A Lutheran junior college and high school in Oakland that trained pastors and teachers from 1906 to 1973.
California Concordia College was established in 1906 as a four-year high school academy for boys, with its first building located at the corner of East 15th Street and 17th Avenue in Oakland. In 1912, the school relocated to a permanent campus at 6325 Camden Street, which was dedicated on April 11, 1915. A junior college department was added in 1918 to allow students to complete their education without transferring to other LCMS institutions. The school became co-educational in 1938 for the high school and 1951 for the junior college. Control of the institution was transferred from the California and Nevada District of the LCMS to the national LCMS in 1921.
The college operated as a six-year institution patterned after the German gymnasium, combining four years of high school with two years of junior college. Classes were named using Latin numbers indicating years remaining until graduation: Sexta through Prima. The school was designed primarily for training Lutheran pastors and Christian day school teachers, reflecting its strong religious mission and affiliation with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.
Most students lived in dormitories with typically five students per room, divided into bedroom and study areas. High school students were required to study for two hours nightly from 7:00 to 9:00 pm under supervision by student proctors. All students gathered for chapel services from 9:00 to 9:30 pm, and high school students were required to be in bed with lights out by 10:00 pm. The campus included athletic facilities supporting baseball and basketball teams.
California Concordia College and its associated high school closed in 1973. Academic records were transferred to Concordia University Irvine, which continues to support the California Concordia alumni group. The Camden Street campus site is now occupied by the Spectrum Center Camden Campus, a provider of special education services, though some original school buildings remain at the location.