The Heritage of Carthage

Building a New Carthage in Kenosha

By Tom Noer, Valor Distinguished Professor of the Humanities
November 1994

Map of Old Carthage Campus

A few weeks after Carthage College announced plans to construct a new campus in Kenosha, Wis., the Reverend James Clement addressed the congregation of Faith Lutheran Church in Walworth, Wis. A tiny mission church, Faith was holding services in the local American Legion Hall as the congregation had no funds to construct a building. Despite their own needs, Clement asked members to donate a portion of their Sunday offering to help build a new Carthage. That evening he sent the first gift to finance the Kenosha campus, the initial step in meeting the most significant challenge in the College's history: financing the construction of a totally new campus. How Carthage met this challenge is the subject of this "Heritage of Carthage."

Continual fundraising is a necessity for all colleges, particularly private schools without tax support. Tuition income is never enough to cover the costs of higher education and colleges depend on gifts from individuals, groups, and corporations to cover the difference. Small schools like Carthage confront an especially difficult situation. With relatively few alumni, there is a smaller base of potential donors than at larger schools. For much of its history, Carthage produced large numbers of ministers and teachers with modest incomes. As a result, Carthage has had a very small endowment (interest-earning accounts to finance yearly operations) and has had to rely heavily on annual fundraising. In the late 1950s, tuition covered only 51% of the annual budget of $900,000, and the endowment of less than $1 million provided about $30,000 a year. The college needed to raise nearly $400,000 annually from other sources to meet expenses. The constant need to solicit money was a major demand on the time and energy of the administration. The demands would soon increase dramatically.

In August 1953 Jack Harris and his wife Mae sat outside the home of President Harold Lentz in Carthage, Illinois. Harris, a 1949 Carthage graduate, had just arrived from Colorado to accept a position as Director of Development for his alma mater. While Mrs. Lentz served lemonade and fresh apricots, the President informed Harris that he was thinking of moving Carthage to a more advantageous location near Chicago. Harris immediately began to calculate the funding necessary for such a move and concluded it "was an impossible task."

Harold Lentz was a persuasive man and eventually Harris became convinced of the need to relocate and the feasibility of financing the move. A decade after the picnic on the Lentz's, lawn, Carthage would successfully conclude a campaign that raised nearly $7 million to build the new campus.

The lack of fundraising opportunities in Carthage, Illinois, was one of the major reasons for the decision to move the College. Most of the College's benefactors lived in the Chicago area as Hancock County lacked any major industry and had few potential donors. Equally significant, the Northwest Synod of the United Lutheran Church in America began a campaign for a Lutheran college in Wisconsin or Northern Illinois in anticipation of the forthcoming merger of Lutheran churches that would form the Lutheran Church in America. A new campus near Chicago had the benefits of untapped corporate and private support as well as continued church funding under the new church organization.

During the search for a new location in 1955-1957, the potential for community support was an important consideration. Kenosha was an early and aggressive pursuer of the College. In early 1955, Milton Wittenberg, the Executive Secretary of the Kenosha Chamber of Commerce and active member of Trinity Lutheran Church, read a press release in the Chicago Tribune that Carthage was considering a new campus near Chicago. Wittenberg and George Connolly, President of the Kenosha Chamber of Commerce, immediately organized a Kenosha Citizen's Committee to convince Carthage to select Kenosha.

The initial group of Kenosha leaders was, as reflective of the 1950s, all male and all white. Members included business leaders George Becker of Sullivan-Becker Machine Company; Vernon Bingham and George Wilder of MacWhyte Wire Rope Company, Victor Cain and Joseph Johnson of Snap-on Tools Corporation; Frederick Pfenning of Charles H. Pfenning, Inc.; R. Merril Rhey of the Ladish Company; H. S. Turkelson, of Wisconsin Electric; and Arthur F. Korf, owner of Korf s Sixth Avenue Clothing. Bankers Edward Ruetz and William Thurn; attorneys Fred Hartley and Donald Heide; R. S. Kingsley, publisher of the Kenosha News; and architect Lawrence Monberg also volunteered. Finally, Clarence Jackson, past Chairman of the Kenosha County Board; Gilbert Petzke, past President of the City Council; and two local Lutheran pastors, Paul Roth of Trinity Lutheran and Louis Ulrich of Grace Lutheran, were selected. Many members of this early group would continue to serve as fundraisers for Carthage during the entire period of construction.

Kenosha Committee Shapes Carthage's Future

In 1957 Lentz and Board Chairman Rolf Dokmo visited Kenosha as a part of their assessment of the five finalists for the new campus. They were met by local leaders who promised to secure $750,000 for construction costs. The lakeside site, the strong community support, and the attractiveness of Kenosha's location between Milwaukee and Chicago made the decision a foregone conclusion, and on September 14, 1957, Carthage formally announced its decision to move to Kenosha.

Kenosha leaders immediately demonstrated their support of Carthage. When some in the city protested the donation of the Alford Park land to the College, 12 local businessmen purchased the tract for $50,000 and gave it to Carthage. A few disgruntled Kenoshans challenged the arrangement in a law suit. Attorney Fred Hartley volunteered to represent the College before the Wisconsin Supreme Court pro bono and won the case.

Carthage had taken the first step to fulfill Harold and Eleanor Lentz's vision of a new campus. What remained was the dauntless task of financing the move. Estimates were that it would take at least $4.5 million to construct the first stage of the new campus and $7 million to complete the project. At the same time, the College had to continue to find funds to meet the daily needs of the Illinois campus The burden of the campaign fell largely on Lentz, Harris, and the new Director of Public Relations, Don Moldenhauer They designed a three-pronged campaign aimed at the supporting Lutheran synods, the general public of the Kenosha-Racine area, and corporate leaders. Art Villup, who eventually would become Carthage's treasurer, also proved to be a "tower of strength" to Lentz during the College's relocation to Wisconsin.

Mobilizing Support of the Church

At the time of Carthage's relocation to Kenosha, funding from the Lutheran church was crucial. The supporting synods were by far the largest donors to the College and would be essential in financing the new campus, Lutheran church politics were complicated, as every Lutheran college was assigned specific synods for financial support. Carthage depended on four separate synods of the United Lutheran Church m America: Iowa, Wartburg, Illinois, and Northwest (Wisconsin, Minnesota; the Dakotas, and Montana). Within each synod were a few powerful pastors who needed to be convinced of the wisdom of the move to Wisconsin.

Church financing was a constant struggle, especially as the Lutheran churches moved toward the 1962 merger. Lentz and others often spent four or five nights a week visiting congregations, synod meetings, and volunteers. They were inspired by the response even among the poorest congregations. Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Box Elder, Montana, located on an impoverished Indian reservation, had members with an average annual income of less than $1000 but pledged $2200 to build the new Carthage professional development firm for advice. The American City Bureau was commissioned to organize the early campaign and established offices in Minneapolis, Chicago, and Kenosha utilizing its own staff as well as that of Carthage. As College officials lived in Carthage, Illinois, they often had to rise at 3:30 to catch the 500 train from Burlington, Iowa to Chicago, spend the day in Chicago or Kenosha, and return to Carthage, Illinois late that evening. There were no funds for the expensive hotels in Chicago.

Lentz, Harris, and Moldenhauer organized presentations at each synod. They later were aided by Franklin Clark Fry, President of the United Lutheran Church, a close friend of Lentz, and a master of church politics. Eventually each synod pledged a substantial amount to finance the new campus: $750,000 from Illinois; $100,000 from Wartburg, $180,000 from Iowa, and $1 million from Northwest.

Carthage also mobilized support from individual Lutheran congregations The College established the Carthage College Couriers, men and women in key congregations, to oversee fund-drives. The College joined with Northwest Lutheran Theological Seminary to publish a brochure "The Dawn of a New Day" to solicit funds both for the new Carthage campus and expansion of the seminary's facilities.

While the campaign within the church continued, Carthage began to solicit support in the Kenosha-Racine area. Development Office staff quickly realized that they would have to raise their sights from the small amounts they had been used to in the past In the mid-1950s, a gift of $300-400 was considered a major donation, and alumni giving was often less than $2000 a year. One year Harris mounted a campaign among alumni by pointing out that few graduates even donated the cost of a year's subscription to Life magazine, $6.44. The response was dozens of checks for exactly $6.44.

With a minimum of $4.5 million in immediate construction costs, in addition to the regular annual needs, it was clear Carthage would have to energize its fundraising. Although consultants helped prepare brochures and mailings, it was Lentz, Harris, Moldenhauer and others from Carthage who bore the brunt of the burden. They were assisted by many in Kenosha and Racine who had pledged support of the relocation. Local leaders now formed the Carthage Steering Committee to raise the $750,000 they had promised They recruited additional members including Harry Chemerow of the Leader Store, Vito Pascucci of LeBlanc Corporation, Joseph Hamelink and J. H. Wyss of Jockey Corporation, and physicians Richard Powell, Leif Lokvam, and William Lipman. To gain support from educators, the group turned to Harold Mauer, Superintendent of the Kenosha Public Schools and Joseph Hamelink of the School Board. They also added labor leaders Paul Whiteside and Alvo Mattson.

Carthage officials, the consultants, and the local steering committee stressed the positive economic and cultural impact of the College on the Kenosha-Racine area. A 1959 publication, A Greater Kenosha with Carthage, was distributed widely in the community. The piece emphasized the new educational opportunities for young people in the region that Carthage would provide as well as the potential for adult education. The brochure also noted the cultural activities of the College. Concerts, lectures, and library facilities would be open to the community and Carthage athletics would "give Kenosha another home team." The campaign also promoted the faculty as a resource for Kenosha and Racine clubs, organizations, and churches.

Economic Impact Recognized

A second emphasis was the direct economic benefits of the College. Carthage was, in Harris' words, "a smokeless industry" that would stimulate the local economy. Construction of the new campus would eventually bring over $7 million to "the tradesmen, builders, and suppliers of Kenosha." Faculty and staff would purchase, houses in the area and most of the College's $900,000 payroll would be spent locally. In addition, it was estimated that students would spend at least $200,000 a year. One publication pointed out that "students alone will possess 300 automobiles" to the direct benefit of service stations and repair shops. Local clothing stores were encouraged to develop displays to appeal to college students. Isserman Clothing even hired a limo to provide free shuttle service from the campus to the downtown shopping area.

Another objective was to create a feeling of support among the general public of Kenosha. Although most in the community welcomed the College, there were some areas of resistance. One Alderman charged that Carthage would discriminate against non-Lutheran students and others in the community feared the College would drain funding from Catholic schools. Carthage officials found that many in Kenosha assumed "Lutheran" meant the Wisconsin Synod, a very conservative Lutheran group that opposed the Boy and Girl Scouts and banned drinking, smoking, movies, and dancing. Harris noted that once he explained that Carthage was affiliated with "the dancing Lutherans," rather than the Wisconsin Synod, much of the religious issue evaporated. Lentz worked to defuse the anti-Catholic charge by giving a major address to the local Knights of Columbus where he emphasized the similarity between the two denominations and stressed that Carthage was open to students of all faiths.

Public Relations Director Moldenhauer organized a number of events to get the community to see Carthage as "their college." On September 24, I960, two years before campus construction was completed, Carthage played a football game against Lake Forest College at Kenosha's Lakeside Stadium. Civic groups were offered free tickets to introduce them to Carthage athletics and a crowd of 3,000 showed up in a driving rainstorm. When lightning shorted out the public address system, Moldenhauer produced a portable bullhorn from his car to allow the game to continue.

Open House Attracts Thousands

When construction was completed on the first stage of the campus in the fall of 1962, Carthage ran ads in local newspapers inviting the community to an open house. Faculty were available in their classrooms and labs; the orchestra, band, and choir performed; and buses were hired to shuttle visitors. Harris and Moldenhauer hoped for 1,000 people and were over­whelmed when over 16,000 showed up. The event was so successful that it was repeated for those who had not been able to tour the campus in the crush.

Such gestures were important, but the Kenosha-Racine community already had demonstrated its warmth toward the College. Moldenhauer recalled there was "a magic aura" when you said you were from Carthage. Residents volunteered to help "our Carthage people" find housing, doctors, schools and jobs for their spouses. Joy Moldenhauer applied for a teaching position in the Kenosha schools. When officials found that she was "from Carthage," they offered her a choice of three schools near her hometown. Faculty and staff were instant "celebrities" and were inundated with party invitations. Noted author Florence Perry Heide quickly established her reputation for hospitality as she and her husband Don hosted a series of parties to introduce Carthage faculty and staff to the community.

The outpouring of support for the College was reflected in the success of a grassroots financial appeal in Kenosha. Teams of "Captains" recruited "Lieutenants" to solicit pledges from co-workers and friends. Schools, businesses, clubs, and churches were organized through this system to contribute to the College. At the end of the campaign, volunteers were invited to a dinner at the Eagles Club as a token of thanks. So many people responded that a second dinner had to be hastily arranged.

Efforts in the synods and the community were followed by a third campaign: direct appeal for funds from prominent corporate leaders in the area. Carthage stressed its commitment to private education and the liberal arts rather than narrow technical training. Many business leaders had themselves attended private colleges and were sympathetic to the needs of non-public institutions. Lentz and others also noted that Carthage had no interest in becoming a large university. Rather than specializing in research, its goal was to emphasize teaching while providing individual attention to each student. Finally, the College argued that its church affiliation promoted a discussion of ethical and moral issues that should be encouraged.

Although Lentz and Harris would "lay the groundwork" for a donation, the actual request might come from another donor or a member of the Board of Trustees. Business leaders often found it more difficult to refuse someone of a similar background and interests. Carthage officials frequently were surprised when a donor actually pledged more than they had expected after being approached by someone not employed by the College.

Throughout the late 1950s, through groundbreaking in I960, and the dedication of the new campus in 1962, Lentz, Harris, Moldenhauer, and Director of Admissions and later Assistant to the President Alan Anderson, cultivated gifts for both immediate construction costs and long-term support. Lentz established a strong personal relationship with "Hib" Johnson and his son, Samuel, of the Johnson Corporation in Racine. Lentz was honored with an offer to serve on the Board of Johnson's Wingspread Foundation and, in 1962, Edward Larsen, Manufacturing Manager of Johnson, became Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Carthage.

Carthage also was effective in eliciting generous support from Snap-on Tool Corporation. Joe Johnson followed his early gift to the College with larger donations and agreed to serve on the Board and as the Director of Foundation Gifts in the construction campaign. Robert L. Grover and Rogers Palmer, both Vice Presidents of Snap-on, became members of the Board of Associates, a volunteer development group chaired by George C. Wilder, President of MacWhyte Company. R. L. Siebert and L. H. Erickson of Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (and founders of the Siebert Foundation) also served as Associates. Jockey Corporation and J.I. Case of Racine offered crucial support as well. Carthage had little success in approaching the largest employer in the community, American Motors Corporation, as most executives lived in Detroit and the company's contribution to Carthage usually consisted of a single automobile each year.

Overcoming Insurmountable Crisis

The pressures of the near constant financial appeal for construction of a new campus as well as the day-to-day operations of schools in both Carthage, Illinois, and in Kenosha took their toll on the small staff. Jack Harris eventually was hospitalized for two weeks suffering from exhaustion after weeks of 16 hour days. In addition to their daytime duties at the College, Lentz, Harris, and Moldenhauer were on the road four or five nights a week making presentations to corporations, synods, church groups, and foundations.

As the 1962 dedication date drew near, the campaign faced a major crisis. Officers of the Harris Bank and Trust in Chicago, in charge of interim financing for the construction, along with representatives from the Housing and Home Finance Agency, which provided over $1 million in loans for the dormitories on the new campus, once summoned College officials to an emergency meeting when pledges were not arriving fast enough to cover costs. Bank officials threatened to halt construction until the College could cover its bills. As the mood of the Carthage delegation grew ever more gloomy, Harold Lentz, late as usual, finally arrived and observed: "You don't look very happy here!" Harris recalls Lentz then began "one of his sermons" explaining that the College's finances were solid. In less than 15 minutes, bank officials agreed to continue construction, and the HHFA immediately declared Carthage was "sound" and the loans "secure."

Five years of unending effort were rewarded in October 1962 when Lentz and Fry, now President of the new LCA, presided at the formal dedication of the new campus. Two years later, the Illinois campus was closed and sold for $1.1 million. For the first time, all Carthage students were on the Kenosha campus. As Lentz had predicted nearly a decade earlier, Carthage began a period of unprecedented growth. By 1964, full-time enrollment had climbed from 387 in 1954 to 1,050. The College budget had increased over 500% and its assets burgeoned from $2.3 million to over $10 million.

Given the remarkable success of Carthage, there was some pressure to continue construction and expand student enrollment to 2,500, but Harold Lentz refused. To Lentz, it was not size but quality that counted. In 1963 he denounced "jumboism" in education and cautioned against "confusing bigness and greatness." In 1964, he announced Carthage would limit enrollment to a maximum of 1,500 to "avoid mass education where college graduates are produced in an assembly line environment."

Every day Carthage students, faculty, and staff live, study, and work in monuments to the development drive of the late 1950s and 1960s. Residents of Johnson Hall sleep and study in a building named to recognize the benevolence of Joe and Clara Johnson of Snap-on. Those in Denhart Hall live in a building named after a dorm on the old campus honoring Henry Denhart of Washington, Illinois, the largest single donor to the College. When students attend classes in the Johnson Arts Center, they enter a building commemorating the contributions of H. F. Johnson of Racine. Chapel and worship services are in Siebert Chapel, financed in large part by the Siebert Foundation of Milwaukee. They listen to music from an organ donated by Mr. and Mrs. John Frisch of Libertyville, Ill. As students walk across campus, they can hear the College alma mater played on the electronic carillon provided by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Grebner of Lajolla, California. After studying at Ruthrauff' Library, named after J. M. Ruthrauff, President of Carthage from 1895-1900, students may relax with a swim at the Seidemann Memorial Natatorium, contributed by William Seidemann, co-founder of Snap-on Corporation. Every building bears the imprint of donors from the synods and churches, from business leaders, community sponsors, alumni, and thousands of anonymous benefactors

Heritage of Carthage

Learn more about the history of the College through articles written by a Carthage history professor.

• V is for Victory: Carthage College and World War II
• A Community in Transition: Carthage in the 1950s
• Moving Into the Future: The Decision to Relocate Carthage to Kenosha
• Building a New Carthage in Kenosha
• Carthage Non Delenda Ust: A Struggle for Survival, 1870-1920
• An Eclectic Look at Fifteen Decades of Carthage College