Lipscomb University facts for kids
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Former name
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Nashville Bible School (1891–1918) David Lipscomb College (1918–1988) |
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| Motto | "The Truth Shall Make You Free" – John 8:32 |
| Type | Private university |
| Established | 1891 |
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Religious affiliation
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Churches of Christ |
| Endowment | $117.3 million (2024) |
| Chairman | Richard G. Cowart |
| President | Candice McQueen |
| Provost | Jennifer W. Shewmaker |
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Academic staff
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238 (Full-time) & 298 (Part-time) |
| Students | 4,704 (Fall 2022) |
| Undergraduates | 2,955 (Fall 2022) |
| Postgraduates | 1,749 (Fall 2022) |
| Location |
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U.S.
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| Campus | Suburban, 113 acres (46 ha) |
| Colors | Purple & gold |
| Nickname | Bisons |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division I – A-Sun |
| Mascot | LU the Bison |
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Lipscomb University is a private Christian university located in Nashville, Tennessee, in the United States. It is connected with the Churches of Christ. The main campus is in the Green Hills area of Nashville. Lipscomb also has a smaller location called "Spark" in Downtown Nashville for business students.
In fall 2022, 4,704 students attended Lipscomb. This included 2,955 undergraduate students (those working on their first college degree) and 1,749 graduate students (those studying for advanced degrees). Lipscomb has been ranked as the #3 best college in Tennessee.
Contents
History of Lipscomb University
Lipscomb University was started in 1891 by David Lipscomb and James A. Harding. The university campus is mostly on what used to be David Lipscomb's property, which he gave to the school. The founders always wanted the school to be a Christian liberal arts institution. This means it teaches a wide range of subjects, with Christian values as a core part of the education. The university is still connected to the Churches of Christ, and it includes a seminary, which is a school for religious studies.
In an early school catalog, the founders shared their ideas about education:
We wanted to offer a wide range of subjects, like any other school or university. At the same time, we wanted to teach students thoroughly about the Bible, which we believe is the source of wisdom and goodness. Our goal was not just to train preachers, but to prepare everyone—males and females, young and old—for the most useful lives possible. Each student could choose their own career path.
—James A. Harding, Course Catalog, 1896–97
Many important ministers from the Churches of Christ studied here. The university keeps its strong connection to the Churches of Christ. For example, full-time teachers for undergraduate students must be members of a Church of Christ before they can be hired.
The school was first called the Nashville Bible School. Later, its name changed to David Lipscomb College, and then to Lipscomb University. The first group of students to finish their senior year at Lipscomb graduated in 1948. In 1954, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools officially recognized Lipscomb, which is called accreditation. This means the school meets high standards for education. In 1988, Lipscomb was allowed to offer master's degrees and became known as Lipscomb University.
Some of the school's buildings were built using special public money called tax-exempt municipal bonds. Because Lipscomb is a Christian school, there was a long legal case about whether a private religious school could use these public bonds. This case was discussed for many years and even went to the Supreme Court.
In September 2020, Lipscomb announced it would join with the Austin Graduate School of Theology in Austin, Texas. This merger became official in January 2021. Lipscomb took over managing AGST's programs and offered more courses. However, AGST later closed due to money problems.
Leaders of Lipscomb University
Lipscomb has had 14 superintendents or presidents over 18 different leadership periods.
- James A. Harding (1891–1901)
- William Anderson (1901–1905)
- J. S. Ward (1905–1906)
- E. A. Elam (1906–1913)
- J. S. Ward (1913)
- H. Leo Boles (1913–1920)
- A. B. Lipscomb (1920–1921)
- H. S. Lipscomb (1921–1923)
- H. Leo Boles (1923–1932)
- Batsell Baxter (1932–1934)
- E. H. Ijams (1934–1943)
- Batsell Baxter (1943–1946)
- Athens Clay Pullias (1946–1977)
- G. Willard Collins (1977–1986)
- Harold Hazelip (1987–1997)
- Steve Flatt (1997–2005)
- L. Randolph Lowry III (2005–2021)
- Candice McQueen (2021–present)
David Lipscomb and James A. Harding started the Nashville Bible School in 1891. David Lipscomb was never the president, but he was the chairman of the board that oversaw the school. James A. Harding was the school's first superintendent.
| USNWR National University | 212 of 443 |
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| Washington Monthly National University | 416 of 442 |
Lipscomb University Campus
The James D. Hughes Center is where all the university's health science programs are located. This includes the physician assistant program. Next door, the Nursing and Health Sciences Center houses the graduate College of Nursing.
Lipscomb has announced plans to build a new College of Business building and a new performing arts center.
Student Life at Lipscomb
Lipscomb University does not have fraternities and sororities. Instead, it has social clubs. These clubs are unique to Lipscomb and are not part of any national Greek system.
The Babbler was the student newspaper, published weekly during the school year. Its name came from a Bible verse in Acts 17:18. The Backlog is the school's yearbook, published every year. The Lumination Network is the school's official student news service. It replaced The Babbler and is closely connected to the Department of Communication and Journalism. An independent student newsletter, the Lipscomb Underground, shared student opinions. It was published from 1994 to 2008 and then again from 2016 to 2018 on Twitter.
Student Body at Lipscomb
As of 2023, 39% of Lipscomb University students were male, and 61% were female.
Lipscomb Athletics
Lipscomb's sports teams are called the Bisons. The university is a member of NCAA Division I, which is the highest level of college sports in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). They mainly compete in the ASUN Conference.
Lipscomb has 17 different sports teams. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, and track & field. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field, and volleyball.
The university has a sports rivalry with Belmont University, which is only about 3 miles (5 km) away. Basketball games between the two schools are traditionally called the "Battle of the Boulevard". In 2006, the rivalry became even more exciting when Belmont and Lipscomb played in the finals of the Atlantic Sun tournament. The winner would get to go to the NCAA tournament for the first time ever. Belmont won the game 74–69 in overtime. Lipscomb was invited to the National Invitation Tournament because they were the regular-season conference champions. This was the first time their program had played in a post-season tournament.
In 2019, Lipscomb's basketball team made it to the NIT finals, where they lost to the Texas Longhorns.
Notable People from Lipscomb University
Academics and Education
- Michael F. Adams (1970), former president of the University of Georgia
- William S. Banowsky, former president of Pepperdine University
- Richard A. Batey (H.S. 1951, David Lipscomb College 1955), a scholar of the New Testament
- Lee C. Camp (1989), a faculty member at Lipscomb University
- Douglas A. Foster (1974), author and scholar known for his work on the history of the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement
- Judy G. Hample (1969), former Chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
- David Edwin Harrell (1954), a historian at Auburn University
- Candice McQueen, current president of Lipscomb University and former Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education
- Howard A. White, former president of Pepperdine University
- M. Norvel Young, former president of Pepperdine University
Sports Stars
- Casey Bond (2009), actor and former professional baseball player
- Rex Brothers (2011), professional baseball player
- Caleb Joseph (2010), professional baseball player
- Garrison Mathews (2019), professional basketball player
- John Pierce (1994), college basketball's all-time scoring leader
Medicine and Science
- J. Ridley Stroop (1921), a psychology professor known for his research called the Stroop Effect
- Edwin Trevathan (1977), a doctor and public health leader, currently director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health
Music and Arts
- Kelsea Ballerini (2012), country music singer and songwriter
- Pat Boone (H.S. 1952), singer
- John Craton (1977), classical composer
- Jim Jinkins (1975), creator of the animated Doug TV series
- Dustin Lynch (2007), country music singer and songwriter
- Michael Shane Neal (1991), portrait artist
- NIKI, Indonesian singer and songwriter
- Monty Powell (1984), award-winning country music singer, songwriter, and producer
- Thomas Rhett (2011), country music singer and songwriter
- Marty Roe (1984), lead singer of the country music band Diamond Rio
- Ray Walker (1956), bass singer for The Jordanaires quartet
Politics and Government
- LaMar Baker (1938), former U.S. Representative from Tennessee
- David French (1991), a political commentator
- Beth Harwell (1978), former Tennessee State Representative and the first female Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives
- James Lomax, a member of the Alabama House of Representatives
- Kerry Roberts (1983), Tennessee State Senator
- David Sampson (1978), former United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce
- William R. Snodgrass (1942), former Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury
- Jason C. Stephens, Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives
Religion Leaders
- Robert Henry Boll, a German-born American preacher in the Churches of Christ
- Charles R. Brewer (1918), professor, preacher, poet, and leader
- G. C. Brewer (1911), author, preacher, and teacher
- B.C. Goodpasture (1918), preacher and writer
- George Eulan Howard, former Head of the Dept. of Religion at the University of Georgia
- Ira L. North (1941), preacher and author
Other Notable People
- Savannah Chrisley, a reality television personality
- W. Mark Lanier (1981), founder of The Lanier Law Firm
- Barry Stowe (1979), CEO of Jackson National Life
