Men's dormitory, soon to be called Brown Hall, under construction in March 1947
Memorial Auditorium's collapsed steel infrastructure after the April 1951 windstorm
After the surrender of Germany and Japan in 1945, servicemen began returning to the United States in droves. By mid-1946, 9 million veterans had come home from foreign soil. To compensate for the influx of individuals attempting to enter the workforce, the United States Government instituted the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 – the GI Bill – which offered sixteen million veterans funding to continue their education and training. The 2.2 million veterans who chose to pursue their degrees caused enrollment to spike in colleges across the United States. In one year, 1945-1946, the student body at Concordia doubled. Not wanting to turn away potential students, the college was forced to adapt in order to accommodate the ever-increasing student population.
Concordia's gymnasium, affectionately called "Paradise Hall," housed approximately 60 veterans
Since the three existing residence halls on campus were filled with women throughout the war, college administrators realized a new men’s dormitory was necessary. In November 1945 the Concordia College Corporation approved $300,000 of endowment funds to be used in constructing what would become Brown Hall. The English Gothic style structure housed 191 men when it was completed in 1947. To further alleviate the housing crunch in the fall of 1946, civic clubs were able to secure bedrooms in private homes around the Moorhead area for 350 Cobbers. Bunk beds lined the gymnasium, providing 60 veterans temporary residence in what they called “Paradise Hall.” The federal Reconversion Housing Project for Veterans funded the Cobber Barracks, which were built as housing units specifically for veterans and their families.
Cobber Barracks provided housing for veterans and their families, c. 1950
A few buildings on campus were built with materials recycled from war-time structures, donated by the federal government. Cobber Hall, called ‘Boe’s Bunkhouse’ while it was used as a men’s residence from 1946-1951, was constructed out of a previous army barracks. After 1951 Cobber Hall housed classrooms and offices until it was demolished in 1967. Concordia, in desperate need of further academic space, assembled materials from an Air Force hospital to create Science Hall in 1947. Renamed Biology Building in 1967, this recycled structure remained a functioning component of campus until 1980.
Memorial Auditorium under construction in 1952
Since the housing necessities had been met for the time being, college administration focused their building efforts on the long awaited gymnasium-auditorium. Jake Christiansen, athletic director, designed the structure with versatility in mind. Capable of seating 6500 people, the new auditorium was the first structure on campus built primarily as a gathering space and could comfortably host chapel services, music, and athletic events. Construction began the fall of 1950 but was temporarily halted when the steel superstructure collapsed during a windstorm in April 1951. Memorial Auditorium, named in honor of all those who served our country, was dedicated during the 1952 Homecoming festivities. The first public basketball game was held that December in front of an audience of 4500; playing against their long-time rivals, the Cobbers beat the Bison in a 69-59 win.
Despite the trials of the Great Depression and two world wars, the college continued to advance. New programs were added and new structures built. The GI Bill generated increases in enrollment and President Knutson readily responded to the opportunity for growth. Federal grants and loans were important for this growth as was the improved physical plant that afforded the facilities to expand the campus landscape. Between 1951-1975, more than a dozen structures were built, including the first student union.
Volunteers paint Concodia's Science Hall
Portrait of Joseph L. Knutson, president of Concordia College from 1951-1975