The lecture series honors the former Concordia professor, who retired in 2010 after 50 years of service to CSP. The Bartling History Lecture Series honors the former Concordia professor who had a particular interest in teaching topics
The Inaugural Bartling Lecture, November, 2011
The Bartling Lecture Series kicked off November, 2011 with Dr. Bartling who spoke about the events that influenced him, his teaching, and his faith before he ever arrived in St. Paul: being a campus pastor on the campus of Auburn University during the early days of the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. Bartling’s grandson and 2011 Concordia University graduate, Ian Bartling introduced him with words of how he has been influenced by his grandfather including a history lesson inspired by Bob Dylan lyrics. Over 200 people attended, many history students and learned how Dr. Bartling’s life was and continues to be “Shaped by History.” In the fall of 1961, Dr. Fred Bartling began his first semester at what was then Concordia Academy, beginning a distinguished 33-year career teaching American history and inspiring students.
“Dr. Bartling’s speech was very interesting. He had a lot of experience about the history of segregation. The stories he had about Martin Luther King, The Freedom Riders, Rosa Parks and Booker T. Washington was the same but different. Why different? Because it was from his point of view and through his eyes he has seen history being made…In my eyes Dr. Bartling and his experience is history.” K. Saunders
“One of the comments he made to me that also stuck with me was about him becoming consumed in the culture and accepting the cultural norms of the society he lived in. Bartling’s story about seating the blacks in the back of the church is an example of this complacency. At the end of the story he said that even until this day he regrets giving in o society’s view of normal, this comment made me re-think my own actions and how they are influenced by society.” D.Flavin
The Bartling Scholarship 