Meet the
Presidents
Dr. Martin Luther College
Northwestern College
Otto Hoyer
1865-1869 Adam Martin
Pastor Otto Daniel August Hoyer (1849-1905) served as Dr. Martin Luther College’s first permanent director, or president. He was born in Germany and educated in America, graduating from Northwestern College-Watertown WI in 1872 and continuing his pastoral training at Concordia Seminary-St. Louis.
1871-1919 Dr. August F. Ernst
In 1883, the year before DMLC opened its doors, Hoyer was invited to serve on an eight-member college building committee. Their first directive: choose a site for the new Minnesota Synod ministerial training college. Under the committee’s direction, New Ulm edged out Shakopee, and ground was broken here on the hill. The new school opened on Luther’s birthday, November 10, 1884. During the first academic year, 1884-1885, Hoyer accepted DMLC’s call to be theological teacher and director, leaving the congregation he was shepherding in St. Paul. He succeeded C. J. Albrecht, who, though considered the father of DMLC, served as director for just one year. Hoyer served as director for eight years, 1885-1893. In 1887, the normal, or teacher preparation, department of the college opened, and in 1893 an even more dramatic change took place. The Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan Synods, which had merged into one body—the Joint Synod of Wisconsin and Other States—repurposed DMLC as the Joint Synod’s sole normal, or teacher-training, college. Its theology department closed, and all pastors-in-training enrolled at Northwestern College-Watertown WI, which had been providing preseminary training faithfully since 1865. In addition to the two-year normal program, DMLC also maintained a three-year preparatory program for both future teachers and future pastors. The Lord of the Church deemed that the newly fashioned Dr. Martin Luther College of 1893 have a new director. Pastor Hoyer was called to be director of Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw, and Pastor John Schaller was called to replace him at DMLC.
1869-1870 Lewis O. Thompson 1919-1959 Erwin E. Kowalke 1959-1987 Carleton Toppe 1987-1993 Robert J. Voss 1993-1995 John Braun
Dr. Martin Luther College 1884-1885 C. J. Albrecht
1885-1893 Otto Hoyer 1893-1908 John Schaller 1908-1918 Adolph Ackermann 1918-1920 Johannes P. Meyer 1920-1936 Edmund Bliefernicht 1936-1966 Carl Schweppe 1966-1980 Conrad Frey 1980-1993 Lloyd O. Huebner 1993-1995 John Lawrenz
Martin Luther College 1995-2007 Theodore Olsen 2007-present Mark Zarling
Otto Daniel August Hoyer died in 1905, at the age of 56. Our gratitude to Professor Emeritus Dr. Arthur Schulz, who conducted research for this biography.
Daniel Schultz DMLC 1983 Durand MI
Carmen Traub DMLC 1988 Manitou Beach MI
Karl Valleskey MLC 2003 Houston TX Luther College Martin
Roger Quandt NWC 1988 Kearney NE 19
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