Samford 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

Homewood, Alabama Homewood is a city in southeastern Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County, Alabama, United States. It is a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham, located on the other side of Red Mountain (Birmingham), Red Mountain due south of the city ...

. In 1841, the university was founded as Howard College by

Baptists Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...

. Samford University describes itself as the 87th oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. The university enrolls 5,683 students from 47 states, 2 U.S. territories, and 19 countries.

History

19th century

In 1841, Samford University was founded as Howard College in

Marion, Alabama Marion is a city in, and the county seat of, Perry County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 3,686, up 4.8% over 2000. First known as Muckle Ridge, the city was renamed for a hero of the American Revolut ...

. Some of the land was donated by Reverend

James H. DeVotie James H. DeVotie (1814–1891) was a Baptist minister in the American South. Born in Oneida County, New York, he was a pastor in South Carolina, Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. He was a co-founder of Howard College in Marion, Alabama, l ...

, who served on the Samford Board of Trustees for fifteen years and as its president for two years. The first financial gift, $4,000, was given by Julia Tarrant Barron and both she and her son also gave land to establish the college. The university was established after the

Alabama Baptist State Convention The Alabama Baptist Convention (ABC or ABSC) is an autonomous association of Baptist churches in the state of Alabama formed in 1823. It is one of the state conventions associated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The Alabama Baptist State ...

decided to build a school for men in

Perry County, Alabama Perry County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,511. Its county seat is Marion. The county was established in 1819 and is named in honor of Commodore Oliver Haz ...

. The college's first nine students began studies in January 1842 with a traditional curriculum of language, literature and sciences. In those early years the graduation addresses of several distinguished speakers were published, including those by Thomas G. Keen of Mobile,

Joseph Walters Taylor Joseph Walters Taylor (July 12, 1820 – 1872), also sometimes mis-identified as Joseph Wright Taylor, was an Alabama politician, newspaper editor, and lawyer. Early life Joseph Walters Taylor was born on July 12, 1820 in Kentucky. He was educate ...

, Noah K. Davis and Samuel Sterling Sherman. In October 1854, a fire destroyed all of the college's property, including its only building. While the college recovered from the fire, the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

began. Howard College was converted to a military hospital by the

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

government in 1863. During this time, the college's remaining faculty offered basic instruction to soldiers recovering at the hospital. For a short period after the war, federal troops occupied the college and sheltered freed slaves on its campus. In 1865 the college reopened.

Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry (June 5, 1825 – February 12, 1903) was an American Democratic politician from Alabama who served in the state legislature and US Congress. He also served as an officer of the Confederate States Army in the American C ...

, an attorney, former US Congressman and Confederate military officer, served as president from 1865 to 1868. He was committed to the cause of broader education, and supported expansion of normal school training. In 1887 Howard College's board of trustees accepted real estate and funding from the city of

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

, and moved the institution there. Faculty who remained in Marion formed

Marion Military Institute Marion Military Institute, the Military College of Alabama, (MMI, sometimes Marion Institute, Marion Military, or simply Marion) is a Public college, public military junior college in Marion, Alabama. Founded in 1842, it is the official state mil ...

(MMI) on the old campus. MMI continues to operate in Marion.

20th century to present

Cumberland School of Law Main Hall and Courtyard

In 1913, the college became fully and permanently coeducational. Howard College added its School of Music in 1914 and School of Education and Journalism the following year. The college introduced its Department of Pharmacy in 1927. At the time, it was the only program of its kind in the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Howard College hosted a

V-12 Navy College Training Program The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II. Between July 1, 1943, and June 30, 1946, more than 125,000 participants were enrolled in 131 colleg ...

, allowing enlisted sailors to earn college degrees while receiving military training. After the war, the number of veterans attending the college under the

GI Bill The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...

boosted enrollment beyond capacity. The college moved to the Shades Valley in

. The new campus was built in 1955 and opened in 1957. In 1961, the college acquired

Cumberland School of Law Cumberland School of Law is an American Bar Association, ABA accredited law school at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. It was founded in 1847 at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee and is the 11th oldest law schoo ...

, one of the nation's oldest law schools. In addition to the law school, Howard College added a new school of business, and reorganized to achieve university status in 1965. Since the name "Howard University" was already in use, Howard College was renamed as Samford University in honor of Frank Park Samford, a longtime trustee of the school. In 1973, the university acquired Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing. Samford University established a study center in 1984 for students to study abroad in Kensington, England. On September 21, 1989, a Samford University professor, William Lee Slagle, fatally stabbed one of his debating team students and escaped. Slagle was finally captured six months later. In 1994, Samford's board of trustees voted to allow the board to elect its own members. This gave the university formal independence from the Alabama Baptist State Convention, but until 2017 convention leaders retained ex officio seats on the board, were consulted on trustee selection, and the new trustees were presented to the convention for affirmation.

Civil rights

As a private, segregated institution, Samford University was to some degree insulated from the activities of leaders and protesters of the

Civil Rights Movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, Racial discrimination ...

in the 1950s and early 1960s. The officers of the Samford Student Government Association challenged a segregated concert held on campus by the Birmingham Symphony by inviting as guests the student government officers of nearby

Miles College Miles College is a private historically black college in Fairfield, Alabama. Founded in 1898, it is associated with the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME Church) and a member of the United Negro College Fund. History Miles College bega ...

, a historically black school. Segregation by private universities was ended by the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act by the

US Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washingto ...

. Initially, the school's leaders declined to express their commitment to desegregation. For example, the university declined to apply for the NDEA Student Loan Program for 1965-66 because it would have to affirm desegregation.

faced the greatest immediate risk of losing accreditation. In 1967, it admitted Samford's first black student, Audrey Lattimore Gaston. The entire university proceeded with desegregation. In the fall of 1969 Elizabeth Sloan Ragland became the first African American student to live on campus. On June 1, 2020, the university announced the installation of a memorial honoring "the sacrifices of many African Americans for the mission and vision of Samford University even in days when their efforts were invisible or barely acknowledged" it specifically remembered Gaston and an enslaved servant named "Harry" who died while saving students from the 1854 fire. A few weeks later, as a result of campus conversations in the wake of the

murder of George Floyd On , George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was murdered in the U.S. city of Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's n ...

, Westmoreland created a university task force on racial justice. The final version of this task force's report was approved by the university's board of trustees on April 26, 2021 and released to the public the next day. A "diversity action plan" was released the following year.

21st century

Andrew Westmoreland was appointed president of the university in 2006. That year, the Jane Hollock Brock Recital Hall was dedicated as part of the university’s fine arts complex. A new soccer and track facility opened in 2011, part of a decade-long expansion of new athletics facilities that included a tennis center, a basketball arena, a football field house and a softball stadium. For the 2016–17 academic year, the economic and fiscal impacts of the university on Alabama were $424.8 million, 2,424 jobs, $16.1 million in state income and sales taxes, and $6 million in local sales tax. In 2013, the university established a new College of Health Sciences, including Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing, McWhorter School of Pharmacy, the School of Health Professions and the School of Public Health. The dean of the nursing school, Nena Sanders, was named vice-provost of the new college, and after her retirement in 2020 the nursing school was renamed the Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing. In 2013, the university announced the construction of a new facility to house Brock School of Business. In 2014, the West Village residence complex opened. That December, the university purchased the adjacent headquarters of Southern Progress, a subsidiary of

Time, Inc. Time Inc. was an American worldwide mass media corporation founded on November 28, 1922, by Henry Luce and Briton Hadden and based in New York City. It owned and published over 100 magazine brands, including its namesake ''Time'', ''Sports Illu ...

, that houses the College of Health Sciences. The university's long financial connection with the Alabama Baptist State Convention was ended by the university in July 2017 when the trustees announced they would no longer accept funds from the convention. Later that year Samford and the state convention agreed that Samford would no longer present its slate of trustees to the convention for affirmation and that convention officers would no longer have an ''ex officio'' position on the board. This ended key aspects of Samford's formal connection to the state convention that had existed for decades. Still, by the trustees’ own rule, all trustees must be members of Baptist churches and 75% from Alabama. Samford is a collaborative partner of the

Council for Christian Colleges and Universities The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) is a global organization of evangelical Christian colleges and universities. The headquarters is in Washington, D.C. History In 1976, presidents of colleges in the Christian College Co ...

. In August 2020, Westmoreland announced he would retire on June 30, 2021. On March 10, 2021, it was announced that he will be succeeded by

Whitworth University Whitworth University is a private, Christian university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Spokane, Washington. Founded in 1890, Whitworth enrolls nearly 3,000 students and offers more than 100 graduate and undergraduate ...

president

Beck A. Taylor Beck A. Taylor is an American academic administrator and economist serving as the 19th president of Samford University, a private Christian university in Birmingham, Alabama. Taylor took office in July 2021, succeeding Andrew Westmoreland. Ed ...

. Taylor took office on July 1, 2021. In May 2022, the university received a $100 million gift from the estate of alumnus Marvin Mann, making it the largest single-donor gift ever made to a higher education institution in Alabama.

LGBTQ rights

Samford has been involved in several well publicized incidents in which the university rejected LGBTQ+ students' requests to form student organizations or refused to work with Christian groups that were LGBTQ+ affirming. In 2017, President Westmoreland rejected Samford Together, a organization that sought to create a space for students to discuss topics related to sexual orientation and gender identity “in an open-minded and accepting environment,” even though the organization had been approved by both the Student Government Association and the faculty Similar actions occurred again in 2022. In late August, Samford administration “uninvited” representatives of Episcopalian and Presbyterian campus ministries from a campus event because these ministries were affirming of LGBTQ+ individuals. In justifying the move, Vice President of Student Affairs Phil Kimrey stated, “Throughout its history, the university has consistently subscribed to and practiced biblically orthodox beliefs," and "the university has a responsibility to formally partner with ministry organizations that share our beliefs.” On September 30, President Beck Taylor stated more explicitly in a video message that "we decided to limit Samford’s formal ministry partnerships to churches and to organizations that support Samford’s traditional view of human sexuality and marriage." In October, Taylor declined university recognition to a chapter of OUTLaw in Samford's

. OUTLaw is a national organization supporting LGBTQ+ law students.

Academics

Samford University Beeson Divinity School

Samford, a

Christian university A Christian college is an educational institution or part of an educational institute dedicated to the integration of Christian faith and learning in traditional academic fields. Christian colleges in the United States Many Christian colleg ...

, offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs, with 170 undergraduate majors, minors and concentrations. The university is divided into the School of the Arts, Howard College of Arts and Sciences, Brock School of Business,

Beeson Divinity School The Beeson Divinity School of Samford University is an interdenominational evangelical divinity school located in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. The current dean is Douglas A. Sweeney. Though located on the campus of a Baptist university, ...

, Orlean Beeson School of Education,

, Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing, McWhorter School of Pharmacy, School of Health Professions, and School of Public Health. The faculty-to-student ratio at Samford University is 1:13. Approximately two-thirds of the university's classes have fewer than 20 students.

Campus

Samford has moved four times during its history. Originally, Howard College was located in

, a black-belt town between

Selma Selma may refer to: Places *Selma, Algeria *Selma, Nova Scotia, Canada *Selma, Switzerland, village in the Grisons United States: *Selma, Alabama, city in Dallas County, best known for the Selma to Montgomery marches *Selma, Arkansas *Selma, Cali ...

and

Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-largest city, it had an estimated population of 1 ...

; it was the birthplace of

Coretta Scott King Coretta Scott King ( Scott; April 27, 1927 – January 30, 2006) was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader who was married to Martin Luther King Jr. from 1953 until his death. As an advocate for African-American equality, she w ...

. The college moved twice in the town. Its second campus is now the home of

. In 1887, the college moved to the East Lake community in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

. The university is now located approximately south of downtown Birmingham in

's Shades Valley along Lakeshore Drive in Homewood, just from

Interstate 65 Interstate 65 (I-65) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates ending in 5, it is a major crosscountry, north–south route, connecting between the Great Lakes and the Gulf ...

. It is built in the Georgian Colonial style based on

Colonial Williamsburg Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum and private foundation presenting a part of the historic district in the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has 7300 employees at this location and ...

as envisioned by Lena Vail Davis, wife of then President Harwell Davis when the campus was moved to the Shades Valley area of Jefferson County in 1953-57. The campus was designed by the Birmingham architectural firm Van Keuren & Davis, and most later buildings have also been designed by the same firm, known as Davis Architects since 1986. In 1983 the university established a study center in London, England, to facilitate students studying abroad. Named The Daniel House, the center is located at 12 Ashburn Gardens in South Kensington and hosts over 20 students most semesters. In 2014 the university purchased the campus of the

Southern Progress Corporation Southern Progress Corporation, based in Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, is a publisher of lifestyle magazines and books owned by IAC (company), IAC's Dotdash Meredith. The company publishes such magazines as ''Southern Living'', ''Coo ...

which borders its main campus to the east. (The land had originally been part of Samford's undeveloped campus and was previously sold by Samford to Southern Progress.) The three huge buildings on the former Southern Progress campus are strikingly modern in their architecture and nestled among trees. This contrasts with the Georgian Colonial classicism of the central campus.

Student demographics

In 2020, Samford University enrolled 3,576 undergraduate and 2,153 graduate and professional students. Students from 47 states and 30 countries attend Samford, with 66 percent of the undergraduate student body coming from outside the state of Alabama. 97 percent of all May 2019 undergraduate alumni were employed or enrolled in graduate school or in internships within six months of graduation. 81 percent of May 2015 graduates completed an internship during their time at Samford. During 2015, Samford students completed 716,902 hours of community service.

Athletics

The university fields 17 varsity sports and participates in the NCAA at the Division I level as a member of the

Southern Conference The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly ...

. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, tennis and indoor and outdoor track and field. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field and volleyball. In the NCAA's 2013 report, Samford student-athletes achieved an average Academic Progress Rate of 990, the highest in Alabama. It marked the eighth consecutive year that Samford has been a leader in APR measures, beginning in 2005 when it placed 7th in the nation in the inaugural ranking. The university is one of only 61 schools to have received an NCAA Public Recognition Award for academic excellence in the past eight years. In 2019, Samford's athletics teams were ranked first in Alabama and the Southern Conference and 18th in the country among all NCAA Division 1 schools for Graduation Success Rate by the NCAA with an average score of 97%. Nine teams posted perfect scores. Samford is first among Division I schools in Alabama and in the Southern Conference. The Bulldogs have won 57 conference championships since joining the Southern Conference in 2008. In the last 20 years, 28 Samford baseball players have been selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, and 19 Bulldog football players have been chosen in the National Football League Draft. Past student-athletes include national-championship football coaches

Bobby Bowden Robert Cleckler Bowden (; November 8, 1929 – August 8, 2021) was an American college football coach. Bowden coached the Florida State Seminoles of Florida State University (FSU) from 1976 to 2009 and is considered one of the greatest college ...

and

Jimbo Fisher John James "Jimbo" Fisher Jr. (born October 9, 1965) is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies Football, Texas A&M Aggies. Previously, Fisher was the head coach at Florida State Seminol ...

All-Pro defensive back

Cortland Finnegan Cortland Temujin Finnegan (born February 2, 1984) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Samford, and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Finnegan also played for the ...

, NFL standouts include James Bradberry (Carolina Panthers), Michael Pierce (Baltimore Ravens) and

Jaquiski Tartt Jaquiski Tartt ( ; born February 18, 1992) is an American football safety who is a free agent. He played college football at Samford and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Early years Tartt attend ...

(San Francisco 49ers), and baseball’s Phillip Ervin, who has had success with the Cincinnati Reds.

Notable alumni

The university has more than 52,000 alumni, including U.S. congressmen, seven state governors, two U.S. Supreme Court justices, four Rhodes Scholars, multiple Emmy and Grammy award-winning artists, two national championship football coaches, and recipients of the Pulitzer and Nobel Peace prizes. Some notable alumni include:

Politics and government

Robert Aderholt Robert Brown Aderholt (; born July 22, 1965) is an American politician and attorney serving as the U.S. representative for since 1997. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes most of Tuscaloosa County north of the Black W ...

(1990),

United States Congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from Alabama (1997–present) * Andrew L. Brasher, United States District Judge (Samford University, Harvard School of Law) * Joyce Chandler - former educator and member of

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republicans have had a majority in the chamber since 2005. T ...

. * Charles Crist, former Florida governor, graduated from Cumberland School of Law * Stephen Louis A. Dillard (1992), Chief Judge, Court of Appeals of Georgia *

Jim Folsom James Elisha Folsom, Sr. (October 9, 1908 – November 21, 1987), commonly known as Jim Folsom or Big Jim Folsom, was an American politician who served as the 42nd governor of the U.S. state of Alabama, having served from 1947 to 1951, and a ...

(non-graduate),

governor of Alabama A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

from 1947-1951 and 1955-1959 *

Cordell Hull Cordell Hull (October 2, 1871July 23, 1955) was an American politician from Tennessee and the longest-serving U.S. Secretary of State, holding the position for 11 years (1933–1944) in the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ...

, 47th U.S. secretary of state (1933–44), Nobel Peace Prize winner (1945) * Jody Hunt (1982), United States Assistant Attorney General (2018–present) *

Howell Edmunds Jackson Howell Edmunds Jackson (April 8, 1832 – August 8, 1895) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1893 until his death in 1895. His brief tenure on the ...

, U.S. Supreme Court justice (1893–95) * Lem Johns, U.S. Secret Service agent (1954–1976) * Doug Jones,

United States Senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...

from Alabama (2018–2021) *

Horace Harmon Lurton Horace Harmon Lurton (February 26, 1844 – July 12, 1914) was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and previously was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and of t ...

, U.S. Supreme Court justice (1909–14) * Nina Miglionico (1932), Birmingham City Council, 1963-1985 * Eric Motley (1996) State Department official * Michael Patrick Mulroy, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Secretary of Defense

James 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 Persian ...

* Edwin L. Nelson, United States federal judge (Samford University, Cumberland School of Law - 1969) * Kevin Newsom, judge of the

United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (in case citations, 11th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following U.S. district courts: * Middle District of Alabama * Northern District of Alabama * ...

(2017–present) * Stacey E. Pickering,

State Auditor of Mississippi The state auditor of Mississippi is an elected official in the executive branch of Government of Mississippi, Mississippi's state government. The duty of the state auditor is to ensure accountability in the use of funds appropriated by the state l ...

since 2008 * John Russell Tyson (1877), Judge of Supreme Court of Alabama and U.S. Representative for the State of Alabama. *

Janie Shores Janie Ledlow Shores (April 30, 1932 – August 9, 2017) was a judge on the Supreme Court of Alabama who was the first woman to ever serve on that court. Shores also was considered by President Bill Clinton in 1993 as a possible nominee to the Un ...

(1992), Judge on the Supreme Court of Alabama, the first woman on that court and considered by Bill Clinton as nominee to the Supreme Court *

Randall Woodfin Randall Woodfin (born May 29, 1981) is an American lawyer and politician who is the 34th and current mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, after winning the October 3, 2017, runoff against incumbent William A. Bell. He previously served as president o ...

, mayor of

(Samford University Cumberland School of Law)

Arts and letters

* Mary Anderson, actress * Zane Birdwell (2003), recording engineer *

Philip Birnbaum Philip Birnbaum (; March 30, 1904 – March 19, 1988) was an American religious author and translator. He is best known for his work ''Ha-Siddur ha-Shalem'', a translation and annotation of the Siddur first published in 1949. Biography Birnbaum ...

, author and translator of Jewish works * Karen Fairchild & Kimberly Schlapman of the Country Group

Little Big Town Little Big Town is an American country music vocal group from Homewood, Alabama. Founded in 1998, the group has comprised the same four members since its founding: Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman (née Roads), Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbro ...

Wayne Flynt James Wayne Flynt (born October 4, 1940) is University Professor Emeritus in the Department of History at Auburn University. He has won numerous teaching awards and been a Distinguished University Professor for many years. His research focuses ...

(1961),

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...

Elizabeth Futral Susan Elizabeth Futral (born September 27, 1963 in Johnston County, North Carolina) is an American coloratura soprano who has won acclaim (as both singer and actress) throughout the United States as well as in Europe, South America, and Japan. ...

, opera singer * Anne George, mystery author *

Tony Hale Anthony Russell Hale (born September 30, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his role in the Fox comedy series ''Arrested Development'' as Buster Bluth. Hale played Gary Walsh on the HBO comedy ''Veep'' from 2012 until its ...

, TV actor *

Harold E. Martin Harold Eugene Martin (October 4, 1923 – July 4, 2007) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper editor and publisher who was also a director of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. During his career, Martin lived in the U.S. states of Alabama ...

(1923–2007), newspaper man *

Gail Patrick Gail Patrick (born Margaret LaVelle Fitzpatrick, June 20, 1911 – July 6, 1980) was an American film actress and television producer. Often cast as the bad girl or the other woman, she appeared in more than 60 feature films between 1932 an ...

, motion picture actress and television producer * Susan Patterson,Samford Notable Alumni
/ref> international opera star * Jeanne Ellison Shaffer (2007), composer and musician *

Kristian Stanfill Kristian Paul Stanfill (born April 9, 1983) is an American Christian music singer, songwriter and worship leader from Atlanta, Georgia. His 2011 album '' Mountains Move'' reached No. 64 on the ''Billboard'' 200. He is currently the worship pasto ...

, Christian rock singer-songwriter

Religion

* Charles Billingsley, singer * Cedrick D. Bridgeforth, United Methodist bishop * Scott Dawson, evangelist *

Adam W. Greenway Adam W. Greenway is an American pastor, theologian and religious leader. He was the 9th president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) in Fort Worth, Texas. He was installed as president on February 27, 2019. He is the youngest pre ...

, president of

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is a Baptist theological institute in Fort Worth, Texas. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. It was established in 1908 and is one of the largest seminaries in the world. It i ...

(2019-2022) * Herschel Hobbs, pastor,

Southern Baptist Convention The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination, and the largest Protestant and second-largest Christian denomination in the United States. The wor ...

president *

Fred L. Lowery Fred may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Frederico R ...

, clergyman and author *

David Gordon Lyon David Gordon Lyon (24 May 1852 – 4 December 1935) was an American theologian. He was born in Benton, Alabama, the son of a doctor. In 1875 he received his AB from Howard College in Marion Alabama. (Howard is now Samford University and locate ...

, Hollis Chair at

Harvard Divinity School Harvard Divinity School (HDS) is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school's mission is to educate its students either in the academic study of religion or for leadership roles in religion, gov ...

Andrew Manis Andrew Michael Manis (born February 23, 1954, in Birmingham, Alabama) is a historian, author, and professor at Middle Georgia State University in Macon, Georgia. An ordained Baptist minister, Manis was educated at Samford University (B.A. in R ...

, clergyman and civil rights historian *

Albert Mohler Richard Albert Mohler Jr. (born October 19, 1959) is an American evangelical theologian, the ninth president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and host of the podcast ''The Briefing'', where he daily analyzes ...

, president, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary *

Ed Stetzer Edward John Stetzer (born 1966) is an American author, speaker, researcher, pastor, church planter, and Christian missiologist. Stetzer is Billy Graham Distinguished Chair of Church, Mission, and Evangelism at Wheaton College and Executive Direc ...

, author

Sports

James Bradberry James Bradberry IV (born August 4, 1993) is an American football cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Samford and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the second round o ...

, professional football player *

, 2nd All-Time Winningest Coach Division 1 College Football. *

Marv Breeding Marv Eugene Breeding (May 8, 1934 – December 31, 2006) was an American professional baseball second baseman who played four seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators and Los Angeles Dodgers between ...

(1952), professional baseball player *

Phillip Ervin Phillip S. Ervin (born July 15, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the New Jersey Jackals of the Frontier League. Prior to playing professionally, Ervin attended Samford University, where he played college baseball for the ...

, professional baseball player *

, professional football player * Jennifer Pharr Davis, long-distance hiker and author *

, College Football Coach, currently Head Coach Texas A&M Aggies * Sam Goldman, professional football player *

Devlin Hodges Devlin Patrick "Duck" Hodges (born April 12, 1996) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Samford, after playing at Mortimer Jordan High School. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free ...

, professional football player *

Slick Lollar John Hope "Slick" Lollar (October 4, 1905 – May 7, 1945) was an American football back for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Samford. He played high school football at Walker High Sc ...

, professional football player * Wendell Magee, professional baseball player * Michael Pierce, professional football player *

Travis Peterson Travis James Peterson (born May 18, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player who last played for Lietuvos rytas of the Lithuanian League. The 6 foot 10 inch tall center/power forward is a former NCAA Division 1 collegiate ...

, professional soccer player *

Marc Salyers Marc Douglas Salyers (born February 28, 1979) is an American retired professional basketball player. He played at the small forward and power forward positions. College career Salyers played college basketball at Samford University with the Samf ...

, professional soccer player *

, professional football player * Jeremy Towns, professional football player and physician *

Montrell Washington Montrell Washington (born March 14, 1999) is an American football wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Samford. Professional career Denver Broncos Washington was drafted ...

, professional football player * Corey White, professional football player * Nick Williams, professional football player

Other

* Bubba Cathy, businessman,

Chick-fil-A Chick-fil-A ( , a Word play, play on the American English pronunciation of "wikt:filet#Pronunciation, filet") is an American fast food restaurant chain which is the country's largest which specializes in chicken sandwiches. Headquartered in Coll ...

* John Crist, comedian *

Deidre Downs Deidre Downs Gunn (born July 7, 1980) is an American physician and former beauty pageant titleholder. Downs was Miss Alabama 2004 and later was crowned Miss America 2005. Education After graduating from Pelham High School in 1998, Downs attended ...

, (2002),

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...

2005. *

Scarlotte Deupree Scarlotte Deupree Kilgore (born 1980) is an American beauty and performer who held the title of Miss Alabama 2002 and was 1st runner-up to Miss America 2003. Miss Alabama Deupree competed at Miss Alabama as Miss Camellia and had competed in the ...

, (2002), Miss Alabama 2002, 1st Runner Up to Miss America * Amie Beth Dickinson, first runner-up to

Heather Whitestone Heather Leigh Whitestone McCallum (born February 24, 1973) is a former beauty queen and conservative activist who was the first deaf Miss America title holder, having lost most of her hearing at 18 months. Early life Whitestone was born in Doth ...

in the 1994 Miss Alabama pageant. When Whitestone was crowned Miss America, Dickinson was elevated to Miss Alabama. *

Melinda Toole The Miss Alabama competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Alabama in the annual Miss America Competition. Alabama has won three Miss America titles: Deidre Downs in 2005, Heather Whitestone (the first deaf w ...

, (2006), Miss Alabama 2006, 4th Runner Up to Miss America

References

External links

* * {{Navboxes, list1={{Colleges and universities in Alabama {{Southern Conference navbox {{Birmingham Area Consortium for Higher Education {{Southern Baptist Colleges {{Birmingham Landmarks {{Southern Baptist Colleges {{Authority control Educational institutions established in 1841 Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Universities and colleges affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention 1841 establishments in Alabama Private universities and colleges in Alabama