Abilene Christian University (ACU) 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

Abilene, Texas Abilene ( ) is a city in Taylor and Jones Counties in Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census, making it the 27th-most populous city in the state of Texas. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan st ...

. It was founded in 1906 as ''Childers Classical Institute''. ACU is one of the largest private universities in the Southwestern United States and has one of the 200 largest university endowments in the United States. Affiliated with

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. ...

, the university is nationally recognized for excellence in service learning, undergraduate research, and undergraduate teaching.

History

Abilene Christian University grew from an idea held by A.B. Barret and Charles Roberson to form a school in

West Texas West Texas is a loosely defined region in the U.S. state of Texas, generally encompassing the arid and semiarid lands west of a line drawn between the cities of Wichita Falls, Abilene, and Del Rio. No consensus exists on the boundary betw ...

. The Churches of Christ in Abilene agreed to back the project. J.W. Childers sold Barret land and a large house west of the town, and lowered the price with the stipulation that the school would be named in his honor. Childers Classical Institute opened in the fall of 1906, with 25 students. It initially included a lower school starting in the seventh grade. When Jesse P. Sewell became president of the institute in 1912, the school began using Abilene Christian College on all its printed material. In 1920, the school paid the Childers family $4,000 and formally changed the name. ''The Optimist'', the university's student-produced newspaper, was founded in 1912. The ''Prickly Pear'', the school yearbook, was founded in 1916. The campus literary-arts magazine (now ''The Shinnery Review'', formerly ''The Pickwicker'') has been in production since 1933. In 1927, with the help of a $75,000 contribution from the city of Abilene, the board of trustees purchased northeast of Abilene. In addition, residents donated of adjoining land. The new campus opened in the fall of 1929. AbileneChristian

From the time of its founding to the present, the university has been governed by a board of trustees made up of members of the

. Abilene Christian College first received school accreditation in 1951, when it became an accredited member of the Commission on Colleges of the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...

. ources: John C. Stevens, _No Ordinary University_, p. 248; John C. Stevens, "Abilene Christian University," Texas State Historical Association, https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/kba01./ref>

Amberton University Amberton University is a private Evangelical Christian university in Garland, Texas. It began as part of Abilene Christian University as an extension campus from 1971 until 1982 and was initially located in Mesquite, Texas, moving to Garland in 1 ...

, previously Amber University, was created as an extension campus of Abilene Christian University. It was launched in Mesquite, Texas, in 1971, moving to Garland, Texas, in 1974. It became a separate institution as Amber University in 1982, and was rechristened Amberton University in 2001. Like Abilene Christian University, Amberton remains affiliated with the Churches of Christ. On February 22, 1976, the name of Abilene Christian College was changed to Abilene Christian University. The university celebrated its centennial in the 2005–06 school year. In July 2015, the university signed a lease for an expansion campus located in

Addison, Texas Addison is an incorporated town in Dallas County, Texas, in the United States. Addison is situated to the immediate north of the city of Dallas, with a 2020 census population of 16,661. Addison and Flower Mound were the only two Texas municipali ...

. Called ACU Dallas, the new campus began offering several new graduate programs, including an MBA and Ed.D. in organizational leadership. The school established an NPR station, KACU, in 1986. Initially, the community was concerned that the school might use the station for proselytizing, and for the station's first ten years, an advisory board composed of community members served to monitor the station against this possibility.Brian Bethel
"Local NPR station turns 20, looks to hi-tech future,"
''Abilene Reporter-News'', June 2, 2006. Retrieved 2008-10-19. The JMC Network, a converged student media operation, was created in 2008 to produce all student-led news media. On October 18, 2008, the school hosted a live broadcast of Minnesota Public Radio's long-running '' A Prairie Home Companion'' radio show from the campus' Moody Coliseum."Austin360 bets" (upcoming events column), ''Austin American-Statesman'', September 3, 2008: "Garrison Keillor and 'A Prairie Home Companion' are coming to Abilene in October for a live performance. Tickets are now on sale and expected to sell quickly. Public radio station 89.7 KACU, AbilenePublicRadio and Abilene Christian University are hosting the event ... ."Archived recording of October 18, 2008, ''A Prairie Home Companion'' broadcast from ACU's Moody Coliseum
/ref> On Wednesday, August 23, 2017, the NCAA Board of Directors voted to pass ACU through to full Division I status, thus making them eligible for postseason play.

Discrimination

The university was officially segregated, for white students only, until 1962, when Billy Curl became the first black student to enroll. The university currently bars employees, but not students, from dating people of the same sex. In 2016 the university recognized an LGBT student association.

Presidents

*Allen Booker Barret (1906–08) *H. C. Darden (1908–1909) *Robertson Lafayette Whiteside (1909–1911) *James F. Cox (1911–1912) *Jesse Parker Sewell (1912–1924) * Batsell Baxter (1924–1932) *James F. Cox (1932–1940) *Don H. Morris (1940–1969) *John C. Stevens (1969–1981) *William J. Teague (1981–1991) * Royce Money (1991 – May 31, 2010) * Phil Schubert (June 1, 2010–present)

Accreditation

ACU is institutionally accredited by the

. ACU's business programs are professionally accredited by the

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, also known as AACSB International, is an American professional organization. It was founded as the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business in 1916 to provide accreditation to ...

(AACSB International), the Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, the Social Work programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, the Education programs are accredited by Teacher Education Accreditation Council and the Marriage and Family Therapy programs are accredited by Commission on the Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education. The Department of Journalism and Mass Communication is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. The ACU School of Nursing is accredited by the

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is a nursing education accrediting agency in the United States. The CCNE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. CCNE accreditation is a voluntary, self-regulatory process, and t ...

(CCNE). ACU Graduate School of Theology is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).

Traditions

* ''The Prickly Pear''. Beginning in 1916, this was the title for Abilene Christian University's (formerly Abilene Christian College) yearbook. The name was taken from '' Opuntia'', a species of cactus native to the Abilene and West Texas area, commonly referred to as "prickly pear". ''The Prickly Pear'' ceased publication in 2009."The Prickly Pear, Yearbook of Abilene Christian College, 1916"
"The Prickly Pear, 1916", 1916 ACU Jacobs Dream artwork

* Sing Song. Since 1956, this annual competition in mid-February has featured student groups of 30–100 people, singing themed ''

a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

'' medleys, usually

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or ...

. Originating as a fundraiser for the school, the modern event has developed into a major show for which each group assembles

costume Costume is the distinctive style of dress or cosmetic of an individual or group that reflects class, gender, profession, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch. In short costume is a cultural visual of the people. The term also was tradition ...

s related to their act's theme, such as Peter Pan, the British Royal Guard,

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance bar, temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pembe ...

, Adam and Eve, or

forest fire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identi ...

s. Often the costumes involve a mid-performance quick-change to a second costume—such as the 1987 acts in which

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus '' Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years a ...

s turned into

raisin A raisin is a dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, the word ''raisin'' is reserved for the ...

s or

banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", disting ...

s peeled to reveal Carmen Miranda—or elaborate choreography within the risers, as when the 1983 freshman class act recreated a ''

Pac-Man originally called ''Puck Man'' in Japan, is a 1980 maze action video game developed and released by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. Th ...

'' screen and manipulated their costumes so that the character appeared to move around the screen.No author. "Seniors' Sing Song to unite work, fun," ''The Optimist'' (Abilene, Texas), Vol. 73, No. 38, Ed. 1, February 7, 1986, page 1. The men of Galaxy and the women of Sigma Theta Chi currently hold the records for most wins of a men's club and women's club, respectively. * Summit. Referred to as Lectureship until the 2008 school year. Begun in 1918, this annual program gathers thousands of attendees for lectures and workshops on religious topics connected with a biblical theme that changes each year. After many years of following directly after Sing Song, the lectureship moved in 2006 to a September event, in part to spread out the events that bring the most visitors to campus and also to take advantage of the more stable autumn climate, as winter storms and rain had hindered attendance on multiple occasions. *Wildcat Week. Formerly called Welcome Week, this event for the integration of incoming first-year and

transfer student Transfer credit, credit transfer, or advanced standing are the terms used by colleges and universities for the procedure of granting credit to a student for educational experiences or courses undertaken at another institution. This is a subset of ...

s provides small-group study programs, social activities, and information fairs in the week preceding the beginning of the fall semester. *Homecoming. Like most residential U.S. universities, the campus hosts a celebration each fall for alumni to return for a parade, class-year and organizational reunions, and musical theater. *Chapel. ACU is one of the few Christian colleges that maintains daily required chapel for all undergraduate, full-time students. Chapel is a 30-minute praise and worship time, usually with a featured speaker. Typically, no classes or meetings are scheduled during this half-hour. There are, however, opportunities for chapel exemptions that allow students to need less than the standard 55 chapel credits per semester. *School colors. The colors purple and white have long been the colors of ACU, standing for the royalty and purity of Christ, respectively.

Abilene Christian University Press

ACU is one of only seven faith-based institutions with a press. ACU Press, founded in 1983 to print books about

theology, is now a member of the Association of American University Presses, printing books about Christian

Higher Education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after compl ...

, West Texas History and Christian Living as well as

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

. Along with its trade imprint,

Leafwood Publishers Leafwood Publishers (founded in 2000) is an imprint of Abilene Christian University Press located in Abilene, Texas. History Leafwood Publishers was founded in 2000 by C. Leonard Allen in Orange, California. By 2004, it was moved in Siloam Spri ...

, the press publishes an average of 36 titles per year. Among its notable authors are Rubel Shelly, Rick Ostrander, Darryl Tippens, Edward Fudge,

Larry M. James Larry M. James (born 1950) is an American social worker and the current President and CEO of CitySquare located in Dallas, Texas. Life James was born in Spokane, Washington and grew up in Richardson, Texas, where his father served as the city s ...

and Walt McDonald.

Rankings

In the 2022/2023 ''U.S. News & World Report'' ranking of American colleges and universities, ACU was one of only 19 U.S. institutions ranked in the top 50 nationally in both Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects and Undergraduate Teaching. US News ranks ACU the following among all colleges and universities: National rankings: Service Learning: #5 nationally First-Year Experience: #8 nationally Learning Communities: #9 nationally Senior Capstone: #22 nationally Undergraduate Research: #28 nationally Study Abroad: #35 nationally Undergraduate Teaching: #41 nationally

Technology and mobile learning

On February 26, 2008, ACU announced that all incoming

freshman A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. Ara ...

classes would receive a free

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...

iPhone or an iPod Touch. This decision was the result of a study to find out the viability of iPhone and iPod for academic purposes. ACU was reported as the first university in the nation to embrace this opportunity to further education through the use of the new generation of smartphone technologies. In February 2009, ACU hosted more than 400 academics and technologists from 31 states and 8 countries for its first ConnectEd Summit on mobile learning. Attendees representing more than 90 schools participated in workshops designed to foster mobile learning programs on their own campuses. In August 2008, ''Campus Technology'' magazine named ACU "Innovator of the Year" in the mobile learning category for this "ACU Connected" initiative. On February 27, 2009, ACU received the award for Institutional Excellence in Information Communications Technology from ACUTA and on March 4, 2009,

Alcatel-Lucent Alcatel–Lucent S.A. () was a French–American global telecommunications equipment company, headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. It was formed in 2006 by the merger of France-based Alcatel and U.S.-based Lucent, the latter being a su ...

named ACU a Dynamic Enterprise Award winner and awarded ACU with its first Analyst Choice Award for its ACU Connected initiative. On June 13, 2009, the New Media Consortium presented ACU with one of three Center of Excellence awards at its annual summer conference for ACU's efforts in mobile learning. In August 2022 the ACU applied to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a construction licence for a molten salt research reactor for which it plans to achieve criticality by December 2025.

Athletics

Formerly a charter member of the Division I

Southland Conference The Southland Conference, abbreviated as SLC, is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States (specifically Texas and Louisiana). It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it ...

, Abilene Christian joined the Lone Star Conference (LSC) of Division II of the

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 ...

in 1973, but have since rejoined the Southland Conference . In 2007, the conference included 33 ACU current and former student athletes in its 75-member all-sports team commemorating the conference's 75th anniversary."Wildcats lead way as LSC honors all-time top performers,"
''ACU Today'', Summer 2007, p.32. Retrieved 2008-09-22. Through 2009, ACU is fourth in NCAA history in team national championships won with 57, trailing Division I schools UCLA, Stanford, and USC, and tied with Division III school Kenyon College.
In 2012 Abilene Christian had received

permission to compete in NCAA Division I, Division I FCS and was under consideration for reattachment to the

. On August 25, Abilene Christian's

board of trustees A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit org ...

accepted Southland's invitation to rejoin the Conference effective with the start of the 2013 academic year. * The men's track and field program has won 32 NCAA National Track and Field Championships: 19 NCAA outdoor and 13 indoor. * The women's track and field program has won 22 national championships: 12 indoor and 10 outdoor. * The Wildcats were NAIA national football champions in 1973 and 1977. *Before the NCAA invalidated its 2007 season, nine ACU football players were included in the LSC's 75th-anniversary list of top players in conference history. The school's 2007 victories were vacated by the NCAA in 2009. The NCAA charged "two assistant football coaches helped a pair of players find an English correspondence class to take, enroll in the same course, allowed them to use the coaches' school computers for writing papers and paid to mail the assignments." The school had scored more than 40 points in 11 of its 13 games and more than 50 points in 7 games and 70 or more points in two games including a 73–76 three overtime loss to Chadron State in the second round of the NCAA playoffs. * In 2008, the Wildcats "set a record for points in an NCAA (football) playoff game, beating West Texas A&M 93-68 in the second round of the Division II playoffs." *

Ove Johansson Ove Claes Johansson (born March 31, 1948) is a former American football placekicker and the current holder of the record for the longest field goal ever kicked during an American football game, at , for Abilene Christian University in their Octo ...

kicked the longest field goal in college football history (69 yards) in 1976, 5 yards longer than the current NFL record. it remains the longest field goal ever kicked in any level of football competition and is an unbroken world record. * Olympic athletes from ACU include Bobby Morrow, three-time 1956 gold medal winner; Earl Young, 1960 Olympic gold medalist in the 4x400 relay;

Billy Olson Billy Richard Olson (born July 19, 1958) is a retired American Olympic pole vaulter who held several world records, including the first 19-foot indoor pole vault.Al Pickett"Abilene has produced more than its share of stars," ''Abilene Reporter-Ne ...

, who made the 1980 and 1988 U.S. teams but did not compete in 1980 due to President Carter's decision to boycott the Games; Yolande Straughn, who competed in 1988 for

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estima ...

; and James Browne, 1988 competitor for

Antigua Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Bar ...

. *

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

and NFL Network analyst and author Sean Adams is a former NCAA All-American athlete for ACU.

Social clubs

The school has a number of student organizations called "social clubs" that are equivalent to a

fraternity A fraternity (from Latin ''frater'': "brother"; whence, " brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club or fraternal order traditionally of men associated together for various religious or secular aims. Fraternit ...

or sorority on other college campuses; chapters of national Hellenic societies, however, are not permitted. The main goal of these social clubs is to help in service to the surrounding communities and the school itself. Clubs also participate in intramural sports and Sing Song. There are a total of fourteen social clubs for both men and women.

Notable people

Alumni

* April Anthony, CEO of Homecare Homebase and Encompass Home Health & Hospice chair of the ACU Board of Trustees * Ben Avery, producer of the Tim Dillon Show podcast * Gordon Bethune, former

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

Continental Airlines Continental Airlines, simply known as Continental, was a major United States airline founded in 1934 and eventually headquartered in Houston, Texas. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers. Continental started ...

Bill Blakeley Billy Buie Blakeley (June 13, 1934 – October 27, 2010) was an American basketball coach. He coached at the high school, college, and professional levels. Coaching career High school (1957–1966) Blakeley served as the head basketball coach ...

, former basketball coach at the interscholastic, intercollegiate, and professional levels; ACU Sports Hall of Fame (1992–93) *

Jeffrey S. Boyd Jeffrey Scott Boyd (born 1961) is an American lawyer who has served as an associate justice of the Texas Supreme Court. He was appointed to Place 7 on the court by Governor Rick Perry in the fall of 2012 to fill the seat vacated by Justice Dale W ...

, Justice of the Texas Supreme Court, 2012 – * Kent Brantly, doctor with the medical mission group Samaritan's Purse; while treating Ebola patients in Liberia, he contracted the virus * James Browne, Olympic long jumper from

* Nelson Coates, Emmy-nominated film production designer;Nelson Coates
in Internet Movie Database first alumnus to join the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion ...

Sara Morris. "Christian perspective and talent help ACU grad excel in Hollywood," ''Abilene Reporter-News'', July 22, 2009, page Z-5. * Randall "Tex" Cobb, professional boxer, actor * Chris Christian, record producer, recording artist, songwriter * Charles Coody, professional golfer, winner of the 1971 Masters Tournament *

Bonnie Curtis Bonnie Kathleen Curtis (born March 26, 1966) is an American film producer whose credits include ''Saving Private Ryan'', '' A.I.'', '' Minority Report'', and '' The Lost World: Jurassic Park'', directed by Steven Spielberg. Her first solo proje ...

, film producer * Jody Dean,

news anchor A news presenter – also known as a newsreader, newscaster (short for "news broadcaster"), anchorman or anchorwoman, news anchor or simply an anchor – is a person who presents news during a news program on TV, radio or the Internet. ...

of KTVT-TV,

Dallas 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 ...

, Texas * Holly Dunn, country music artist, painter * Ronnie Dunn, singer and songwriter; one half of Brooks & Dunn * Grant Feasel, former center in the NFL for the Baltimore/

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...

and

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 a ...

; ACU Sports Hall of Fame (1994–95) * Greg Feasel, former offensive tackle in the NFL for the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...

and San Diego Chargers; Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer for the Colorado Rockies; ACU Sports Hall of Fame (2004–05) * Tracey M. Ferguson, editor of '' Jet'' (2017–) and '' Ebony'' (2017–) * Don Finto, pastor and author in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

* Edward Fudge, theologian * Taylor Gabriel, professional football player for the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...

Jim Gash James Allan Gash (born 15 March 1967) is an American legal scholar and academic administrator who currently serves as the president of Pepperdine University. Education Gash received his Bachelor of Arts in finance from Abilene Christian Universi ...

, eighth president of Pepperdine University * Janice Hahn, member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors; former member of the

United States House of Representatives 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 ...

; former Los Angeles City Councilwoman * James Hill, professional football player for the Seattle Seahawks * Micah P. Hinson, singer and songwriter *

V. E. Howard Verna Elisha Howard (September 29, 1911 – September 28, 2000), known as V. E. Howard, was an American minister and radio evangelist based in Texarkana, Texas, who founded the ''International Gospel Hour''. Family background Howard w ...

, Church of Christ clergyman who started the radio ''International Gospel Hour'', based originally in

Texarkana, Texas Texarkana is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States, in the Ark-La-Tex region. Located approximately from Dallas, Texarkana is a twin city with neighboring Texarkana, Arkansas. The Texas city's population was 36,193 at the 2020 censu ...

Billie Hughes Billie Keith Hughes (April 4, 1948 – July 3, 1998) was an American recording artist, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is best known for his successful artist career in Japan, lead vocalist of his band Lazarus and his collaboratio ...

, recording artist and songwriter * Robert Dean Hunter, vice-president emeritus of ACU; member of the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abo ...

, District 71, (1986–2007) *

, Swedish-born American football fieldgoal record setter, father of Annika Johansson * Daniel Johnston, singer and songwriter – attended ACU in his first year of college * Robert Kelley, 11th president of the

University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota (also known as UND or North Dakota) is a public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of N ...

* H. Jeff Kimble, William L. Valentine Professor and Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology *

Johnny Knox Johnny Otis Knox II (born November 3, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver who played three seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Abilene Christian University. He was selected by the Chica ...

, former professional football player for NFL team

* John Layfield, professional wrestler *

David Leeson David Leeson (October 18, 1957 – April 16, 2022) was a staff photographer for '' The Dallas Morning News''. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography in 2004, together with Cheryl Diaz Meyer, for coverage of the Iraq War. He ...

(1978), co-winner of 2004 Pulitzer Prize (previously nominated in 1986, 1990, and 1995)Jay DeFoore
"Leeson, Diaz Meyer Of DMN And LAT's Cole Win Photo Pulitzers,"
''Photo District News'' Online, April 5, 2004. Retrieved Aug. 6, 2007. and winner of the Edward R. Murrow and National Headliner AwardsACU press releas
"Pulitzer Prize-winning alumnus David Leeson wins Murrow, Headliner awards,"
July 19, 2004. Retrieved Aug. 6, 2007. * Clint Longley, former NFL quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers * Max Lucado, best-selling Christian author * Dale Martin, New Testament scholar, Professor Emeritus at Yale University * Danieal Manning, former professional football player for Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Cincinnati Bengals * Stephen Mansfield, author who writes about men's issues, leadership, history and modern culture; has appeared on the ''New York Times'' best-seller list *

Barry McCarty C. Barry McCarty (born 1953 ) is an American preacher and educator who has been associated with the Southern Baptist Convention and the Christian churches and churches of Christ. McCarty is a former president of Cincinnati Christian University and ...

, national radio host and former President of

Cincinnati Christian University Cincinnati Christian University (CCU) was a private Christian university in Cincinnati, Ohio. CCU was supported by the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, which are part of the Restoration Movement. The university was accredited by the ...

* TJ McCloud, singer-songwriter; former member of Stephen Speaks * Lindy McDaniel, former major league relief pitcher * Cleo Montgomery, former professional football player * Wilbert Montgomery, former professional football player * Bobby Morrow, Olympic sprinter, winner of three gold medals in the 1956 Games *

, Olympic pole vaulter (

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

, U.S. team for boycotted

1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (russian: Летние Олимпийские игры 1980, Letniye Olimpiyskiye igry 1980), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad (russian: Игры XXII Олимпиады, Igry XXII Olimpiady) and commo ...

); held several world records, including the first 19-foot indoor pole vault; vaulted for Abilene High School and ACUTed Dunnam
"Coaching by Hood vaulted ACU over top,"
''Abilene Reporter-News'', June 25, 2000.All-Time U.S. Rankings — Men's Pole Vault
, ranked #1 in the world for 1982.Frank Litsky

''The New York Times'', February 22, 1982, page C6, column 1 (late city final edition).Al Pickett

Abilene Reporter-News, December 24, 1999. *

Cline Paden Cline may refer to: Science * Cline (biology), a measurable gradient in a single trait in a species across its geographical range * Cline (hydrology), a fluid layer with a property that varies * Cline (mathematics) or generalised circle, a circl ...

(1947), Church of Christ

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 ...

, founder of Sunset International Bible Institute in Lubbock * Gerald S. Paden, Church of Christ missionary and minister, younger brother of Cline Paden *

Billy Gene Pemelton William Eugene "Billy Gene" Pemelton (born September 5, 1941, in Mercedes, Texas) is a retired American track and field athlete. He represented the United States in the pole vault at the 1964 Olympics where he finished in eighth place. He quali ...

, Olympic pole vaulter * Johnny Perkins, former professional football player *

Robert L. Pitman Robert Lee Pitman (born 1962) is an American attorney and jurist who serves as a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas and former United States Attorney fo ...

, lawyer, former United States Attorney; former United States Magistrate Judge; United States federal judge *

Ted Poe Lloyd Theodore Poe (born September 10, 1948) is an American politician who represented Texas's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2005 to 2019. Poe was the first Republican to represent the 2nd district ...

, former Harris County, Texas, judge; member of the United States House of Representatives *

Jack Pope Andrew Jackson Pope Jr., known as Jack Pope (April 18, 1913 – February 25, 2017), was an American judge, attorney, author and legal scholar who served as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas. Pope previously held the record for the ...

, lawyer, judge, and Supreme Court of Texas Chief Justice, 1982–1985 *

Big Pokey Milton Powell (born November 29, 1977), better known by his stage name Big Pokey, is an American rapper from Houston, Texas. Pokey is associated with chopped and screwed music, and is one of the original members of the Screwed Up Click. Rap ...

, rapper *

Raymond Radway Raymond Radway (born July 5, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams. He also was a member of the Los Angeles KISS in the Arena Football League. ...

, Former professional football player and national champion on the track team *

Daryl Richardson Daryl Lashay Richardson (born April 12, 1990) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football at Abilene Christian. College career Richard ...

, former professional football player * David Sampson, President and CEO of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America * Bernard Scott, former professional football player * Jack Scott, California state senator; chancellor, California Community College System *

Joe Shirley Joe Shirley Jr. (born December 4, 1947) is a Navajo Nation, Navajo politician who is the only two-term President of the Navajo Nation. He served as president from 2003 to 2011. He lives in Chinle, Arizona, and is :wikt:tó díchʼíiʼnii, Tódíc ...

(1978), President of Navajo Nation *

Jeev Milkha Singh Jeev Milkha Singh (born 15 December 1971) is an Indian professional golfer who became the first player from India to join the European Tour in 1998. He has won four events on the European Tour, becoming the most successful Indian on tour. He ...

(1996), professional golfer from India"Carry on, Jeev,"
''The Telegraph'' (Calcutta, India), November 4, 2006. Retrieved 2008-09-22. *

Monty Taylor Monty Taylor (born 12 August 1975) is a free software hacker, theatre director and lighting designer. He has been named one of the most important people in cloud computing and was featured by Wired as part of 'The New Hackers'. Free software ...

cloud computing Cloud computing is the on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage ( cloud storage) and computing power, without direct active management by the user. Large clouds often have functions distributed over mu ...

executive, co-founder of OpenStack * Merritt Tierce, short-story author, story editor, essayist, pro-choice activist, novelist, and television writer. * Hugh M. Tiner, second president of Pepperdine University * Gilbert Tuhabonye, Burundian Championship runner, genocide survivor, and author *

R. Gerald Turner Robert Gerald Turner (born November 25, 1945) is the President of Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas. One of the most highly-compensated university presidents in the United States, Turner has been hailed as a "transformational" f ...

, president of

Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = " The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , p ...

* Thomas B. Warren, minister, restoration theologian, and religious philosopher *

Aaron Watson James Aaron Watson (born August 20, 1977) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Active since 1999, Watson has recorded several independent albums in his career. His 2015 album '' The Underdog'' reached No. 1 on Top Country Albu ...

, country music singer * Charcandrick West, professional football player for the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The t ...

* Zane Williams, country artist * Allen Wilson, football coach * Earl Young, 1960 Olympic gold medal winner in 4x400 relay * M. Norvel Young, third president of Pepperdine University

Faculty

Everett Ferguson Everett Ferguson (born February 18, 1933) currently serves as Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas.Douglas A. Foster, Professor of Church History, editor of the ''Stone-Campbell Encyclopedia'' *

Michael A. O'Donnell Michael A. O'Donnell (born June 17, 1956, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania) is an American writer and researcher and co-principal investigator of the Adolescent Wellness Research Project, jointly with University of Alabama family strengths scholar Nick ...

, former Professor of Family Studies; founding executive director of the Southwest Center for Fathering

Campus

File:Abilene Christian University June 2019 16 (Zona Luce Building).jpg, Zona Luce Building - original 1929 school house, now home of the Nursing department File:ACUPolice.JPG, ACU Police Headquarters on Campus Court File:Abilene Christian University June 2019 13 (Sewell Theatre).jpg, Sewell Auditorium - built in 1929, original home of daily chapel File:Abilene Christian University June 2019 10 (University Church of Christ).jpg, University Church of Christ on EN 16th St File:Abilene Christian University June 2019 09 (McDonald Hall).jpg, McDonald Hall for freshman women File:Abilene Christian University June 2019 08 (Nelson Hall).jpg, Nelson Hall for freshman women File:GardnerHall.JPG, Gardner Hall for freshman women File:ACU SikesHall.JPG, Sikes Hall for freshman women File:Abilene Christian University June 2019 47 (Williams Performing Arts Center).jpg, Williams Performing Arts Center, built in 2003 File:Abilene Christian University June 2019 26 (Moody Coliseum).jpg, Moody Coliseum, home of daily chapel and Sing Song, as well as sporting events and concerts File:Abilene Christian University June 2019 20 (Brown Library).jpg, Brown Library File:TowerofLight.JPG, ACU Tower of Light and Bible Building Atrium

Notes

* When James Cox's wife became ill, his brother, Alonzo B. Cox, filled in for him to finish the term.

References

Bibliography

* Stevens, Dr. John C., ''No Ordinary University: The History of a City Set on a Hill'',

Abilene Christian University Press Abilene Christian University Press, also known as ACU Press, is an Abilene, Texas-based university press that is connected with Abilene Christian University. Since being formed it has released or acquired 456 titles and the press releases, on ave ...

, 1998. .

External links

* {{Coord, 32, 28, 10, N, 99, 42, 29, W, type:edu_scale:10000_region:US-TX, display=title Universities and colleges in Abilene, Texas Private universities and colleges in Texas Protestantism in Texas Seminaries and theological colleges in Texas Schools in Taylor County, Texas Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Education in Taylor County, Texas Educational institutions established in 1906 1906 establishments in Texas Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Universities and colleges affiliated with the Churches of Christ