Research Topics: The Crescent and The Concordian

Students at Concordia have been interested in pursuing and publishing the local and on campus happenings since the inception of the school. While many students and alumni know of the Concordian, it is actually not the first student newspaper to have been published on campus. The Crescent is the first student newspaper at Concordia College begun in November 1909 to be published monthly during the school year. The first editor-in-chief was Iver Iverson. Other initial staff were O. H. Bridston, Business Manager and Treasurer; O. O. Bjertness, Business Manager. Department editors included Alfred Knutson, Literary; O. O. Bjertness, Locals; Chester Mathieson, Exchanges; N. G. Peterson, Athletics; Albert Aardal, Musical, and Albert Mykland, Alumni. Assistants were Clara Hermanson, Literary; and Josephine Larson, Locals. 
The October 1920 issue (Vol. 12, no. 1) marks the end of this title for the newspaper. Its editor-in-chief was Harvey G. Wambheim. In November its new title became The Concordian, published bi-weekly, with the first issue (Vol. 12, no. 2) on November 24, 1920. The Concordian is still published and widely read on campus today.
Record Group 16: Student Publications, 1909-2018 contains six series, two of which pertain to The Crescent and The Concordian.

• Series 2: The Crescent, 1909-1920 contains almost all published editions of The Crescent beginning in November of 1909 and ending October of 1920. Editions are marked by volume, number, month and year and are available for viewing by all patrons to the archives.
• Series 3: The Concordian, 1931-2010 contains information about the paper separated into seven subseries:
  • ​Subseries 1: Concordian Suspension, 1970-1971 includes correspondence, clippings, copies of the Dec. 4, 1970 Concordian that brought about the suspension and the March 26, 1971 when it resumed publications, and issues of the newsletter Impetus, all dealing with the suspension of the Concordian by President Knutson on Dec. 6, 1970. There is also two copies of a poster with the text "To comprehend the future and the past simultaneously is to be conscious for a moment in what we are doing", a quote attributed to Paffard Keating Clay.
  • Subseries 2: Term Papers, 1938-1914, 1994 consists of four student papers, all related to the Concordian newspaper. The 1939 paper is based upon a questionnaire survey "to determine what Concordia students want in their newspaper." The 1938 paper also was a survey on what students wanted to read in the newspaper and was done for an Educational Psychology class. The 1941 paper is also based upon a survey of readers and a project for an Educational Psychology class. The 1994 paper is a history of the student newspaper done for a History class.
  • Subseries 3: Brochures and Publications, 1986-1991 includes 'Publication Schedule and Rate Information' brochures regarding advertising in the Concordian, spanning from 1986 to 1991; job application and description forms; its Recognition Award forms from 1987, and printed picture with caption of Vivian Thorkelson, managing editor.
  • Subseries 4: Administrative Materials, 1984-2006 consists primarily of financial related records related to the publication of the Concordian student newspaper, including cash journal, circulation expense, office expense, production expense, transportation expense, wages, budgets, contracts, job description, and classifieds. The files are primarily for the 1984/85 year with single files for 1985/86 and 1986/87. There is also advertising rate sheets for 2003/2004 to 2005/2006.
  • Subseries 5: Concordian on CD, 1998-2013 consists of CDs that contain digital copies of the student newspaper for 1998-1999, 1999-2000, 2004-2005 and 2008-2013.
  • Subseries 6: Concordian Preservation CDs, 1920-2010 consists of 13 CDs on which digital versions of the student newspaper, including PDFs and thumbnails have been made, spanning from 1920 to 2010.
  • Subseries 7: Concordian on Microfilm, 1931-1946, 1968-1970 consists of two sets of microfilm done of the newspaper for the period Jan. 16, 1931 to Jan. 18, 1946 and Nov. 12, 1968 to Oct. 20, 1970. The filming was done by Minnesota Historical Society.
    

All published Concordian newspapers are held by the archives in physical form and bound by year. They have also been digitized and collected in an online database (linked below). Other information on the two student newspapers are contained in topical files that hold newspaper clippings, correspondence and other general information concerning each paper.

Resources:
The Concordian
Record Group 16 Finding Aid
On Firm Foundations Grounded