1847 - Synod began. At this time there were no districts. All congregations were members of Synod and all set representation to synodical conventions.

1854 - Synod divided into four districts; Ottomar Fuerbringer was elected president of the Northern District, which included Wisconsin. The other districts were Eastern and Western Centraland. The Northern District consisted of Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota. In 1858, Fuerbringer was installed as pastor at the congregation in Frankenmuth, Michigan. (Also included in the Northern District was the Territory of Dakota).

1881 - Concordia College, Milwaukee was established.

1882 - The new areas to the west separated, and the WISCONSIN District was organized.

1888 - Then governor of the state, William Hoard, with superintendent of schools of the State of Wisconsin, pushed for a bill requiring compulsory schooling and set some definite requirements as to subject matter which had to be taught in English; specifically writing, arithmetic, and U.S. history. These laws jolted a few of the church bodies which had a strong parochial school, then taught completely in German.

1889 - The Wisconsin District of the Missouri Synod held its convention in Sheboygan, and promptly took up the new Bennett law regarding compulsory schooling in English. The result was a special committee to be responsible for determining the attitude of political candidates on compulsory school laws and to see to it that suitable candidates would be nominated. A school law committee, consisting of professors Huth and Mueller of Concordia College, and pastors Schlerf, Herzer, Wesemann and Seuel, and teacher Bartelt and Mr. G. Wollaeger was established.

1894 - Mt. Olive, Milwaukee, called Rev. Martin Luecke as their first pastor. He served only about a year and was followed by Heinrich Sieck, who after his pastorate at Mt. Olive, was to become the mission director of the Wisconsin District.

1896 - Organized the Children's Friend Society in Milwaukee in June.

1900 - About this time, the start of English mission work began to really catch hold. Many congregations had a German language clause in their constitutions, and it took some time to soften these. When some English Lutheran churches organized, they were denied membership in the Missouri Synod, and had to be satisfied with a looser fellowship as the English Synod of Missouri.

1903 - A group of Lutherans began Bethesda for the care of unfortunate children, the feeble-minded and epileptic.

1905 - Synod stated that English congregations were to be admitted into synodical membership. The synodical board of English missions was dissolved and the district mission boards were charged with the responsibilities of "foreign language mission."

1906 - Altenheimsgesellschaft, home for the aged was begun.

1909 - Twelve people in Sheboygan appealed to the District mission board for assistance in starting an English mission there. The mission director, together with these people, constitutionally began St. Mark English Evangelical Lutheran Church. Rev. William Wambsganss of Bethlehem, Sheboygan, served as vacancy pastor until 1910 when they called W.M. Czamanske.

1916 - FORMAL BEGINNING OF THE SOUTH WISCONSIN DISTRICT. The South Wisconsin District of the Synod of Missouri, Ohio and Other States, organized itself July 7, 1916. Formerly, the entire state of Wisconsin was one district. A committee composed of ten men, six laymen, two pastors, and two teachers should be elected. The main office will be in Merrill, Wisconsin. Rev. Ed Albrecht, pastor of Nazareth, Milwaukee, was the first president. He served until 1921.

1919 - Almost from its beginning, the South Wisconsin District had a school board. The school committee, the District school board, recognized the requests of teachers conferences to establish the office of the superintendent of schools for supervision of the Lutheran schools. 

1921 - Dr. H.A. Gruber was elected president of the South Wisconsin District. (In 1932, he was elected full-time vice-president of Synod and therefore was forced to resign. He was pastor of Trinity, Milwaukee during his presidency.

1929 - A. Grossman is reported as being called to be superintendent of schools in the South Wisconsin District.

1932 - Dr. J.F. Boerger, then first vice-president of the South Wisconsin District, inherited the presidency as a result of Gruber being elected to the synodical position. He served until 1936. He was pastor of St. John, Racine, during his presidency. He had a very strong pro-school feeling and it was during his presidency that the mission board declared that all new churches had to be formed in conjunction with a school. Our Savior, Whitefish Bay, Redeemer (later Our Redeemer), Wauwatosa, and St. Paul, West Allis, all began during this time.

1936 - Rev. Frederick A. Schwertfeger, pastor of St. Stephen, Horicon, was elected president by a large growing group which was concerned that the Milwaukee area churches were growing too strong. Schwertfeger served until 1948.

1944 - During Schwertfeger's term of office, Ed A. Schmidt became the first full-time director of missions and stewardship. Also, during this time, the split in the Synodical Conference took place.

1948 - Rev. Arthur H. Oswald, pastor of St. Martini, Milwaukee, was elected president. He served until 1953.

1953 - Rev. Herbert W. Baxmann, pastor of St. John, Plymouth, became president. He was to be the last man to serve as part-time president.

1960 - The office of stewardship and missions was divided into two offices - 1) stewardship, and 2) missions and evangelism.

1961- The District convention authorized a full-time presidency by 1963.

1963 - Convention elected Rev. Herbert Baxmann their first full-time president. He served until 1970.

1970 - Rev. Karl L. Barth began his service as president of the South Wisconsin District. He was to serve until 1982 when he accepted a call to be the president of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo.

1982 - At the District convention, Rev. Harvey Krueger of Trinity Lutheran Church in Sheboygan, was elected the 8th President of the South Wisconsin District.

1988 - Rev. Dr. Edwin Suelflow was elected South Wisconsin District president.

1994 - Rev. Dr. Ronald E. Meyer was elected President of the South Wisconsin District.

2006 - Rev. John Wille was elected South Wisconsin District president.