This 16mm film footage captures student life at Lutheran Concordia College of Texas (now known as Concordia University Texas) in 1939 to 1941, when the institution still operated as a high school. The film—shot by Dr. George Beto, an instructor at the school—shows students gardening and caring for the grounds, engaging in schoolwork, socializing with each other, and participating in athletic events. The footage features several school facilities, such as the campus store, the library, the student dormitory, several classrooms, and athletic fields.
Concordia University Texas was founded in 1926 in Austin as a high school for men intending to teach or join the ministry. It was originally called Lutheran Concordia College of Texas. The school was founded by Texan Wends, a sizable immigrant community from Germany. Concordia's first building, Kilian Hall, was named for John Kilian, a leader in the local Wend community. The original campus was located north of the University of Texas at Austin, near what is now Interstate 35. It expanded during the 1940s and 1950s, began accepting women in 1955, and converted to a junior college in 1969. In 1980, Concordia began offering a Bachelor of Arts degree. The school has changed its name several times, most recently to Concordia University Texas in 2007. In 2008, the school moved its campus to northwest Austin and the original buildings have been demolished.