnasium was originally designed by American architect:
James Gamble Rogers James Gamble Rogers (March 3, 1867 – October 1, 1947) was an American architect. A proponent of what came to be known as Collegiate Gothic architecture, he is best known for his academic commissions at Yale University, Columbia Univer ...
. The gym was dedicated to William F. Schoenfeld, "one of the foremost Lutheran ministers in New York". Among many accomplishments associated with the Lutheran Church, Schoenfeld was pastor for 21 years of the Immanuel Church in Manhattan and one of the founders of the Lutheran Education Society. He "died suddenly July 30
919 __NOTOC__ Year 919 ( CMXIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By Place Byzantine Empire * March 25 – Romanos Lekapenos, admiral (''droungarios'') of the ...
on Buck Mountain, near Lake George, N.Y". In 1994, three million dollars was raised to convert the Schoenfeld building into a drama facility and center for student life. On September 30, 1995, the building was re-opened to the college community. On October 30, 2015, the new Schoenfeld Campus Center opened. The new modifications included a food court, expanded seating area, an enhanced game room, a redesigned campus store, new study lounges, and a redesigned garden in the outdoor courtyard.


Accreditation

Concordia College was accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The Social Work program was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the
Council on Social Work Education The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is a nonprofit national association in the United States representing more than 2,500 individual members, as well as graduate and undergraduate programs of professional social work education. Founded in 19 ...
(CSWE). The Teacher Education Program at Concordia College-New York was accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Education Preparation (CAEP). This accreditation covers initial teacher preparation programs at Concordia College-New York. However, the accreditation does not include individual education courses that the institution offers to P-12 educators for professional development or other purposes. The Nursing Program was accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The Business Program was a candidate for accreditation by the
International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education The International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE), formerly the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education, is an educational accreditation agency for college and university business programs founded in 1997. It ...
(IACBE). The college was registered by the
New York State Education Department The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is the department of the New York state government responsible for the supervision for all public schools in New York and all standardized testing, as well as the production and administration o ...
and the college's International Center for English as a Second Language was a member of the American Association of Intensive English Programs.


Notable alumni

*
Dell Alston Wendell Alston (born September 22, 1952) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, and Cleveland Indians. He attended Concordia College, where h ...
: MLB
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
* Mike Aviles: MLB
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
* John Doherty: MLB
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
* Clifford Flanigan – professor of English, medievalist, and theatre history scholar *
Willie Fraser William Patrick Fraser (born May 26, 1964) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched all or parts of eight seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between and . Fraser played for the California Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, St. ...
: MLB
California Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
* O. P. Kretzmann: Lutheran pastor, professor, author, and long-tenured president of
Valparaiso University Valparaiso University (Valpo) is a private university in Valparaiso, Indiana. It is a Lutheran university with about 3,000 students from over 50 countries on a campus of . Originally named Valparaiso Male and Female College, Valparaiso Universit ...
*
Scott Leius Scott Thomas Leius (born September 24, 1965) is a former American League baseball player who played during the 1990s. Leius was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 13th round of the 1986 Major League Baseball Draft out of Concordia College in ...
: MLB
Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
*
Walter A. Maier Walter Arthur Maier (October 4, 1893 – January 11, 1950) was a noted radio personality, public speaker, prolific author, university professor, scholar of ancient Semitic languages and culture, Lutheran theologian and editor. He is best known as ...
: Lutheran broadcaster and professor who served as the first speaker of
The Lutheran Hour ''The Lutheran Hour'' is a U.S.-based Christian radio program produced by Lutheran Hour Ministries. The weekly broadcast began on October 2, 1930, as an outreach ministry of the Lutheran Laymen's League, part of the Lutheran Church–Missouri S ...
and as professor at
Concordia Seminary Concordia Seminary is a Lutheran seminary in Clayton, Missouri. The institution's primary mission is to train pastors, deaconesses, missionaries, chaplains, and church leaders for the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). Founded in 1839, t ...
* Robert H. Smith: New Testament theologian who served as professor at
Concordia Seminary Concordia Seminary is a Lutheran seminary in Clayton, Missouri. The institution's primary mission is to train pastors, deaconesses, missionaries, chaplains, and church leaders for the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). Founded in 1839, t ...
,
Seminex Seminex is the widely used abbreviation for Concordia Seminary in Exile (later Christ Seminary-Seminex), which existed from 1974 to 1987 after a schism in the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). The seminary in exile was formed due to the ong ...
, and
Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) is a private Lutheran seminary in Berkeley, California. It is affiliated with California Lutheran University and is a member school of the Graduate Theological Union. History Pacific Lutheran Theolo ...
*
John Tietjen John H. Tietjen (June 18, 1928 – February 15, 2004) was a Lutheran clergyman, theologian, and national church leader in the United States. He is best known both for his role in the Seminex controversy which roiled the Lutheran Church–Misso ...
: Lutheran leader who served as president of
Concordia Seminary Concordia Seminary is a Lutheran seminary in Clayton, Missouri. The institution's primary mission is to train pastors, deaconesses, missionaries, chaplains, and church leaders for the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). Founded in 1839, t ...
and
Seminex Seminex is the widely used abbreviation for Concordia Seminary in Exile (later Christ Seminary-Seminex), which existed from 1974 to 1987 after a schism in the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). The seminary in exile was formed due to the ong ...


References

{{authority control Bronxville, New York Universities and colleges affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod Private universities and colleges in New York (state) Educational institutions established in 1881 Educational institutions disestablished in 2021 Universities and colleges in Westchester County, New York 1881 establishments in New York (state) Liberal arts colleges in New York (state)