Rev. Dr. Leander M. Zimmerman (1860-1952)
Rev. Dr. Leander M. Zimmerman was the founding pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in South Baltimore where he was pastor for 37 years. He was one of Baltimore’s most distinguished clergyman, a poet, and author of many religious and secular works.
Born in Manchester, Maryland in 1860, Zimmerman attended Gettysburg College (class of 1884). He graduated from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg in 1887. In the early 1900s, he was made a member of the London Society of Science, Letters, and Art. In 1900, Zimmerman was elected president of the Lutheran Synod in Maryland. He was a founder and president of the Lutheran Deaconess Motherhouse, vice president of the Board of Home Missions, and for 20 years served on the Board of Trustees of Gettysburg Seminary.
Zimmerman died in 1952, aged 91. His funeral was attended by over 1,000 people, including 40 Lutheran pastors and Maryland governor Theodore McKeldin.
Zimmerman wrote three novels, several books of poetry, and many volumes of inspirational writing, scholarly commentaries, and pamphlets. He also composed the lyrics for several Lutheran hymns.
A Gettysburg College prize is offered each year in Dr. Zimmerman’s name to the senior whose character, influence on students, and scholarship have contributed most to the welfare of the College.