H. Leo Boles (February 22, 1874 – February 7, 1946) was an American preacher and academic administrator. He was a minister of the

Churches of Christ The Churches of Christ is a loose association of autonomous Christian congregations based on the ''sola scriptura'' doctrine. Their practices are based on Bible texts and draw on the early Christian church as described in the New Testament. T ...

and the president of David Lipscomb College (now known as

Lipscomb University Lipscomb University is a private university in Nashville, Tennessee. It is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The campus is located in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville, between Belmont Boulevard to the west and Granny White Pike on ...

). He was the author of several books.

Early life and education

Boles was born on February 22, 1874 in Gainesboro, Tennessee. His maternal grandfather, John Smith, was a leader in the Restoration Movement. He had 17 siblings. Boles graduated from

Burritt College Burritt College (1848 - 1939) was a college in Spencer, Tennessee, United States. Established in 1848, it was one of the first coeducational institutions in the South, and one of the first state-chartered schools in southern Middle Tennessee. Ope ...

, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in 1900. He attended the Nashville Bible School, later known as Lipscomb University, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1906. He earned a master's degree from Burritt College in 1913, followed by a second master's degree from

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...

. He earned a PhD from the Southern School of Divinity in Fort Worth, Texas in 1927.

Career

Boles began his career as a schoolteacher in Texas. He was also a preacher of the Churches of Christ. Boles taught at David Lipscomb College (now known as

) from 1906 until his retirement. He taught "Religious Education, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy and the Bible." He was the head of the Bible department for more than two decades. He served as the university president twice: first from 1913 to 1920, and a second time from 1923 to 1932. He was a

pacifist Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...

, and he urged students not to serve in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Boles was a member of the International Council of Religious Education and Uniform Lessons Committee. He was the editor of the '' Gospel Advocate'' from 1920 to 1923. He authored several books.

Personal life and death

Boles married Ida May Meiser in 1906. They had a son, Leo Lipscomb Boles, and they resided at 4100 Granny White Pike in Nashville. Boles was an elder of the Reid Avenue Church of Christ. Boles died on February 7, 1946 in Nashville. He was buried at

Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 660 Thompson Lane in Nashville, Tennessee. It is one of the largest cemeteries in Nashville. Among those interred or entombed in the cemetery, there are many prominent members of the country music ge ...

Selected works

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boles, H. Leo 1874 births 1946 deaths People from Jackson County, Tennessee People from Nashville, Tennessee Lipscomb University alumni Vanderbilt University alumni Lipscomb University presidents American members of the Churches of Christ American Christian writers Burritt College alumni Lipscomb Bisons baseball coaches