Red Door Roots

An exploration of Muhlenberg’s Lutheran values & heritage

Muhlenberg College is known for the red doors found on every campus building, a nod to our Protestant Lutheran heritage. While the red doors nominally signify welcome and hospitality, for a majority of constituents this is where the visible imprint of Lutheran identity begins and ends.

The bright orange foliage of a tree stands against a blue sky with the spire of Egner Memorial Chapel in the distance.
The Gideon F. Egner Chapel is a physical representation of Muhlenberg's Luthern heritage on campus.

Funded by a grant from the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC)/Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE), Red Door Roots seeks to initiate a deeper conversation about our Lutheran affiliation to reveal the Lutheran values that have underpinned the transformative changes Muhlenberg has experienced over the past 50 years. 

Grant programming includes speaker series and learning communities for faculty and staff, students and alumni that will result in a published collection of essays and associated digital and print material.

A student walks into the red doors of a stone building on the campus of Muhlenberg College.

Red Door Roots Speakers Series

Dive deeper into how Lutheran values inform, inspire and propel Muhlenberg College forward in its mission as a liberal arts college.

A black and white image of a group of college students dressed in clothing from the 1970s, sitting together on the grass.

Learning Communities, Alumni Interviews & Scholars

From discussion groups with members of the Muhlenberg campus community to interviews with inspiring alumni, the Red Door Roots project will involve active conversations and reflection.

Robed figures holding books are carved into the stone in the front of a chapel.

Muhlenberg’s Lutheran Heritage

Uncover the historical context of Muhlenberg’s Lutheran identity and how it informed the College and its mission.

Helping Unearth Our Red Door Roots

A black and white image of a lab full of students, dressed in clothing from the 1970s, working with microscopes.
Muhlenberg students working in a lab in 1979.

The work to explore Muhlenberg’s Lutheran heritage is a shared effort at the College. Below are some of the leaders and collaborators on this project.

  • Susan Falciani Maldonado, Head of Special Collections & College Archives, project leader: [email protected]
  • Janelle Neubauer, Director of Religious & Spiritual Life, project leader: [email protected] 
  • William Gruen, Professor of Religious Studies & Director of the Institute for Religious & Cultural Understanding, project collaborator: [email protected] 
  • Todd Lineburger, Vice President for Communications & Marketing, project collaborator: [email protected]
  • Stephen Payne, Executive Director of External Relations; project collaborator: [email protected]
  • John Wittenbraker, social & behavioral scientist & spouse of President Kathleen Harring: [email protected]
Contact Us

Office of Communications & Marketing

Email [email protected] Telephone 484-664-3230
Address Muhlenberg College Communications & Marketing 2400 Chew Street Allentown, PA 18104