Johnson University

Johnson University

Former names	The School of the Evangelists (1893–1909) Johnson Bible College (1909–2011)
Motto	Faith, Prayer, Work
Type	Private university
Established	1893
Religious affiliation	Christian churches and churches of Christ
Endowment	$160,000,000 (2022)
President	Tommy Smith
Provost	Gregory Linton
Academic staff	61
Students	967 (2022-23)
Location	Kimberlin Heights , Tennessee , United States 35°56′10.32″N83°45′1.44″W / 35.9362000°N 83.7504000°W / 35.9362000; -83.7504000
Campus	Rural 300 acres (1.2 km2)
Colors	Navy Blue, Gray and White
Nickname	Royals
Sporting affiliations	NAIA – Appalachian
Website	http://johnsonu.edu

Johnson University is a private Christian university headquartered in Kimberlin Heights, Tennessee, with an additional campus in Kissimmee, Florida. Rooted in the tenets of the Restoration Movement, it maintains affiliation with the Christian churches and churches of Christ.

History

Johnson University was established in 1893 by Ashley S Johnson. It began as an extension of the Correspondence Bible College under the name "The School of the Evangelists". In 1909, following a student petition to honor the founder, the institution was renamed Johnson Bible College. This title endured for 102 years until July 1, 2011, when the college transitioned to Johnson University.

The inception of the new school was introduced in a sermon by Ashley S. Johnson at Bearden Christian Church in 1892, proposing a college-level institution dedicated to the gospels. Guests embarked on a steamboat journey from Knoxville in May 1893 to witness the laying of the cornerstone for the Main Building, completed in 1895 with a distinctive five-story square tower. However, tragedy struck on December 1, 1904, when a fire originating from a chimney razed the original Main Building. In its place, rose a new brick structure dedicated in 1905.

The school experienced significant growth following the dedication of the "New" Main Building, leading to the construction of Irwin Library in 1912. Ashley Johnson's leadership persisted until his death in 1925, after which his wife, Emma Elizabeth Johnson, assumed the presidency until her passing in 1927.

Alva Ross Brown succeeded as the third president at the recommendation of Emma Johnson, becoming one of the youngest college presidents in the United States at just 21 years old. Brown's tenure lasted until his death in 1941.

Following the death of Alva Ross Brown, the trustees appointed Dr. Robert M Bell as the fourth president. Under Bell's leadership, the college successfully navigated financial challenges and expanded its academic, financial, and physical infrastructure until his passing in 1968.

David L. Eubanks assumed the presidency in 1969, overseeing continued academic expansion and the construction of new facilities, while also continuing the financial stewardship that had been established under Dr. Bell until his retirement in 2007.

Gary E. Weedman succeeded him, guiding the institution's transition into a university and fostering partnerships with other institutions and countries until his retirement in June 2018. ^{[1] [2]}

L. Thomas Smith Jr. then assumed the presidency, continuing to refine the university's mission and overseeing significant expansions, including the construction of the Graham Center and the Commons on the Florida campus. Dr. Smith announced his retirement in late 2023, with Dr. Daniel Overdorf selected as his successor before the February 2024 Homecoming.

Presidential leadership

Ashley Johnson, the first president and co-founder with his wife, notably authored the Condensed Biblical Encyclopedia. ^[3] When Emma Elizabeth Johnson took the reins in 1925, she made history as one of the earliest women to lead a college in the United States. Alva Ross Brown, at 21 years old, became one of the youngest college presidents in US higher education history.

In 1941, Robert M. Bell was its fourth president. David L. Eubanks, the fifth president, became the first to retire from the office.^{[ citation needed ]}

President	Term
Ashley S. Johnson (Founder)	1893−1925
Emma E. Johnson (Founder)	1925−1927
Alva Ross Brown	1927−1941
Robert M. Bell, Ph.D.	1941−1968
David L. Eubanks, Ph.D.	1969−2007
Gary E. Weedman, Ph.D.	2007−2018
L. Thomas Smith, Ph.D.	2018−June 30th 2024
Daniel Overdorf, Ph.D. (President-Elect)	July 1st, 2024 -

Academics

Johnson University awards associate, bachelors', master's, and doctoral degrees. It offers over 70 different academic programs organized into seven schools: ^[4]

Accreditation

Johnson University was first accredited in 1979 by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. ^[5]

Johnson University is legally authorized and chartered by the State of Tennessee and approved by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) to operate as a degree-granting educational institution. ^[6]

SACSCOC Institutional Accreditation. Johnson University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, bachelor’s, master’s, education specialist, and doctoral degrees. Johnson University also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. ^[7]

Programs in the School of Bible & Theology and the School of Congregational Ministry are both accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the Association for Biblical Higher Education. ^[8] The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs accredits the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the concentrations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.A.) and School Counseling (M.A.).

The Teacher Education Program is approved by the Tennessee State Board of Education.

Veterans Johnson University Tennessee’s curriculum is approved by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (the state approving agency) for the training of veterans.

Campuses

The university has two physical campuses and an online campus. The Tennessee campus is located in the upper Tennessee River valley on the banks of the French Broad River. The online campus is also located on the Tennessee Campus.

The Florida Campus, Johnson University Florida, is located at the site of the former Florida Christian College, in Kissimmee, Florida, just 20 miles south of downtown Orlando, Florida. This campus will close on June 30th, 2024.

Campus Facilities

Since its founding, Johnson University has had many different buildings. While many are still in use, some have been refurbished and repurposed while a few have been demolished. ^[9]

Academic Buildings

• Myrtle Hall – Built 1951 (School of Social & Behavioral Sciences, former women's dormitory)
• Glass Memorial Library – Built 1964, enlarged 1989
• Phillips−Welshimer Building - Built 1975 (Schools of Arts & Sciences, Bible & Theology, Business & Public Leadership, Congregational Ministry, Administrative/Faculty Offices, Chapel/Auditorium)
• Eubanks Activity Center – Built 1989 (Office of President, Student Commons, Science Labs, School of Communication & Creative Arts)
• Richardson Hall – Built 2001 (Templar School of Education, School of Intercultural Studies, School of Business and Public Leadership)
• Russell Preaching Center – Renovated 2007 (Location of former Dining Hal in Phillips-Welshimer Building)
• Music & Plant Services Building – Built 2018 (Music Department & Plant Services Complex)
• The Graham Center ^[10] – Athletic & Recreation Complex – Built 2019

Campus Life

• Clark Hall - Built 1905 (Men's Dorm - Part of Old Main Building. Basement Dinning Hall 1905-1955. Renovated in the early 1980s)
• Bell Hall – Built 1955 (Apartments - Basement was the dinning hall from 1955 to 1976)
• Brown Hall – Built 2000 (Men's Dorm)
• Johnson Hall – Built 2000 (Women's Dorm)
• Gally Commons – Built 2007 (Dining Hall, Private Function Rooms, Campus Store and Student Post Office & Package Center)
• River View – Built 2008 (Home of the President of the University)

Historic Facilities

• The White House – Built 1890 (Restored home of Dr. and Mrs. Johnson - VIP Housing Location & Smaller Gatherings) ^[11]
• Old Main Building – Built 1905 (Old Chapel & Archeological Museum)
• Old Gymnasium & Pool – Built 1949
• Alumni Memorial Chapel – Built 1961

Former Facilities

• Original Main Building – 1893–1904 (Wooden building, five story tower with bell, located at the current site of the Old Main Building). ^[12]
• Industrial Hall "Old Dusty" – 1898–1960 (Wooden building located near the site Alumni Memorial Chapel). The Lower level contained the wood shops with Women's dorm rooms on upper floor.
• The Dairy Barn, Late 1800s until the 1970s, occupied the site where the Phillips-Welshimer Building stands today. It served as the residence for the esteemed dairy herd known as the Dixie Holstein Herd. This herd had the main bull being the grandson of the prize winning bull at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.
• Tabor Science Laboratory - 1920s to 1970s
• Irwin Library, which stood from 1912 to 2000, was a three-story brick building situated next to the Old Main Building. Originally established as the location of the second college library, it also housed several classrooms. The library was notable for its decoration with Pink Tennessee Marble, much of which can now be found in the sidewalk leading to Richardson Hall.
• Old Brown Hall – 1971–2000 (3 story facility, former men's dormitory)
• Old Johnson Hall – 1972–2000 (3 story facility, former women's dormitory)

Athletics

The athletic teams of the Johnson–Tennessee (JUTN) campus are called the Royals. The campus is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) since the 2021–22 academic year. They are also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Mid-East Region of the Division II level.

JUTN competes in ten intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, soccer and tennis; while women's sports include basketball, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.

Notable alumni

• G. C. Brewer (1884–1956), minister in the Churches of Christ
• Fred Craddock (1928–2015), minister in the Disciples of Christ and Emory University scholar of homiletics
• Oren E. Long (1889–1965), territorial governor of Hawaii and one of Hawaii's first two United States Senators
• Frank Weston Moore (born April 22, 1957), Head Coach North Carolina State University State Women's Basketball.

References

1. Megan Boehnke, Johnson Bible College announces new name Archived 2012-10-14 at the Wayback Machine , Knoxville News Sentinel , April 29, 2011
2. "A Mission-Driven Name". Johnson University. April 28, 2011. Retrieved April 28, 2011.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
3. "Condensed Biblical Encyclopedia". Archived from the original on 2013-01-19. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
4. https://johnsonu.edu/Tennessee/Academics Archived 2018-05-04 at the Wayback Machine - Information about Johnson University academics
5. http://www.sacscoc.org/details.asp?instid=39860 Archived 2018-05-09 at the Wayback Machine - Johnson University profile on the SACSCOC page.
6. https://johnsonu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2023-2024-Johnson-University-Undergraduate-Academic-Catalog-APPROVED-6-20-2023.pdf
7. www.sacscoc.org
8. https://abhe-dir.weaveeducation.com/details/%7B498da9be-6cc8-4781-bb3c-5c8b32064658%7D – Search Johnson University for Accreditation information.
9. The Story of Johnson Bible College. by Robert E. Black. Tennessee Valley Printing Co. Kimberlin Heights, TN
10. "Johnson University Receives Gift from the Graham Family Foundation".
11. Archived 2018-05-04 at the Wayback Machine Johnson Magazine article updating on the renovations that were occurring on The White House.
12. The Main Building was destroyed by fire on December 1, 1904.

External links

• Official website
• Official athletics website