Capital University

Capital University (Capital, Cap, or CU) is a private university in Bexley, Ohio, United States. Capital was founded as the Theological Seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Ohio in 1830 and later was associated with that synod's successor, the American Lutheran Church. The university has undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as a law school. Capital University is the oldest university in Central Ohio and is one of the oldest and largest Lutheran-affiliated universities in North America. History Capital University was founded on June 3, 1830, as the Theological Seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Ohio in Canton, Ohio, 40 years before the founding of Ohio State University, making it the oldest university in Central Ohio. It moved to downtown Columbus in 1832. On March 2, 1850, The non-seminary portion of the school was renamed Capital University and the seminary was renamed the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary (ELTS). At that time, the denomination was renamed to the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio and Other States and grew into a nationwide church body. The first president of the renamed university was William Morton Reynolds. In 1930, the Joint Synod was merged with two other smaller German language groups, the Iowa Synod (formed 1854) and the Buffalo Synod (founded 1845) to create the American Lutheran Church (ALC), headquartered in Columbus. The ALC existed for only three decades, until 1960, when it, in turn, participated in a more extensive merger with the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the United Evangelical Lutheran Church Danish to form The American Lutheran Church. The second ALC lasted until the formation of the current Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in 1988, with offices in Chicago, Illinois. The university eventually moved its main campus to the rural periphery of the state capital in the community of Bexley. This rural area has since developed into an upscale suburb. Capital University's educational mission is based on Lutheran values of free inquiry, critical thinking, and leadership. A current motto used at the school is "Ask. Think. Lead", a continuing reminder of its educational mission.