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Dallas Baptist University (DBU) is a Christian
liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term '' art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically th ...
university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
in
Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
. Founded in 1898 as Decatur Baptist College, Dallas Baptist University currently operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and
Hurst Hurst may refer to: Places England * Hurst, Berkshire, a village * Hurst, North Yorkshire, a hamlet * Hurst, a settlement within the village of Martock, Somerset * Hurst, West Sussex, a hamlet * Hurst Spit, a shingle spit in Hampshire ** Hur ...
.


History

Dallas Baptist University (formerly known as Decatur Baptist College) opened in Decatur, Texas in 1898. The Baptist General Convention of Texas purchased the land in 1897 from Northwest Texas Baptist College. The school enjoyed a rich, full history in Decatur until 1965 when it moved to Dallas at the invitation of the Dallas Baptist Association. The school's historic Administration Building in Decatur, built in 1893, is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
. In October 1965, Dallas Baptist College began offering classes to its first class of over 900 students. The initial piece of land for the campus, overlooking Mountain Creek Lake in the hill country of southwest
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, was donated by John Stemmons, Roland Pelt, and associates. An interested group of businessmen donated additional acreage, and in 1994 a donation by the Louis Hexter family brought the current size of the DBU campus, known as University Hill, to . In 2018, an additional land acquisition increased the total campus size to 368 acres. In 1968, the college moved from junior-college to senior-college status, subsequently offering its first four-year bachelor's degrees in May 1970. In 1985, the college officially changed its name to Dallas Baptist University. The new structure consisted of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Mary C. Crowley College of Christian Faith, the Dorothy M. Bush College of Education, and the College of Business.


Growth and expansion

In 2019, the university enrolled 4,487 students. The university offers 84 undergraduate majors, 24 master's degree programs, over 45 dual master's programs, and two doctoral programs. While in its early years, the school had the reputation of being a commuter college, today's DBU has well over 2,000 students living on campus. In 1992, the John G. Mahler Student Center, the first new building on the DBU campus in more than 20 years was dedicated. The building is a close replica of
Independence Hall Independence Hall is a historic civic building in Philadelphia, where both the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted by America's Founding Fathers. The structure forms the centerpi ...
in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, and it was the first of many new buildings in the Georgian architectural style on the campus. In 2009, the Patty and Bo Pilgrim Chapel was dedicated. The structure is used for various events such as chapel services and concerts, and houses office space for the Graduate School of Ministry along with classrooms and a large multipurpose room. The inspiration for the exterior of the building came from the First Baptist Church in America, located in
Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...
. In the fall of 2011, the university opened the Joan and Andy Horner Hall. Named after the founders of Premier Designs, Horner Hall houses the DBU communication department, the offices for the College of Fine Arts, a multipurpose classroom and video recording studio, a design lab, and a music business recording studio, designed by the Russ Berger Design Group. The exterior of the structure is modeled after
Congress Hall Congress Hall, located in Philadelphia at the intersection of Chestnut and 6th Streets, served as the seat of the United States Congress from December 6, 1790, to May 14, 1800. During Congress Hall's duration as the capitol of the United State ...
located in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. In 2001, DBU-North opened in
Carrollton, Texas Carrollton is a city in Dallas, Denton, and Collin counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 133,434, making it the 23rd-most populous city in Texas. History The area was first settled by Jared Ford i ...
as DBU's first regional academic center, serving North Dallas and Collin County. For several years, DBU-North was located in
Frisco, Texas Frisco is a city in Collin and Denton counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and about from both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Its population was 200,509 at the 2 ...
, and in 2011, moved to
Plano, Texas Plano ( ) is a city in Collin County and Denton County, Texas, United States. It had a population of 285,494 at the 2020 census. It is a principal city of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. History European settlers came to the area near ...
. DBU also opened DBU-Hurst-Colleyville at
Hurst Hurst may refer to: Places England * Hurst, Berkshire, a village * Hurst, North Yorkshire, a hamlet * Hurst, a settlement within the village of Martock, Somerset * Hurst, West Sussex, a hamlet * Hurst Spit, a shingle spit in Hampshire ** Hur ...
in the Summer of 2005. In 2015, Jim and Sally Nation Hall opened its doors. A near replica of
Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...
, the building is the home of the Gary Cook School of Leadership, as well as other administrative offices. The building also houses several classrooms as well as a special event space situated in the dome of the building. Further locations for special programs and opportunities include the Department of Military Science at
University of Texas at Arlington The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA or UT Arlington) is a public research university in Arlington, Texas. The university was founded in 1895 and was in the Texas A&M University System for several decades until joining the University of ...
(Army ROTC), Aerospace Studies at
Texas Christian University Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private research university in Fort Worth, Texas. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison and Randolph Clark as the Add-Ran Male & Female College. It is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciple ...
(Air Force ROTC), and the Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics in Dallas Texas.


Academics


Academic divisions

The university is divided into seven colleges: the Mary C. Crowley College of Christian Faith, the Dorothy M. Bush College of Education, the College of Business, the College of Fine Arts, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the College of Professional Studies. The university also houses two schools: the Graduate School of Ministry, as well as the Gary Cook School of Leadership. The university offers the Ed.D. in educational leadership and the Ph.D. in leadership studies through the Cook School of Leadership and the Ed.D. in educational leadership K-12 through the Bush College of Education. The university has 84
undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...
programs, 24
master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.
programs, and 2 doctoral programs.


Accreditations

Dallas Baptist University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The teacher, principal and superintendent education programs of the university are accredited by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). The College of Business is nationally accredited by the
Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), formerly the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, is a U.S. organization offering accreditation services to business programs focused on teaching and learni ...
(ACBSP) to offer the Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) and the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) business degrees. The Dallas Baptist University Department of Music is accredited by the
National Association of Schools of Music The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) is an association of post-secondary music schools in the United States and the principal U.S. accreditor for higher education in music. It was founded on October 20, 1924, and is based in Reston ...
(NASM). DBU is also affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.


Institute for Global Engagement

The Institute for Global Engagement was founded at DBU in 2015 to be “a Christian, non-partisan think tank dedicated to addressing issues in the public square with biblical distinctiveness” and to be “a moral and spiritual catalyst for renewal in our culture.” The goal of the institute is to be interdisciplinary in bringing together experts and practitioners from a variety of fields to address issues from a distinctively Christian worldview. Since its founding, the IGE has held several seminars and lectures featuring a variety of individuals, including author
Eric Metaxas Eric Metaxas (born 1963) is an American author, speaker, and conservative radio host. He has written three biographies, ''Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery'' about William Wilberforce (2007), ''Bonhoeffer: P ...
, physician Peter Dysart, former presidential speech writer
Michael Gerson Michael John Gerson (May 15, 1964 – November 17, 2022) was an American journalist and speechwriter. He was a neoconservative op-ed columnist for ''The Washington Post'', a Policy Fellow with One Campaign, a visiting fellow with the Center for ...
, political commentator
Matthew Dowd Matthew John Dowd (born May 29, 1961) is an American political pundit and consultant. He was the chief strategist for the Bush–Cheney 2004 presidential campaign and was an ABC News political analyst. On September 29, 2021, he announced a run fo ...
, former UN Ambassador Samuel Brownback, and former Secretary of Defense Gen.
Jim Mattis James Norman Mattis (born September 8, 1950) is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as the 26th US secretary of defense from 2017 to 2019. During his 44 years in the Marine Corps, he commanded forces in the Persia ...
. The organization also produces ''The Daily Briefing'', an email that goes out three times a week covering the news of the day with a Christian perspective.


Rankings and recognition

* '' U.S. News & World Report'' ranks Dallas Baptist University, DBU, as 214th among "National Universities" in its 2017 edition.


Traditions

In its early years, Dallas Baptist University's mascot was the Indians, but in the late 1980s, it was changed to the Patriot, and the school colors were changed from blue and gold to the more patriotic theme colors of red, white, and blue.


Cross Ring

The Official DBU Cross Ring serves as a symbol of the Christ-centered education students experience at DBU. The ring features many university symbols, including the Mahler Student Center, the Fishers of Men statue, as well as the university seal.


Mr. Patriot

One of DBU's longest running tradition, stemming from when DBU's mascot was the Indians, is the Mr. Patriot pageant. This anticipated event, formerly named Mr. Big Chief from 1981 to 2018, allows male students to show off their skills, humor, and creativity. The show, a mock beauty pageant, begins with an opening number performed by all the contestants and is followed by three categories: the stamp act (formalwear), the tea act (beachwear), and the intolerable act (talent). The categories were formerly known as just talent, beachwear, and formalwear. Magic tricks, lip-syncing, and musical interpretations are just some of the ways contestants have attempted to gain points in the past. The contestant with the most points at the end wins the coveted title, and has rights to wear the coat and hat that have replaced the headdress on display in the Dean Learning Center as the prize.


Family events

Family Weekend and Grandparents Day allow students to invite their families into their lives on campus. Notable events include the Family Softball Game, Movie on the Quad, and Art Show as well as a family service project. Families are invited to fellowship with their students as well as the university faculty and staff through community activities and other fun events.


Unity Walk

Beginning in 2017, DBU has held an annual Unity Walk on MLK Day, with the DBU community coming together to remember the world of Martin Luther King, Jr., and pray for the dream of a unified country to become a reality. In addition to the walk, a special speaker each year recites King's famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Also during the day, students, faculty, and staff participate in the service projects in Dallas as a part of the national MLK Day of Service.


Athletics

Dallas Baptist University's Patriot Athletic Department sponsors 15 intercollegiate athletics teams that compete in the
National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
(
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
) and 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 athletic ...
( NCCAA). DBU also sponsors cheerleading and beginning in the fall of 2010, ice hockey at the club levels. All teams compete at the
NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...
level and compete in the
Lone Star Conference The Lone Star Conference (LSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located in the southwestern United States, with schools in T ...
, with the exception of the baseball team, which is a member of the Division I
Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the third-oldest collegiate athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the midwest. History The MVC was established ...
, which they joined in the 2014 season. Although the baseball team played as an independent for several years, they accepted an invitation to join the
Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Texas. Due to mos ...
for the 2013 season. DBU also sponsors six intercollegiate club sports. The Diamond Belles are also an active part of the Patriot Athletic Department, serving as an auxiliary group of the Athletic Department. In 2021, the Women's Golf team won the NCAA Division 2 National Championship. The DBU Baseball Team continues to be a premier sport for the school, with the team returning to an NCAA Super Regionals for the second time in school history in 2021, falling to Virginia in Game 3. The Athletic Department also features a Christ-centered Patriot Discipleship program, entitled "Champions for Christ," as well as the Athletic Department's Global Missions Initiative with athletic mission trips to Guatemala, Northern England, Peru, and South Korea.


Teams

A member of the
Lone Star Conference The Lone Star Conference (LSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located in the southwestern United States, with schools in T ...
, Dallas Baptist University sponsors eight men's and seven women's teams in
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
sanctioned sports: * Note = The Division I baseball team competes as an affiliate member of the
Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the third-oldest collegiate athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the midwest. History The MVC was established ...


Notable alumni


Photo gallery

File:Pilgrim Chapel, Dallas Baptist University.jpg, The Patty and Bo Pilgrim Chapel File:Pilgrim Chapel Auditorium Ceiling.jpg, Pilgrim Chapel Sanctuary File:Mahler Student Center, Dallas Baptist University.jpg, John G. Mahler Student Center File:Blackaby Hall, Dallas Baptist University.jpg, Blackaby Hall File:Spence Dormitory, Dallas Baptist University.jpg, Spence Hall, a women's dorm modeled after the Wren Building File:The Hillcrest Great Hall, Mahler Student Center, Dallas Baptist University.jpg, The Hillcrest Great Hall of the Mahler Student Center. File:Roberts Building, Dallas Baptist Building.jpg, The Roberts Building, one of the original four completed in 1965. File:Colonial_Village_Apartments,_Dallas_Baptist_University.jpg, Colonial Village Building One and the Ebby Halliday Center. File:Ellisprayergardendbu.jpg, Ellis Prayer Garden. File:Duck Pond, Dallas Baptist University.jpg, Bush Pond. File:Sunset at Ellis Prayer Garden, Dallas Baptist University.jpg, Overlooking Mountain Creek Lake at Sunset. File:Mountain Creek Lake, Dallas Baptist University.jpg, View from the Linam Room of the Collins Learning Center. File:Christmas at Dallas Baptist University 2011.jpg, Campus at Christmas Time.


References


External links

*
Dallas Baptist University Athletics Website
{{authority control Universities and colleges affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas Universities and colleges in Dallas Educational institutions established in 1898 Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Universities and colleges affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention 1898 establishments in Texas Private universities and colleges in Texas