Clifton Lutheran College
Clifton, Bosque County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Organized May 6, 1896. Located on land donated by N. J. Nelson and T. T. Hogevold. The first building, erected with voluntary donations and labor, opened as high school October 28, 1897; after 1923 housed artifacts collection of Jacob Olson, early Norwegian settler. Under the direction of Dr. Carl Tyssen, president, college courses were offered in 1922; accredited as a two-year college in 1924. High school was discontinued in 1938. College merged with Texas Lutheran College, Seguin, in 1954. Two buildings formerly used by the college remain on the site. (1975)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Founded in 1896 on land donated by Norwegian settlers N. J. Nelson and T. T. Hogevold, Clifton Lutheran College began as a high school built by volunteer labor and grew into a two-year college accredited in 1924 under Dr. Carl Tyssen. For a time it even housed pioneer Jacob Olson's collection of Norwegian-settler artifacts, a reminder of the immigrant community that built it. The high school closed in 1938, and in 1954 the college merged into Texas Lutheran College at Seguin.
Why it matters
The college is a monument to how immigrant communities planted their own schools and faith on the Texas frontier, preserving heritage while investing in the education of the next generation.
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Related people
- · N. J. Nelson
- · T. T. Hogevold
- · Carl Tyssen
- · Jacob Olson
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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Joseph Olson Family Log Cabin
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Clifton College Administration Building
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