Peter Goebel

Who is Peter Goebel?

Peter Goebel was the third president of Elmhurst College. He served in this capacity from 1880 to 1887. He was succeeded by Daniel Irion in 1887. Goebel Hall at Elmhurst College is named in his honor.

When Carl Frederick Kranz, a German minister and teacher, established the German Evangelical Proseminary in Elmhurst, Illinois. Its mission was "to maintain a culture in the wilderness, to provide an educated leadership for the developing communities, and to teach liberal arts within the context of the Christian faith." Its primary purpose was to train ministers and teachers for German Evangelical communities. The college presidents were referred to as Inspectors, and they performed much of the actual teaching, recordkeeping, and student oversight. All courses were taught in the German language. Under the second "Inspector", at least one scientific class was added to the liberal-arts curriculum, but all teaching continued in the German language.

Johann Peter Goebel became the school's chief in 1880 when the second Inspector died suddenly. Goebel's top priority was to rebuild the faculty, as three members had died or resigned shortly before he took office.