Cornerstone laying ceremony for Fjelstad Hall, 1937 (Helga Fjelstad is seated on stage)
President J.N. Brown sitting at his desk
Concordia College, along with the rest of the United States, suffered the effects of the Great Depression. The college struggled to maintain North Central accreditation while it was plagued by low enrollment and lack of funding. The careful planning and decisive risk-taking of Concordia president John N. Brown, with the help of other important members of the Concordia community, allowed the college to survive the depression with increasing enrollment until the United States entered World War II in 1941. Concordia’s primary source of income in the depressed economy was tuition paid by students, considering funding received from the church was halved from $24,000 to $12,060 between 1929 to 1933 and income from the endowment fund fell 87% - $19,512 to a mere $2,471 between 1930 and 1936. The majority of students, however, no longer could afford their Concordia education. Enrollment fell 10% from 1930 to 1933; the comprehensive fee (tuition, room, board, and fees) remained fairly steady ranging only from $330-$337 per academic year. Those students that continued to pursue their degrees were forced to rely on loans, scholarships, and work-study opportunities to pay their tuition.
Nels Mugaas in front of Brown Hall, March 1949
Scholarships ranging from $50-$100 were awarded by Concordia College to the highest ranking male and female in high school graduating classes. Additionally, the Norwegian Lutheran Church Women’s Missionary Federation granted $75 to worthy students who showed promise in their academic fields. Loans were also offered directly from the school and from the Concordia College Women’s League. Loans offered by the Women’s League were to be paid back, with interest, within one year of graduation; repayment rates were very successful. Another unlikely source for student aid was found in Concordia janitor Nels Mugaas, who on several occasions reached into his own personal savings to help many Cobber gentlemen receive their degree.
The repayment of loans offered from Concordia were a different matter. As the depression deepened, more students required financial assistance to attend college. Realizing it required students to continue operating, the institution increased its rate of borrowing until student debts climbed to $48,356 in 1936. President Brown, in an attempt to preserve the college’s credit, installed monthly payment plans on the student’s debts. Many students entered the workforce on and off campus in an attempt to pay off their debt. Numerous work-study opportunities were available to students: janitorial and maintenance assistants, housekeepers, secretaries, and librarians. The most coveted position, a laboratory assistant, paid one’s tuition and fees for the semester. By 1938, half of Concordia’s student body was employed on campus. The college-owned farm was another option for part-time employment. In addition to offering jobs, the farm supplied food for dining services.
Concordia, regardless of the depressed economic conditions, managed to maintain its morale and dedication to its students. The Concordia Band, in the summer of 1933, attended the World’s Fair in Chicago serving as Norway’s official representatives. Driving in Concordia’s then outdated busses nicknamed the “yellow puppies,” the students saved money by camping in tents during the night. Most notable was the band’s 1935 tour of Norway funded by friends of Concordia far and wide. Building on campus did not cease for long either. Thanks to the Golden Jubilee Gift drive and the dedicated work of administration, the cornerstone for Fjelstad Hall was laid in October 31, 1937 – the 46th anniversary of Concordia’s opening.
The Concordia College farm, 1929
Architect's sketch of the Fjelstad Hall exterior, c. 1936