Asbury University is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

university in

Wilmore, Kentucky Wilmore is a home rule-class city in Jessamine County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,686 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the United States Census Burea ...

. Although it is a non-denominational school, the college is aligned with the

Wesleyan-Holiness movement The Holiness movement is a Christian movement that emerged chiefly within 19th-century Methodism, and to a lesser extent other traditions such as Quakerism, Anabaptism, and Restorationism. The movement is historically distinguished by its emph ...

. The school offers 50-plus majors across 17 departments. In the fall of 2016, Asbury University had a total enrollment of 1,854: 1,640 traditional undergraduate students and 214 graduate students. The campus of Asbury Theological Seminary, which became a separate institution in 1940, is located across the street from Asbury University.

History

Asbury College was established in 1890 by John Wesley Hughes in

. It was originally called the Kentucky Holiness College, but was later renamed after Bishop Francis Asbury, the "Father of American Methodism" and a circuit-riding evangelist. Asbury was instrumental in Methodist education in central Kentucky, having founded the state's first Methodist school,

Bethel Academy Bethel Academy was the first Methodist school established in the United States west of the Appalachian Mountains. Established by Francis Asbury in 1790, the school operated in present-day Jessamine County, Kentucky until 1805. Establishment ...

, in 1790; its site lies near High Bridge, only about four miles (6 km) south of Wilmore. After being pushed out as President of Asbury College in 1905, Hughes went on to found another college, Kingswood College, in Breckinridge County, Kentucky. Kingswood College no longer exists. Despite his disappointment over being removed at Asbury, Hughes wrote in his 1923 autobiography: "Being sure I was led of God to establish (Asbury College), it being my college child born in poverty, mental perplexity, and soul agony, I loved it from its birth better than my own life. As the days have come and gone, with many sad and broken-hearted experiences, my love has increased. My appreciation of what it has done, what it is doing, and what it promises to do in the future, is such that I am willing to lay down my life for its perpetuation." In 1928, Hughes was invited to break ground for Asbury College's new chapel, Hughes Auditorium, which is still in use today. In 2001 The Kinlaw Library was completed. It was named in honor of Dennis F. Kinlaw and his wife Elsie. It contains over 150,000 items in several collections. There are three floors and most of the collections are on the main and top floors. The college's immediate past president, Sandra C. Gray, was inaugurated as the seventeenth president of Asbury on October 5, 2007. She was the institution's first female president. On March 5, 2010, Asbury College became Asbury University. The current president is Kevin Brown, a former faculty member of the Howard & Beverly Dayton School of Business. He was inaugurated as the eighteenth president on March 6, 2020.

Presidents

Presidents of the institution include: * John Wesley Hughes (1890–1905) * Francis F. Fitch (1905) * Benjamin Franklin Haynes (1905–1908) * Newton Wray (1908–1909) *

Aaron S. Watkins Aaron Sherman Watkins (November 29, 1863 – February 9, 1941), born in Ohio, was a president of Asbury College in Kentucky. Before his ordination as a Methodist minister, he practiced law with his brother. He was the grandfather of Prohibit ...

(1909–1910) * Henry Clay Morrison (1910–1925; 1933–1940) * Lewis Robeson Akers (1925–1933) *

Z.T. Johnson Zachary Taylor Johnson (1897–1981) was born June 18, 1897, in Athens, Georgia, to a farmer's family. While working as a printer for the ''Macon News'' in 1913, Johnson converted to Christianity and felt called of God to preach. He entered Asbury U ...

(1940–1966) * Karl K. Wilson (1966–1967) * Cornelius R. Hager (1967–1968; 1981–1983; 1992–1993) * Dennis F. Kinlaw (1968–1981; 1986–1991) *

John N. Oswalt John N. Oswalt is an American scholar and distinguished professor of Old Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary. He teaches in theology, Old Testament and ancient semitic languages including Hebrew. He is the author of 11 scholarly books; foremo ...

(1983–1986) * Edwin G. Blue (1991–1992) * David J. Gyertson (1993–2000) * Paul A. Rader (2000–2006) * William C. Crothers (2006–2007) * Sandra C. Gray (2007–2019) * Kevin J. Brown (2019–present)

Academics

Students come from 44 states and 43 countries. Nearly 90 percent of the university's students live on campus. Eighty-two percent of the school's faculty hold terminal degrees in their field of study. The university offers master's degrees in education and alternative certification programs. Internships, exchange programs, missions, and community service opportunities are available and are part of the curriculum in nearly every major. Asbury has a large general education requirement ranging from 39 to 57 semester hours. The college has a 12:1 student to faculty ratio. The school has a retention rate of 82 percent on average. Undergraduate programs are divided into three distinct units: *College of Arts and Sciences *School of Communication *School of Education The School of Graduate and Professional Studies houses all graduate programs.

Athletics

The Asbury athletic teams are called the Eagles. The university is a member of the

NCAA Division III NCAA Division III (D-III) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-III consists of athletic programs at colleges and universities that choose not to offer athletic scholarships to their ...

ranks, primarily competing as an NCAA D-III Independent under provisional/reclassifying status since the 2021–22 academic year. They are also a member of the

National Christian College Athletic Association The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) is an association of Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada whose mission is "the promotion and enhancement of intercollegiate athleti ...

(NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Mid-East Region of the Division I level. The Eagles previously competed competing in the

River States Conference The River States Conference (RSC), formerly known as the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC), is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Although it was historica ...

(RSC; formerly known as the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) until after the 2015–16 school year) of the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...

(NAIA) from 1971–72 to 2020–21. Asbury competes in 17 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading. Club sports include roundnet, disc golf, and pickleball. Track & field is the school's most recent varsity program and will begin competition in the 2023–24 academic year.

Move to NCAA Division III

On March 25, 2021, Asbury announced it had been approved to begin an expedited three-year transition into

from the NAIA. During this transition it will be allowed to compete in Division III competition but will not be eligible for any NCAA post-season play. The school also announced it would compete in post-season competitions of the NCCAA during this time of transition.

Gallery

File:Asbury University Students.JPG, The official colors for Asbury University are Purple and White, as worn by these students. File:Asbury University Administration Building 1.jpg, The administration building. File:Asbury University Archways.JPG, The arches overlooking the green provide cover from the elements and from snow during the winter months. File:Asbury University Media Communications Building.JPG, Miller Center for Media Communications. File:Asbury University Student Center 1.JPG, The Student Center. File:Asbury University First Building.JPG, The Old Asbury Building (in white) was the first building, serving as the single schoolhouse for education. It is now used for prayer and meditation. File:Asbury University Library 1.JPG, The Kinlaw Library

Notable alumni

There are more than 20,000 living alumni, who live in all 50 US states and at least 80 countries. Notable alumni include: * Frederick Bohn Fisher (Class of 1902) – Bishop of the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. ...

in India * Andrew N. Johnson (Class of 1903) – Methodist minister, U.S. vice presidential candidate from the

Prohibition Party The Prohibition Party (PRO) is a political party in the United States known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages and as an integral part of the temperance movement. It is the oldest existing third party ...

(

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in ...

) * Luther B. Bridgers (Class of 1906 – did not graduate, Honorary Doctorate 1921) – pastor, evangelist, hymnwriter ("He Keeps Me Singing") *

E. Stanley Jones Eli Stanley Jones (1884–1973) was an American Methodist Christian missionary, theologian, and author. He is remembered chiefly for his interreligious lectures to the educated classes in India, thousands of which were held across the Indian s ...

(AB, 1907) –

Missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

Evangelist Evangelist may refer to: Religion * Four Evangelists, the authors of the canonical Christian Gospels * Evangelism, publicly preaching the Gospel with the intention of spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ * Evangelist (Anglican Church), a co ...

, Author, and Theologian * J. Waskom Pickett (Class of 1907) –

to India * Lela G. McConnell (Class of 1924) – founder of the Kentucky Mountain Holiness Association *

(Class of 1925) – Methodist minister, Asbury College President (1940–1966) * Edward L.R. Elson (Class of 1928) – pastor of National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C.; Chaplain of the United States Senate (1969–1981) * Anna Talbott McPherson (Class of 1929) – author of more than 22 biographies, book illustrator and artist * James B. Pritchard (Class of 1930) – Biblical archaeologist *

Mack B. Stokes Marion "Mack" Boyd Stokes (December 21, 1911 – November 21, 2012) was an American bishop of the United Methodist Church, elected in 1972. He was born in Wonsan, Korea of missionary parents. He is a graduate of Asbury College (A.B. degree), D ...

(Class of 1932) – retired Bishop of the

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelica ...

* Cornelius R. Hager (Class of 1934) – three-time President of Asbury College (1967–1968; 1981–1983; 1992–1993) * Laton E. Holmgren (Class of 1936) – General Secretary of the

American Bible Society American Bible Society is a U.S.-based Christian nonprofit headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As the American member organization of United Bible Societies, it supports global Bible translation, production, distribution, literacy, engag ...

(1963–1978) * Wayne K. Clymer (AB, 1939) – a Bishop of the

* Dennis F. Kinlaw (Class of 1943) – Author, Theologian, Evangelist, Asbury College President (1968–81; 1986–91) * Rosalind Rinker (Class of 1945) – Author of '' Prayer: Conversing with God'', selected by ''

Christianity Today ''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "evan ...

'' magazine as the #1 most influential book shaping the way evangelicals think * Ben Campbell Johnson (Class of 1953) - Professor Emeritus of Evangelism at

Columbia Theological Seminary Columbia Theological Seminary is a Presbyterian seminary in Decatur, Georgia. It is one of ten theological institutions affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). History Columbia Theological Seminary was founded in 1828 in Lexington, Geor ...

, Author * Dean Jones (Class of 1953 – did not graduate, Honorary Degree 2002) – actor *

Ernie Steury Ernest Millard Steury (January 3, 1930 – April 4, 2002) was an American physician and Christian missionary to Kenya. Steury was born in Berne, Indiana to David and Mary Habegger Steury. In 1948, while attending a church service in his hometown, ...

(Class of 1953) – Missionary Doctor, Tenwek Hospital, Kenya * Paul Rader (Class of 1956) – General of

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its ...

(1994–1999), Asbury College President (2000–2006) * Joe Frank Harris (Class of 1958) – former

Governor of Georgia The governor of Georgia is the head of government of Georgia and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor also has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to either veto or approve bills passed by the Georgia Legis ...

Janice Shaw Crouse Janice Shaw Crouse was executive director of the World Congress of Families IX. She is Senior Fellow of Concerned Women for America. She is on the advisory board of Coalition for Divorce Reform. Biography She was raised in Milstead, Georgia. She ...

(Class of 1961) – Senior Fellow at the Beverly LaHaye Institute of Concerned Women for America * Joseph R. Pitts (Class of 1961) – United States Representative from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

Ted Strickland Theodore Strickland (born August 4, 1941) is an American politician who was the 68th governor of Ohio, serving from 2007 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States House of Representatives, representing ...

(AB, 1963) – former Democratic Governor of

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

and former U.S. Representative * Leopold Frade (Class of 1965 – did not graduate) – Third Bishop of

Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida The Episcopal Church in Southeast Florida is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA) which extends from Key West, Florida on the south, to Jensen Beach on the north and inland to Clewiston on the west. Major ...

and former Bishop of

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...

* David Hager (Class of 1968) – Physician, Author * Stephen W. Wood (Class of 1973) – past member of the

North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the bicameral legislature of the State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets in the North Caroli ...

* Steve Smith (Class of 1977) – Head Basketball Coach at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, VA *

Sue Bell Cobb Sue Bell Cobb (born March 1, 1956) is an American jurist and former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, the first woman to hold that office in Alabama's history. In 2018 she unsuccessfully ran for governor of Alabama losing in the primar ...

(Class of 1978) – former Chief Justice of the

Alabama Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest court in the state of Alabama. The court consists of a chief justice and eight associate justices. Each justice is elected in partisan elections for staggered six-year terms. The Supreme Court is hou ...

(first woman to hold this position) *

Joe Hilley Joseph H. Hilley (born June 29, 1956) is a New York Times Best Selling author. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama and grew up on the Gulf Coast in the town of Grand Bay, Alabama. He is a graduate of Asbury College, Asbury Theological Seminary, an ...

(Class of 1978) – ''New York Times'' best-selling author *

Jody Hice Jody Brownlow Hice (born April 22, 1960) is an American politician, radio show host, and political activist who served as the U.S. representative for Georgia's 10th congressional district from 2015 to 2023. He is a member of the Republican Part ...

(Class of 1980) - United States Representative from

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

* Stevenson Kuartei (Class of 1980) - Senator, Palau National Congress; Minister of Health, Republic of Palau (2008-12); Physician and AuthorNational Library of Australia
* Gregory Van Tatenhove (Class of 1982) – Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky *

Andy Merrill Andrew Merrill (born November 27, 1966) is an American voice actor best known for his portrayal of the character Brak on ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' and ''Cartoon Planet''. Personal life Merrill is a graduate of Asbury University, where h ...

(Class of 1990) – Voice artist, ''

Space Ghost Coast to Coast ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' is an American adult animated comedy talk show created by Mike Lazzo for Cartoon Network and hosted by a re-imagined version of the 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. In contrast to the original ...

'', ''

Cartoon Planet ''Cartoon Planet'' is an American animated variety show that originally ran from 1995 to 1998 and 2012 to 2014 on Cartoon Network. A spin-off of ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'', the series centered on Space Ghost recruiting his imprisoned evil nem ...

'', ''

Aqua Teen Hunger Force ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' (also known by various alternative titles), sometimes abbreviated as ''ATHF'' or ''Aqua Teen'', is an American adult animated television series created by Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro for Cartoon Network's late ni ...

'', and '' The Brak Show'' *

Jessica Ditto Jessica Ditto is the former White House Deputy Director of Communications. She was a member of Donald Trump's presidential campaign and transition teams. Career Ditto worked for Republican governors of Kentucky Ernie Fletcher (in office 2003 ...

(Class of 2004) – White House Deputy Director of Communications for the Donald J. Trump administration * Nathan W. Pyle (Class of 2004) - cartoonist and writer

References

External links

*
Official athletics website
{{authority control 1890 establishments in Kentucky Council for Christian Colleges and Universities education in Jessamine County, Kentucky educational institutions established in 1890 evangelicalism in Kentucky Jesus movement private universities and colleges in Kentucky Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools NCAA Division III independents