Roger A. Meyer ’67 experienced Concordia Nebraska both as a student and an employee of the university

Roger A. Meyer ’67 said that both as a student and as an employee of the university, his favorite things about the university are the athletic experiences offered and the dynamic, welcoming student culture on campus. 

Born in a suburb of Los Angeles, he discovered the university at the commendation of his football coach and religion teacher Dr. Eugene Oetting ’54 while he was attending Los Angeles Lutheran High School. He attended Concordia Nebraska, played football for the Bulldogs and received a bachelor of science degree in education. He also has a master of education from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

Following graduation, he spent two years teaching in the inner city on the south side of Chicago, then was called back to the university to serve as a graduate assistant and coach. 

“And that experience led me into administration and fundraising,” he explained. “My first call was to the inner city of Chicago, then they asked to come back to Concordia to coach football. And that led me to become part of the fundraising department for the university. That then allowed me to serve at a number of other institutions including Concordia Seminary, UCLA, St. Louis Children's Hospital and OSF HealthCare System, an integrated health care network serving patients of all ages across Illinois and Michigan.” 

Every experience builds you up as a person and strengthens you to serve God!

He said the Christ-centered focus of the Concordia Nebraska campus is life changing. He cited the extensive religious education, campus worship services, evangelism volunteer opportunities and supportive community of believers he experienced on the Concordia Nebraska campus were remarkable. 

“The community at Concordia Nebraska makes everyone feel welcome and appreciated,” he said. “I feel strongly about supporting Concordia financially because of the importance of the university as a whole, and the great need to support scholarships as well as special projects on campus.  We have been given much in Jesus, so give back to Him!” 

Now retired, he still closely follows Bulldogs athletics events, attends Bible study and remains busy and active. He talked about how special it was to build relationships with the university’s supporters during his time with the university’s advancement department. 

“Buildings were built. Donors felt good about giving. We developed many relationships and traveled extensively to do this work,” he said. “It was really something special.” 

Meyer met his wife Laura in the physical education office at the university. They have two children, Julie and Jared, who were both born in Seward. 

“Julie is a major gift fund raiser for Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, and Jared oversees the project development and managing maintenance of UCLA's housing & hospitality services. Julie graduated from Concordia Irvine, and Jared came to Concordia Nebraska for two years, then graduated from UCLA with an engineering degree.” 

Meyer offered some straightforward advice to college students. 

“What you study for and think you are planning for can change. Don’t be afraid to keep learning. Try new things. Go for it!” he said. “Every experience builds you up as a person and strengthens you to serve God!” 

This March, we invite you to join us for Seeds of Generosity, a month-long celebration of giving and impact at Concordia University, Nebraska. Together, we’re sowing seeds of faith, learning and service that will grow for generations to come. Every gift—whether large or small—helps sustain our mission to provide Christ-centered education, support our students and prepare servant leaders for the church and the world.