North Dakota School of Religion History
The Wesley College School of Religion was opened fall term of 1921 at the
North Dakota Agriculture College (NDAC) by the Wesley College of Grand Forks. This
school's course offerings included the history, literature, philosophy, and
psychology of religion. Wesley College, then affiliated with the University
of North Dakota and previously located in Wahpeton as the Red River Valley
University, gave financial support to the School and NDAC gave the
School's courses academic credit. Under the directorship of Walter Lee
Airheart, the School's course enrollment increased from 4 students in 1921
to 253 students in 1929. In 1931, two serious problems threatened the
school's existence.
That year the Fargo-Moorhead Lutheran Pastoral Union protested the School's
use of NDAC classrooms. The Union said this violated the separation of
church and state doctrine. Also that year, Wesley College experienced
financial difficulty and was forced to withdraw its funding to the School.
In January of 1932, Airheart and 16 other Fargo businessmen organized the
Fargo School of Religious Education, a private corporation. The Fargo
School's purpose was to continue non-sectarian, non-denominational religious
education at NDAC. Walter Stockwell was elected the first president
of the Board of Trustees, and Airheart was elected the first secretary and
director of the School. The School sought private contributions for its
financial support. In 1936, a donation from Mr. and Mrs. S. Fred Knight
allowed the School to construct a new building on land leased from Wesley
College at 1247 - 13th Street (University Drive) North.
The School continued its work under the directorship of Airheart until his
death in 1944. W. C. Hunter became the acting director until Stafford
Studer was hired in 1946. In 1960, Corwin Roach took over as director until
his retirement in 1977.
The School was renamed the North Dakota School of Religion in 1962. In 1971
Wesley College donated to the School the land the School's building was on.
In 1973 the School donated its land and building to the NDSU Development
Foundation. The Foundation agreed to operate the School as it was for two
years. After that time the Foundation agreed to maintain a Professor of
Religion through a Department of Religion at NDSU. Since 1977, John Helgeland
has been the Professor of Religion at NDSU and the Director of the North
Dakota School of Religion.
The building was torn down in 1996
to make way for the New Alumni Center.
