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 | $97.5 million (2022) |
| 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. It is connected with the Churches of Christ. The main campus is in the Green Hills area of Nashville. There is also a smaller location called "Spark" in Downtown Nashville for business students. In fall 2022, about 4,700 students attended Lipscomb University. This included almost 3,000 undergraduate students and over 1,700 graduate students.
Contents
Discovering Lipscomb's Past
Lipscomb University was started in 1891 by two people, David Lipscomb and James A. Harding. The land for the campus was given by David Lipscomb himself. The school was always meant to be a Christian school focused on a wide range of subjects. It is still connected to the Churches of Christ today. The university even has a special school for religious studies.
The founders wanted to offer a great education that also taught about Christian values. They wrote in an early school catalog:
We want to offer a broad education, just like any other school or university. At the same time, we will teach our students thoroughly from the Bible, which is a source of wisdom. Our goal was not just to train preachers. We wanted to prepare everyone, young and old, male and female, for the most helpful life possible. Each student could choose their own career path.
—James A. Harding, Course Catalog, 1896-97
Many important Christian leaders studied here. The university still has strong ties to the Churches of Christ. For example, full-time teachers must be members of a Church of Christ before they can be hired.
The school first opened as the Nashville Bible School. Later, its name changed to David Lipscomb College. Finally, it became Lipscomb University. In 1948, Lipscomb had its first graduating class of seniors. This meant it was no longer just a junior college. The school received its first official approval in 1954. In 1988, Lipscomb was allowed to offer master's degrees and changed its name to Lipscomb University.
Some of the school's buildings were built using special public money. Because Lipscomb is a Christian school, this led to a long legal case. People debated if a private religious school should use public funds. This case went all the way to the highest court in the United States.
In 2020, Lipscomb announced it would join with the Austin Graduate School of Theology. This merger happened in 2021. However, the Austin school later closed due to money problems.
Leaders of Lipscomb University
Lipscomb University has had 14 different leaders since it began. These leaders are called superintendents or presidents.
- 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 together in 1891. David Lipscomb was never the president. He was the head of the school's board. James A. Harding was the school's first superintendent.
Exploring the Campus
The James D. Hughes Center is where all the health science programs are located. This includes the physician assistant program. The Nursing and Health Sciences Center is right next door. It houses the nursing programs for graduate students.
Lipscomb has plans to build a new College of Business building. They also plan to build a new center for performing arts.
Student Life at Lipscomb
Lipscomb University does not have traditional fraternities or sororities. Instead, students can join social clubs. These clubs are special to Lipscomb and are not part of any national groups.
The Babbler used to be the student newspaper. It was published every week during the school year. The name came from a Bible verse in Acts 17:18. The Backlog is the school's yearbook, published once a year. The Lumination Network is the school's main student news service now. It replaced The Babbler and is part of the communication department. An independent student newsletter, the Lipscomb Underground, shared student opinions. It ran from 1994 to 2008, then again from 2016 to 2018. The name came from the musical Les Misérables.
Understanding the Student Body
As of 2023, Lipscomb University had more female students than male students. About 39% of students were male, and 61% were female.
Lipscomb Sports: The Bisons
Lipscomb University's sports teams are called the Bisons. The university competes in NCAA Division I sports. They are part of the ASUN Conference.
Lipscomb has 17 different sports teams for men and women. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, and soccer. Women's sports include basketball, softball, and volleyball.
Lipscomb has a big sports rivalry with Belmont University. Belmont is only about 3 miles (5 km) away. Basketball games between the two schools are known as the "Battle of the Boulevard". In 2006, the rivalry was very exciting. Both teams made it to the finals of their conference tournament. The winner would go to the NCAA tournament for the first time. Belmont won that game. Lipscomb was invited to another tournament, the National Invitation Tournament, for the first time.
In 2019, Lipscomb's basketball team made it to the NIT finals. They lost to the Texas Longhorns.
Famous People Who Studied Here
Many notable people have attended Lipscomb University.
Academia
- 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
- 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 leader of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
- David Edwin Harrell (1954), historian at Auburn University
- Candice McQueen, current president of Lipscomb University, former Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education
- Howard A. White, former president of Pepperdine University
- M. Norvel Young, former president of Pepperdine University
Athletics
- Casey Bond (2009), actor and former professional baseball player
- Rex Brothers (2011), professional baseball player for the Atlanta Braves
- Caleb Joseph (2010), professional baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles
- Garrison Mathews (2019), professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets
- John Pierce (1994), college basketball's all-time scoring leader
Medicine
- J. Ridley Stroop (1921), a psychology professor known for his research on how our brains process information, called the Stroop Effect
- Edwin Trevathan (1977), a doctor and public health leader, now director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health
Music & 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 (singer), an 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
- LaMar Baker (1938), former U.S. Representative from Tennessee
- David French (1991), a political writer
- 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 U.S. 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
- Robert Henry Boll, a German-born American preacher
- 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 E. Howard, 1958 Head of Dept. of Religion University of Georgia, New Testament scholar, author
- Ira L. North (1941), preacher and author
Other Notable Alumni
- Cyntoia Brown (2015), a woman whose legal case received national attention; she was granted clemency in 2019
- Savannah Chrisley, a reality television personality
- W. Mark Lanier (1981), founder of The Lanier Law Firm
- Barry Stowe (1979), CEO of Jackson National Life
