Elmhurst College - History

History

In 1871, Jennie and Thomas Bryan gave land in Elmhurst to the German Evangelical Synod of the Northwest. This land was given for the purpose of establishing a school to prepare young men for the theological seminary and to train teachers for parochial schools, called the Elmhurst Proseminary. The first students, who were all male, studied Latin, Greek, English, German, music, history, geography, mathematics, science, and religion. All classes were taught in German. It wasn't until 1917 that the catalog was published in English. In 1919, the name was changed to the Elmhurst Academy and Junior College, and the expanded curriculum included courses in public speaking, physical education, economics, psychology, and the history of education. In 1924, the school was renamed Elmhurst College and became a four-year college for men. The college seal was designed in the 1920s by Robert Leonhardt, first registrar of the College, who also served as coach of the football team. Women first enrolled in 1930. The school was first accredited in 1934. In 1949, Elmhurst College offered its first part-time classes. In 1998, Elmhurst College rolled out the first of a handful of graduate programs, meeting with great success .

The campus is 48 acres (19.4 ha) in Elmhurst, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. The grounds are painstakingly maintained, and the College boasts an arboretum with more than 700 different species from around the globe .