Old Main
Chapel’s first official location was in the basement auditorium of Old Main, also the location of the campus cafeteria. As the student body grew, chapel eventually needed to have two sessions because the space in Old Main was not big enough to hold all of the students and faculty at once. Chapel attendance was mandatory until 1953, when the college president (Knutson) changed the chapel attendance policy. In spite of the policy change, President Knutson still believed firmly in the importance of chapel, saying that it was the “unifying factor that makes for a feeling of family solidarity at Concordia.” [3] However, the Norwegian Synod, the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church (the three church bodies with whom Concordia was affiliated up until this point) did not allow women to be ordained as pastors. Thus, women were unable to play a direct role in ministry before 1970. [4]
However, female students were active members of Lutheran Daughters of the Reformation (LDR), Luther League (later known as Lutheran Students Association), and Mission Crusaders. LDR, guided under the strong leadership of Frida Nilsen, was an all women’s group that met once a week and was dedicated to Lutheran faith and service. Luther League's motto, "Word Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone," was at the heart of their Sunday night devotional meetings. Luther League members participated in the Fargo/Moorhead community by providing programming for local high school Luther League groups. Mission Crusaders was a more conservative campus group and focused on mission work and outreach to local congregations. Concordia students, both men and women, were fully involved in the life of local congregations as well, especially Trinity Lutheran Church in Moorhead. They attended worship services and Bible classes, assited with youth programs, and sang in the choir. However, women were not yet allowed to publically teach in Lutheran churches due to the regulations of the day. [5]