Faithfully onward, Ever Upward: 150 Years of Concordia University Chicago

It is commonly thought that Concordia University Chicago began as the Addison Teachers Seminary in Addison, IL, in 1864, which is, for the most part, true.

But before Addison Seminary, there was the Fort Wayne Teachers Seminary in Indiana. Its founding is said to be the “birth of Concordia Teachers College.” And even before that, the University can be traced back to a simple log cabin seminary in Perry County, MO, founded by a group of German immigrants. That same group later formed The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS).

This is the story of Concordia University Chicago, from the beginning through today, the first 150 years.