Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church Immanuel Deaconess Motherhouse and Training School

See also AUG 42 Administrative History.

Until 1891 training for women entering the Immanuel Deaconess Association (IDA) took place in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Motherhouse of Deaconesses and at motherhouses in Sweden, but that year the IDA received its first candidate for training. On January 13, 1891, Tina Peterson, Elgin, Illinois, began deaconess studies at the Evangelical Immanuel Association for Works of Mercy. At the beginning, students were accepted throughout the year. Until classes began, students worked in the hospital. The training school's principles followed those established by the Kaiserwerth Institution in Germany. In 1894, training standards were upgraded after Sister Anna Hammer from the Ersta Deaconess Institute, Stockholm, joined the staff. Early on, requirements for those wishing to become deaconesses included being between the ages of 18 and 35, free of any obligations to marry, and a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. There were also requirements that addressed an applicant's temperament, health, dedication, and character.

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