The History of Northwestern Academy in Mobridge

Saturday, July 18, 2026 | Salem Landmark Church and WELS Museum

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Nearly a century since its beginning, we will look back at the history, stories, and people of Northwestern Lutheran Academy.

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Date: Saturday, July 18, 2026

Time: 10:00 a.m.

Location: Salem Landmark Church and WELS Museum, 6814 N 107th Street, Milwaukee, Wis.

Presenter: Pastor Justin Dauck

Description: The 1927 Wisconsin Synod convention recommended that, “The synod should authorize and subsidize the establishment of preparatory schools or academies, in the many parts of its territory…” The first and—as it turned out—only of these academies was established the following year in Mobridge, South Dakota. It joined prep schools in Saginaw, Mich.; Watertown, Wis.; and New Ulm, Minn., in the synod’s called worker training program.

Perched on a bluff overlooking the mighty Missouri River, one historical account called Northwestern Lutheran Academy (NLA), “a tree planted by the river of waters.” Between 1928 and 1979 NLA welcomed students from all over the western United States, and a few from back East too. NLA survived the early years of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. There were new buildings and expanded facilities. Finally, there was a foreseen but—to many—abrupt closure at the end of the 1970s. Nearly a century since its beginning, we look back at the history, stories, and people of Northwestern Lutheran Academy. Most importantly, we look back and see how God’s grace was proclaimed and gospel work was furthered during NLA’s 50 years of existence.

Pastor Justin Dauck currently serves at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School in Plymouth, Neb. Having previously served a dual parish in north-central South Dakota, he learned the appreciation and love for NLA that still exists among former students, tutors, and professors. Pastor Dauck was the author of a centennial history of the WELS Dakota-Montana District in 2020 and serves on the WELS Historical Institute Board of Directors.