In 1896, the Finnish Lutheran Church of
the Suomi Synod responded to the spiritual and educational needs of the burgeoning Finnish
population by opening the Suomi Academy. (Suomi means Finland.)
The Academy was based on the Finnish lyceum concept of seven
grades. In 1904, the curriculum was changed to accommodate four years of traditional high
school and a three-year theological curriculum (1904-58). A two-year college established
in 1924 continually expands programs to meet the needs of today's students.
Originally, this building served many purposes. Classrooms, a
faculty lounge, the president's office and the chapel comprised the first floor.
Dormitories occupied the second and third floors. The Academy's first president, J. K.
Nikander, maintained living quarters on the second and third floors of the tower.
Architect Charles Archibald Pearce's design favors Richardsonian
Romanesque style, notable in the use of Jacobsville sandstone, the arched entryway, and
the tower. The building's stonework cost $6,600 while the entire construction was
completed in 1900 for $22,000. Old Main, listed on the National Register of Historic
Places, endures as an imposing symbol of Finnish faith and education.
