Most Concordia students know how rewarding it is to receive their coveted Cobber ring. It is a time when many people finally feel at home and know exactly where they are supposed to be – at Concordia. Ring Day is so special because it celebrates the bond between alumni and current students.
There are many stories that Cobbers have about their rings. A few examples include getting a ring gifted to them anonymously, receiving the ring as a surprise from a parent or friend, working and saving to purchase a ring on their own – and the stories we don’t hear – about losing the ring and finding it again. There is one story in particular that is unlike anything we have heard before and that is John Pierce’s story.
How It All Began
Pierce has been an essential part of the Concordia College staff, specifically in the Advancement Office, for 50 years. He is the senior gift planner at Concordia. Throughout his many years of service, he helped raise money to help create a better campus for students and faculty. Although his work history ends at Concordia, it didn’t start here.
Pierce was interested in many different things when he was younger. He set big dreams for himself and wanted to achieve them. Like most people, his path was not a straight line but a winding road that led him back to Concordia. He started out at Concordia during his freshman year of college. At the time, it was not the right fit for him, so he moved on to North Dakota State University and received his degree in agricultural economics, graduating in 1966. After receiving his degree, he changed jobs a few times but spent the majority of that time farming. After learning that Concordia was hiring, Pierce said, “I walked in off the street, did eight interviews, and they hired me.” He has been at Concordia ever since. The new year will be an exceptionally special time for Pierce, as he will retire Jan. 3. While he’s sad to give up such a big part of his life, he is very grateful for the years spent here at Concordia.
The Ring Story
Pierce’s wife, Donna (Wilson) ’67, wanted to get him something very special for Christmas one year. She used the Cobber ring as inspiration and wanted to surprise him with a ring because he had been working at Concordia for 18 years at that point. She called Jostens and had the ring made for him. When he opened his gift, he was so happy and proud to have a ring that symbolized Concordia because he knows how much it means to everyone on this campus.
Pierce knew he had to get permission to wear the ring because he understood how important the tradition of only Concordia graduates being able to wear it. The next day, he went to visit President Dovre to tell him about his new ring. Dovre really admired Pierce’s ring and thought it was a very special gift, but he informed him that he wasn’t allowed to wear it because of the special tradition it holds for only Concordia students. Although Pierce was sad that he couldn’t wear the ring, he understood why. Dovre told him to go home and tell his wife the news and then come back the next day and turn the ring in. He did just that.
When he returned the next day, Dovre had some news for him. He explained to Pierce how he thought about the situation overnight and had a change of heart. He explained that if any nongraduate was deserving of this ring, it would be Pierce because of all the gifts he has created for Concordia. Out of more than 32,000 alumni, Pierce is the only person that didn’t graduate from Concordia that has the ring.
The C-400
Not only is the way that Pierce received his ring interesting and unique but, instead of a graduating class year, his ring has a “400” in the middle of the “C.” The reason was in reference to the C-400 Club at Concordia where Pierce was executive secretary for a time. The Club was a Concordia fundraising organization founded in 1955 when the college was trying to build a library for its students. To fund the library project, the plan was instead of finding one person to donate $400,000, they found 400 people to donate $1,000, hence the “400” name. Fourteen years after the initial build, an upper part of the library was funded and added on to the existing library. The library project is only one of the many gift projects that Pierce worked on. Throughout the years, he also brought many notable people to campus to speak including Bill Gates, Colonel Sanders, Maria Von Trapp, Walter Cronkite, and many more.
The End Story
Pierce has been a part of the Concordia College staff for 50 years. He is especially grateful he has gotten to stay here for that long and make a big difference in the college and in students’ lives. He loves Concordia because of the people he has connected with and the impact that he has made on the college, as well as the impact Concordia has had on him. This career has been his whole life, but he wouldn’t have wanted to spend it any other way because Concordia is very special to him. We thank you, John, for the great impact and connection you have made with students, staff, faculty, and alumni throughout your five decades at Concordia. We wish you the best in your retirement and want you to know you will always be welcomed home, here at Concordia College.
Contributed by Shelby Johnson ’21