History
History: General In 1952, the Union Baptist Association authorized a committee to study the possibility of locating a Baptist college in Houston. With the assistance and encouragement of the Education Commission of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, the committee conducted a survey in 1955. Acting upon information obtained with the endorsement of the Education Commission, the Association approved the concept of establishing a new college. In 1956, the Executive Board of the Baptist General Convention of Texas approved a recommendation that Houston Baptists be given assurance that the Convention would support such a college when the College Committee of the Union Baptist Association had succeeded in acquiring both (1) a satisfactory site for a campus of at least one hundred acres, and (2) a minimum corpus of at least three million dollars. Of this sum, one and one-half million dollars would constitute a nucleus endowment fund; one and one-half million dollars would be designated for a physical plant. The Union Baptist Association accepted these conditions and endorsed the requirements set up by the state Baptist convention. In 1957, a Houston land developer, Frank Sharp, offered to sell Union Baptist Association 390 acres in southwest Houston for the construction of a college. The Board of Governors of Rice University agreed to lend most of the money needed with the land as collateral. To complete the funding, twenty-five business men, since called "founders," pledged to be responsible for $10,000 each. Therefore, by 1958, a campus site of 196 acres was acquired in southwest Houston, and, in 1960, the initial financial goal of repaying the loan was reached as a result of a campaign among the churches. In 1960, the Baptist General Convention of Texas in its annual session at Lubbock, Texas elected the first Board of Trustees. This board in session in Houston, Texas on November 15, 1960 approved and signed the College charter. The next day, this charter was ratified and recorded with the Secretary of State in Austin. The way was then cleared to select administrative officers, develop a suitable physical plant, and design an appropriate academic program. Dr. W. H. Hinton began service as the first President of the College on July 1, 1962. The College opened in September 1963 with a freshman class of 193 students, a cluster of new buildings, and a teaching staff of thirty faculty. A new class was added each year until the College attained a four-year program in 1966-67. By then, the full- time faculty had grown to fifty-four members, serving an enrollment of approximately 900 undergraduate students. Initially, the College offered only a Bachelor of Arts degree with academic courses in five divisions: Christianity, Fine Arts, Languages, Science and Mathematics, and Social Studies. The Board of Trustees, following the recommendation of the faculty and administration, authorized the establishment of the Division of Education and Psychology in 1964 and a Division of Business and Economics in 1966. With the opening of the Fall Semester of 1969, the College added a Division of Nursing, offering a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. In 1966, the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools recognized Houston Baptist College as an official candidate for accreditation. The highlight of the 1968-69 academic year was the granting of initial accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools on December 4, 1968. A visiting committee made a careful study of the College in March 1971 and upon its recommendation, the Commission on Colleges extended accreditation for ten years. This accreditation was reaffirmed in 1981, 1991 and 2001. In 1965, the Texas Education Agency first approved Houston Baptist College for the training of certified teachers for elementary and secondary schools. During its first semester, representatives selected by the Texas Education Agency evaluated the teacher education program; approval of the program was continued. The baccalaureate degree program in nursing received accreditation by the National League for Nursing on April 21, 1972. In July 1972, all thirty-eight members of the first nursing class successfully completed the examination required and administered by the State Board of Nurse Examiners. An Associate Degree in nursing was added in June 1983. This program graduated its first class in 1985. A study abroad program began in 1967 with a group of English majors in residence at the Shakespeare Institute, Stratford-upon-Avon, England for the month of April. Study abroad continued with programs in Mexico, the Middle East, and Europe. Currently study abroad and academic exchange programs include the Smith College of General Studies’ interdisciplinary summer course on culture and human experience, the Business College’s annual international trip (BUSA 4301), the Houston Grampian Society’s Nursing Exchange Program with Robert Gordon University (in Aberdeen, Scotland), the Language Department’s Alliance Francaise de Houston Scholarship, and the Christianity Department’s Summer Hebrew Ulpan at the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Modern Hebrew Studies. The MBA and the Master of Liberal Arts programs both include international study components for graduate students. History: Structure and Organization Five colleges headed by deans replaced the previous structure of eight divisions. The new structure consisted of the H. B. Smith College of General Studies and four upper-level colleges — the College of Business and Economics, the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, the College of Fine Arts and Humanities, and the College of Science and Health Professions. A sixth College was created in 1978 by separating the College of Fine Arts from the College of Humanities. The seventh college was created in 1991 by separating the College of Nursing and the College of Science and Mathematics. In 1995, a College of Arts and Humanities was again combined from the previously separate colleges. In 2007, the Honors College was formed and classes began in that program in fall 2008. In that same year, a Philosophy major was developed. A feasibility study was conducted for forming a College of Continuing Studies. When the instructional areas were reorganized in 1973, the University adopted a semester calendar that permitted multiple admission opportunities annually. Semester hours were retained as the standard credit unit. An early admissions program also was established which enabled students to secure high school diplomas at the end of the freshman year of college matriculation. The semester calendar was reviewed by the faculty and administration in 2006-07 and the decision was made to revert to the semester calendar in fall 2008. In the spring of 2009 it was announced that the College of Business and Economics would be renamed the School of Business, the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences would be renamed the School of Education, and the College of Nursing would be renamed the School of Nursing and Allied Health, effective June 1, 2009. Other changes included the renaming of the Department of Art to School of Art, the Department of Christianity and Philosophy to the School of Theology, the Department of Political Science to the Department of Government, and the Department of Communications to the Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies. In addition the Department of Behavioral Sciences was moved to the College of Arts and Humanities while the Kinesiology programs were moved under the School of Nursing and Allied Health. History: Graduate Programs History: Physical Plant The Atwood II building was completed in 1983 as a joint project of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and the University. Moreover, in 1983, an addition to the bookstore was completed that was funded by the M. D. Anderson Foundation. In 1985, the University relocated its Math and Associate Degree in Nursing departments to new housing in the Cullen Nursing Center, and the Glasscock Gymnastics Center was completed. In 1989, a new wing was added to the Moody Library, virtually doubling its library space and providing a permanent home for the University's Museum of Architecture and Decorative Arts. In 1997, the Hinton Center was dedicated, marking completion of the largest academic facility on campus. The campus landmark houses the colleges of Business and Economics and of Education and Behavioral Sciences as well as the Dillon Center conference facilities. In 1997, the University's Dunham Family Bible in America Museum opened in Moody Library -- one of the largest collections of American Bibles on public display in the United States. A new campus apartment complex, Husky Village, was built adjacent to the University residence halls. The year 1998 marked the completion of the Baugh Center, named in honor of Eula Mae (Mrs. John) Baugh, that houses food service, recreational, counseling, study, and residential-support facilities. In the fall of 1999, the Memorial Hermann- HBU Wellness Center opened on the campus providing access to state of the art programs and facilities for the University's students and employees. A new addition to the Women's Residence College was constructed in 2000. And, in 2003, the Mabee Teaching Theater and the Glasscock Center were enhanced by a new lobby facility serving the conference capability of this complex. In 2007, the Joella and Stewart Morris Cultural Arts Center was dedicated. The Center provides an integrated, multi-purpose facility for the University campus. A 1200 seat theater features a full proscenium stage, a full orchestra pit, backstage shops, and full theatrical capability. An acoustical shell enhances music performances. The Belin Chapel and Recital Hall provides seating for 365 in a sophisticated acoustical environment. It represents the first a permanent site for worship on campus. It is used for music recitals, weddings, worship, and as an assembly space. Additionally, the Museum of American Architecture and Decorative Arts and the Dunham Bible Museum join the Museum of Southern History in new facilities within the Morris Cultural Arts Center. McNair Hall serves as the unifying link for the theater, chapel and museums as well as an appealing locale for receptions and banquets. The Williams Fountain and Lawrence Park crown the complex, enhance the Morgan Prayer Garden for meditation, reflection, and prayer, and provide attractive space for outdoor gatherings. In August 2008, a new six story Residence College opened providing more than 350 beds supporting the University’s goal to become a more residential campus. The new University Academic Center provides offices, classrooms, a gallery, and studios for the Department of Art faculty and students, the Honors College, and the Departments of Communications and Languages. History: Endowment Programs History: Leadership Dr. Hinton's successor, Dr. Edward Douglas Hodo, and his wife Sadie, came to On September 1, 2006, Dr. Robert B. Sloan, Jr., and his wife, Sue, joined the University as its President and First Lady. Dr. Sloan had served as President and Chancellor of Baylor University for over ten years. Under Dr. Sloan’s leadership, HBU has experienced growth and development in enrollment, in the academic curriculum, and in campus facilities. In September of 2007, the University welcomed the largest freshman class in its history. In October of 2007, the HBU family celebrated the dedication of the Morris Cultural Arts Center, which houses the Belin Chapel, the McNair Hall, the University Theater, and the three University museums – the Museum of Southern History, the Dunham Bible Museum, and the Museum of American Architecture and Decorative Arts. In 2007, construction began on a new six-story residence college and a University Academic Center designed to house the Departments of Art, Communications, and Languages, as well as the new Honors College approved by the Board of Trustees for opening in the fall of 2008. Construction also began on a new residence college, The Lake House, which provides housing for more than 350 students. Both facilities opened for use in the fall of 2008.
The Christian Liberal Arts Program The undergraduate Christian Liberal Arts program cultivates wisdom through shared theological, cultural, intellectual, and scientific traditions, and encourages exploration of concepts and issues from broadened perspectives. The Christian Liberal Arts curriculum advances primary source reading, Classical studies, and Great Texts. The curriculum provides a strong foundation for engaging students in methods of discovery for various disciplines. The integration of faith and learning promotes students’ synthesis of relationships between different fields of study while encouraging them to appreciate and experience God’s truth. The undergraduate Christian liberal arts program has at its foundation the conviction that all worthy vocations are built on a basis of service to God and mankind. The program encourages members of the learning community to seek wisdom, give voice to a Christian worldview, increase their awareness of self and society, enhance their capacity for critical and creative thought, and demonstrate civic responsibility and Christian service in a diverse society. The program fosters a spirit of inquiry and inspiration for life long learning. The Christian Liberal Arts curriculum and the majors and programs offered through the colleges are designed to guide and instruct the next great faithful artists, musicians, authors, academics, business professionals, lawyers, doctors, nurses, teachers, scientists, and others – individuals who will understand the time we live in and understand God’s calling for their lives. We seek to produce the future leaders of the world who also live as servants in the kingdom of God. The Campus Plan
Updated 7/6/2009
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