Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University is a private liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio, United States. It had 1,326 full-time students drawn from 33 states and 9 foreign countries in 2022 but enrollment has declined. Wittenberg University is associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Although the college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, it was placed on probation in November 2025 because of significant concerns about its finances and ability to continue operating.
History
Wittenberg College was founded in 1845 by a group of ministers in the English Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Ohio, which had previously separated from the recently established German-speaking Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio and Other States. The college was named for the historic University of Wittenberg in Wittenberg, Germany, the town in which Martin Luther famously posted his Ninety-five Theses on the church door on October 31, 1517.A German American pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Rev. Ezra Keller was the principal founder and first president of the college. Its initial focus was to train clergy with the Hamma School of Divinity as its theological department. One of its main missions was to "Americanize" Lutherans by teaching courses in the English language instead of German, unlike the nearby Capital University in Columbus, Ohio.
The first class originally consisted of eight students at the beginning of the academic year, but grew to seventy-one by the end. With a faculty of one professor and two tutors, classes were held in Springfield, Ohio, in a church on land that was donated. That city was selected for its location on the National Road, running from the eastern cities of Baltimore and Cumberland, Maryland, to the west in the Illinois Country, eventually to the territorial capital of Vandalia, near the Mississippi River.
In 1874, women were admitted to the college, and, the following year, the first black students were admitted. The college attained university status in 1957 and was renamed accordingly. In 1993, the university and its namesake city Wittenberg entered into an official partnership.
In 1995, the American Philosophical Association censured Wittenberg University when the Wittenberg administration overruled the faculty personnel board and denied tenure to Leemon McHenry, a member of the faculty. The university was sanctioned in 2021 by the American Association of University Professors, for discontinuing eight academic programs and firing two tenured faculty members without, in the AAUP's opinion, respecting faculty rights.
Hamma Divinity School
, Professor of Theology in the Hamma Divinity School that served as the theological department of the college, was famously tried for and unanimously acquitted of heresy by the board of directors at Wittenberg on April 4–5, 1893. The trial concerned many key issues that Evangelical Lutherans still debate today.For decades, Hamma and Wittenberg were associated with the local English-speaking regional Lutheran synods in the Midwest.
In 1978, Hamma Divinity School merged with the nearby Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary in the Bexley suburb of Columbus, Ohio, to form Trinity Lutheran Seminary.
Presidents
- Ezra Keller
- Samuel Sprecher
- John B. Helwig
- Samuel Alfred Ort
- John M. Ruthrauff
- Charles G. Heckert
- Rees Edgar Tulloss
- Clarence Charles Stoughton
- John Nissley Stauffer
- G. Kenneth Andeen
- William A. Kinnison
- Baird Tipson
- William H. Steinbrink
- Mark H. Erickson
- Laurie M. Joyner
- Richard "Dick" Helton
- Michael Frandsen
- Christian M. M. Brady
Academics
The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In March 2025, HLC assigned Wittenberg a financial distress designation, following an audit by the U.S Department of Education which raised "...substantial doubt about the institution's ability to continue as a going concern". Wittenberg administrators said the audit was based on prior years' finances and that those matters had been addressed. Despite such assurances, the Higher Learning Commission placed Wittenberg on probation as of November 6, 2025. According to the HLC, Wittenberg has not demonstrated that "the institution's financial and personnel resources effectively support its current operations".
Campus
Blair Hall
Blair Hall houses the university's Education Department, the Psychology Department, and the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. In addition, the Springfield-Wittenberg Teacher Institute is located in Blair.The education department occupies a second building at 49 East College Avenue that formerly contained the administration offices of the Springfield Public City Schools, but is now owned by Wittenberg University.
Carnegie Hall
Built in 1909, Carnegie Hall was named for the famous Scottish-American immigrant and steel industrialist Andrew Carnegie,, who was known for his philanthropy and endowment of many public library buildings across the country. Until 1967, Carnegie Hall was exclusively a science building until the athletics department began holding conferences and classes in the same area. Carnegie Hall is current offline, awaiting renovations and updates.Hollenbeck Hall
Hollenbeck Hall is home to the History, English, Political Science, International Studies, and Philosophy departments, and the Office of International Education. The building's six wings, two per floor, are separated by the Ness Family Auditorium in the center of the building.Springfield City's organization called is also housed in Hollenbeck Hall. Upward Bound is a high school program for students in low-income areas of the city to receive a high-level education from college professors while in high school.
Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center
The Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center houses ten academic departments in the fields of mathematics and natural sciences. It also serves as a popular breakfast and lunch location for students, as it includes a vendor on the first floor that can be used with the Wittenberg meal plans.Recitation Hall
Recitation Hall was the second building erected on the campus. It contains many of the university's administrative offices, including admissions, financial aid, president's office, provost's, student employment, university communications, and human resources. Recitation Hall also has its own chapel. In 1883, classes were first held in Recitation Hall. A building behind Recitation Hall serves as the university's police and security headquarters, the campus switchboard and the transportation office.Synod Hall
Synod Hall was home to the Department of Sociology and Information Technologies, but was closed in 2022.Zimmerman Hall
Zimmerman Hall was home to the Department of Psychology. The building has since been shut down but still remains an important part of Wittenberg's campus.Shouvlin Center
Shouvlin Center houses the Office of Residence Life and Housing, the Womyn's Center, Counseling Services, and Medical Services.Thomas Library
Thomas Library is Wittenberg's main library. The three-story building holds over 500,000 books and resources. Wittenberg is also a member of OhioLINK. As of 2024, Thomas Library partnered with the Clark County Public Library to include a digital AutoLend Library on the library's main floor. With a CCPL library card, the AutoLend Library allows students to check out books digitally and br provided to them the same day, without having to leave campus for additional resources.Thomas Library houses the Math Workshop and the Writing Center, two predominantly student-run organizations to help students strengthen their math and writing skills with fellow student-tutors.