Johnson University is a
private Christian university with its main campus in
Kimberlin Heights, Tennessee, and a second campus in
Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 79,226. It is a Principal City of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area, wh ...
. It is affiliated with the
Christian churches and churches of Christ
The group of churches known as the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ is a fellowship of congregations within the Restoration Movement (also known as the Stone-Campbell Movement and the Reformation of the 19th Century) that have no forma ...
, a branch of the
Restoration Movement
The Restoration Movement (also known as the American Restoration Movement or the Stone–Campbell Movement, and pejoratively as Campbellism) is a Christian movement that began on the United States frontier during the Second Great Awakening (17 ...
.
History
When Ashley Johnson founded the school in 1893, it was an extension of the Correspondence Bible College. The original name was ''The School of the Evangelists''. The school was renamed Johnson Bible College in 1909 after a petition by the students to have the school named after the founder and first president Ashley Johnson. This name was used for 102 years until the college became Johnson University on July 1, 2011.
[Megan Boehnke]
Johnson Bible College announces new name
'' Knoxville News Sentinel'', April 29, 2011
The idea for a new school was first introduced in a sermon by
Ashley S. Johnson at the Bearden Christian Church in 1892 when Johnson proposed the idea of a college level school for the gospels. In May 1893, guests boarded a steamboat in Knoxville to go up to the college for the laying of the cornerstone of the Main Building. The Main Building, with "its five-story square tower that offered a sweeping view of the French Broad, was completed in 1895." The original Main Building served the school until Dec 1, 1904, when a fire broke out from a chimney and completely destroyed the building. Following the fire, a new building was constructed of brick and the dedication was held in 1905.
Ashley Johnson served the school until his death in 1925. Upon his death, his wife
Emma Elizabeth Johnson served as the college president until her death in 1927. Alva Ross Brown was chosen as the third president from that year until his 1941 death. Dr. Robert M Bell was selected as the 4th president and under his leadership the school was greatly expanded in both academic offerings and facilities. Dr. Bell served until his death in 1968. David L. Eubanks assumed the presidency in 1969 and served until retiring in 2007, overseeing the continued expansion of academic offerings and the construction of many new buildings. During Dr. Eubanks administration the school moved off "the hill" that it was founded on into the surrounding fields. Following his retirement, Gary E. Weedman became the president; during his tenure, the college assumed the style of a university. Dr. L. Thomas Smith Jr. was inaugurated as the seventh president in September 2018.
Presidents
Johnson University is unique in its over 125 year history it has only had seven Presidents. Each of those Presidents have had other distinctions that set them apart from other institutions. When
Emma Elizabeth Johnson became president in 1925, she was one of the first women to be elected and serve as president of any college in the United States. Alva Ross Brown become president in 1927 and at the age of 22 and was one of the youngest college presidents in US higher education history. Alva Ross Brown was followed in 1941 by professor and trustee Robert M. Bell as the fourth president of the college. The fifth, Dr.
David L. Eubanks was the first President to retire from office but remains one of the
longest serving college presidents in the US and later served as the
chief operating officer
A chief operating officer or chief operations officer, also called a COO, is one of the highest-ranking executive positions in an organization, composing part of the " C-suite". The COO is usually the second-in-command at the firm, especially if ...
of
Johnson University Florida. Across from the Old Main Building is located "Shiloh on the Heights", the final resting place of all the past presidents of the University and a Columbarium.
In 1896, during his tenure as the college's president, Ashley Johnson wrote the ''Condensed Biblical Encyclopedia''.
Academics
Johnson University is
accredited
Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...
to award associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Arranged into 8 different schools, Johnson is able to offer over 70 different programs.
*School of Arts & Sciences
*School of Bible & Theology
*School of Business & Public Leadership
*School of Communication & Creative Arts
*School of Congregational Ministry
*Templar School of Education
*School of Intercultural Studies
*School of Social & Behavioral Sciences
Accreditation
Johnson University is accredited both regionally and nationally. Johnson first received
regional accreditation in 1979 from the Commission on Colleges of the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Programs in the School of Bible & Theology and the School of Congregational Ministry are both nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the
Association for Biblical Higher Education
The Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), formerly The Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges (AABC) is an evangelical Christian organization of bible colleges in the United States and Canada. It is a member of the International C ...
. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs has granted accreditation to the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the concentrations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.A.) and School Counseling (M.A.). The Teacher Education Program is approved by the Tennessee State Board of Education.
Campuses
The university has two physical campuses and an online campus. The Tennessee campus is located in the upper Tennessee River valley on the banks of the
French Broad River
The French Broad River is a river in the U.S. states of North Carolina and Tennessee. It flows from near the town of Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into Tennessee, where its confluence with the Holston River at Knoxville form ...
just upstream from where it and the
Holston River
The Holston River is a river that flows from Kingsport, Tennessee, to Knoxville, Tennessee. Along with its three major forks (North Fork, Middle Fork and South Fork), it comprises a major river system that drains much of northeastern Tennessee, ...
merge to form the
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
. Support for the online campus is also located on the Tennessee Campus.
The Florida Campus,
Johnson University Florida, is located at the site of the former
Florida Christian College, in
Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 79,226. It is a Principal City of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area, wh ...
, just 20 miles south of downtown
Orlando, Florida.
Tennessee campus facilities
Since its founding, Johnson University has had many different buildings. While many are still in use, some have been refurbished and repurposed while a few have been demolished.
Academic
* Myrtle Hall – Built 1951 (School of Social & Behavioral Sciences, former women's dormitory)
* Glass Memorial Library – Built 1964, enlarged 1989
* Phillips−Welshimer Building - Built 1975 (Schools of Arts & Sciences, Bible & Theology, Business & Public Leadership, Congregational Ministry, Administrative/Faculty Offices, Auditorium/Gym)
* Eubanks Activity Center – Built 1989 (Office of President, Student Center, Science Labs, School of Communication & Creative Arts)
* Richardson Hall – Built 2001 (Templar School of Education, School of Intercultural Studies, School of Business and Public Leadership)
* Russell Preaching Center – Renovated 2007 (Location of former Dining Hall & kitchen area in Phillips-Welshimer Building)
* Transitional Music & Plant Services Building – Built 2018 (Music Department & Plant Services Complex)
Campus life
* Bell Hall – Built 1955 (Apartments)
* Johnson Hall – Built 2000 (Women's Dorm)
* Brown Hall – Built 2000 (Men's Dorm)
* Gally Commons – Built 2007 (Dining Hall, Campus Store and Student Post Office)
* River View – Built 2008 (Home of the President of the University, connected to The White House)
* The Graham Center – Athletic & Recreation Complex – Built 2019
Current historic facilities
* The White House – Built 1890 (Restored home of Dr. and Mrs. Johnson)
* Old Main Building – Built 1905 (Old Chapel & Archeological Museum)
Closed
* Clark Hall – Built 1905 (Men's Dormitory attached to Old Main)
* Old Gymnasium & Pool – Built 1949
* Alumni Memorial Chapel – Built 1961 (Chapel & Music Department)
Historic former facilities
* Original Main Building – 1893–1904 (Wooden building located at the current site of the Old Main Building).
* Industrial Hall "Old Dusty" – 1898–1960 (Wooden building located near the site of Bell Hall, Alumni Memorial Chapel, and the Old Gymnasium & Pool). The Lower level contained the wood shops with Women's dorm rooms on upper floor.
* Irwin Library – 1912–2000 (Three story brick building located on the hill near the Old Main Building). This was the location of the second college library when it had outgrown the Old Main Building and was also a location of several classrooms. The library was adorned with Pink Tennessee Marble much of which is located in the sidewalk to Richardson Hall.
* Brown Hall – 1971–2000 (3 story facility, former men's dormitory)
* Johnson Hall – 1972–2000 (3 story facility with rooms arranged in suites, former women's dormitory)
* Dairy Barn – 1800s to 1970s (The college's Dairy Barn was located where the Phillips−Welshimer Building Building is today) This was the home to the prized dairy herd; the Dixie Holstein Herd.
Athletics
The athletic teams of the Johnson–Tennessee (JUTN) campus are called the Royals. The campus is a member 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 st ...
(NAIA), primarily competing in the
Appalachian Athletic Conference
The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Members of the conference are located in the Southeastern United States in Tennessee, Kentu ...
(AAC) 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 athletic ...
(NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Mid-East Region of the Division II level.
JUTN competes in ten intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, soccer and tennis; while women's sports include basketball, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.
Notable alumni
Notable alumni include:
*
Grover Cleveland Brewer (1884–1956), minister in the
Churches of Christ
*
Fred Craddock
Fred Brenning Craddock, Jr. (April 30, 1928 – March 6, 2015) was Bandy Distinguished Professor of Preaching and New Testament Emeritus in the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. He was an ordained minister of the Christian Church (Di ...
(1928–2015), minister in the
Disciples of Christ and
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...
scholar of
homiletics
In religious studies, homiletics ( grc, ὁμιλητικός ''homilētikós'', from ''homilos'', "assembled crowd, throng") is the application of the general principles of rhetoric to the specific art of public preaching. One who practices or ...
*
Oren E. Long (1889–1965), territorial governor of
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
and one of Hawaii's first two
United States Senators
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
*
Frank Weston Moore (born April 22,1957), American college basketball coach; current women's basketball head coach at
NC State
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...
*
Jeffrey O, Nigerian-American executive and writer
Picture gallery
Image:Jbccampus2002.jpg, Aerial View of Johnson University.
Image:jbcoldmainbw.jpg, Old Main & Irwin Library circa 1920.
Image:jbcoldmain.jpg, Old Main Building & Irwin Library 1998
Image:jbcoldmain2007.jpg, Old Main Building 2007
Image:jbc-chapel.jpg, Alumni Memorial Chapel
Image:jbcpw.jpg, Phillips−Welshimer Building
Image:pw-pond-2007.jpg, P-W Building & Pond. Only natural pond on campus. Utilized by students in 1904 to save the other buildings from the fire in the Original Main Building.[The Story of Johnson Bible College. by Robert E. Black. Tennessee Valley Printing Co. Kimberlin Heights, TN pg 77]
Image:gallycommons001.jpg, Gally Commons under construction.
Image:Gally_Commons_2012.jpg, Gally Commons.
References
External links
Official websiteOfficial athletics website
{{authority control
Association for Biblical Higher Education
Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Private universities and colleges in Tennessee
Universities and colleges affiliated with the Christian churches and churches of Christ
Bible colleges
Educational institutions established in 1893
Universities and colleges in Knoxville, Tennessee
1893 establishments in Tennessee