University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
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University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB), previously known as Mary Hardin-Baylor College, is a small Baptist liberal arts college located in Belton, TX. UMHB is known for its excellent nursing, business and (NCAA Division III) football programs.
[edit] History
The University was formed in 1845 at Independence, Texas as Baylor Female College. UMHB was designed to be the sister school of Baylor University. In 1866, as an answer to the rising population of the state, both schools moved to Central Texas, the main college to Waco and the female college 45 miles south to Belton, TX, where the schools remain to this day.
Baylor Female College saw a period of extreme growth in the 1920's, and it slowly broke ties to the men's side becoming a renowned college in its own right. However, this growth also necessitated an expansion project that sank the school deep into debt. With the onset of the Great Depression in 1929, and a devastating fire that consumed, among other things, the dormitory of Luther Hall, the debt was not able to be repaid. Baylor Female College was in danger of having to shut its doors forever. A generous grant from alumni Mary Hardin and her husband John saved the school. Having changed its name to Baylor College for Women in 1925, the institution was renamed again in gratitude as Mary Hardin-Baylor College in 1934. The ruins of Luther Hall still stand on the campus as a memorial and are the site of the school's annual Easter pageant.
Although for some time men had been allowed to attend, through what was known as the Cottage System, these "Campus Boys" were not allowed to graduate from the college until 1971 when the institution became co-educational. James P. Smith was the first male to graduate. Until that time it had the distinction of being the oldest female college west of the Mississippi River.
In 1978, the school was reorganized as a university and renamed once again as the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Today its enrollment stands at about 2,500 students and it offers 40 or 50 undergraduate degrees as well as 5 graduate programs.
Traditions resulting from the rich history of the university are of the utmost importance to the student body. The close student-to-teacher ratio and friendly staff give the small university the feeling of family.
Famous graduates of Mary Hardin-Baylor College include: Margaret Houston, eldest daughter of Republic of Texas President Sam Houston; Texas' first female governor, Miriam 'Ma' Ferguson; and Oveta Culp Hobby, the first Director of the Women's Army Corps and the first Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, now known as the Department of Health and Human Services.
UMHB comes from a rich Baptist tradition and many students choose it as an alternative to larger, more secular campuses. There is still a pre-dominance of evangelicals on the campus, keeping it a desirable place for students who desire the opportunity for Christian influence while pursuing higher learning. The student body and administration include a diverse cross-section of professors and students from all over the U.S., and other parts of the world.
[edit] Sports
UMHB is a strong competitor in the Division III American Southwest Conference. The football program made it to the Division III National Championship in 2004, falling to Linfield College 28-21.
