St. Patrick’s parochial school is located near St. Patrick’s church, in Union District No. 2, about seven miles south of Atchison. Two teachers are employed in the school, and Ven. Sr. Merwina, O. S. B., is directress. It is controlled and supported by St. Patrick’s parish, and its curriculum extends through the grades. Boys and girls attend the school, and the enrollment in 1916 was sixty-seven.
St. Ann’s school is a Catholic parochial school, at Effingham. It is controlled and supported by St. Ann’s parish. Both boys and girls enroll in the school, which completes the work of the grades. The past year, forty-six pupils were in attendance. Two teachers are employed, one of whom is Sister Sr. M. Marcellina, O. S. B., the directress.
The Trinity Lutheran parochial school is controlled and supported by the Trinity Lutheran parish, corner of Eighth and Laramie streets. The curriculum extends to the eighth grade, and work is offered to both boys and girls. The enrollment in 1916 is fifty-three, and Rev. Carl W. Greinki is principal.
MIDLAND COLLEGE AND WESTERN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY.
The board of education of the general synod of the Evangelical Lutheran church, after considering propositions from a number of cities in the Middle West, decided on Atchison as the most suitable location for a Lutheran institution. It is easy of access from the whole territory from which students are most likely to come, and the offer of the city to give $50,000 in money for buildings, twenty acres of land for a campus and professors’ houses, a half interest in the sale of 500 acres of land, and to furnish 200 students the first year, was a tempting offer.
Owing to some difficulties that arose, this offer was not entirely fulfilled, but the twenty acres of ground was donated, and about $33,000 put into buildings. The college was opened on the fifteenth of September, 1887, with 101 students registered.
In 1888 the main building, known as Atchison Hall, was begun, and turned over to the board of trustees in the spring of 1889, and formally dedicated on the 30th day of September of the same year. The institution was given over to the care of a self-perpetuating board. From time to time the constitution has been changed, so that the trustees would be elected by the synods supporting the college.
At the present time the board is composed of twenty-nine members; four are elected by the board from the citizens of Atchison, six from each of the Kansas, English Nebraska and German Nebraska synods; two from the Rocky Mountain and Iowa synods each, and three from the Alumni Association, with the president of the college advisory member, ex-officio.
Carnegie Library, Atchison, Kansas