Walther Christian Academy

History

Walther was founded and built in its present location with the support of Lutheran congregations in the western suburbs. St. Paul Melrose park had purchased the land from Superior Street to Iowa Street at a relatively low cost. Since St. Paul was planning on building a new church and school, they wanted to sell this land to get funds for their building project. There were several laymen from the surrounding congregations who played a key role in development of Walther. Most prominent was Bill Bussert of St. Paul, who built a log cabin on the property which could be used for church purposes, and to show the community that they were serious about building a high school there.

The Lutheran High School Association wanted to name the new school Luther West to match the Chicago schools (Luther South and Luther North) but that idea met strong opposition from several of the academy's founders They brainstormed with other leaders and came up with Walther Lutheran High School after C.F.W. Walther, the first president of the LCMS, and because the congregation you groups in those days were called Walther Leagues. The nickname “Broncos” came because Walther was the school “out west.”

There were 34 sophomores and 72 freshmen that first year at Walther. The initial classes in September 1954 were held at Concordia College in River Forest as the building in Melrose Park was not completed..