The Wesley College School of Religion was opened fall term of 1921 at the North Dakota Agriculture College 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 the 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 the 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.
 
 

North Dakota School of Religion Records  |  Education  Religion