Abilene Christian University

Abilene Christian University

Type	Private
Established	1906
Religious affiliation	Churches of Christ
Endowment	$380 million[1]
Chancellor	Royce Money
President	Phil Schubert
Provost	Robert L. Rhodes
Academic staff	200
Students	4,427
Location	Abilene, Texas, U.S.
Campus	Urban, 208 acres (84 ha)
Colors	Purple and White[2]
Athletics	NCAA Division I – Southland
Nickname	Wildcats
Affiliations	CCCU NAICU[3]
Mascot	Willie the Wildcat
Website	www.acu.edu

Abilene Christian University (ACU) is a private, non-profit university in Abilene, Texas, affiliated with Churches of Christ. ACU was founded in 1906, as Childers Classical Institute. Abilene Christian University's fall 2014 enrollment was 4,427 students of which 777 were graduate students.

History

Abilene Christian University grew from an idea held by A.B. Barret and Charles Roberson to form a school in West Texas. 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.^[4] It initially included a lower school starting in the seventh grade.^[5]

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 JMC Network, a converged student media operation, was created in 2008 to produce all student-led news media. 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 680 acres (280 ha) northeast of Abilene. In addition, residents donated 75 acres (30 ha) of adjoining land. The new campus opened in the fall of 1929.

ACU's Onstead-Packer Bible Studies Building, Chapel on the Hill and Tower of Light seen from Faubus Fountain Lake

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 Churches of Christ. Abilene Christian University has historically been the largest organization in the United States that has time set aside each class day for chapel. Chapel attendance is required, absent an approved exemption, and those students failing to meet the requirement over a period of more than one semester may be subject to suspension.^[6]

Abilene Christian College first received school accreditation in 1971 when it became an accredited member of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.^[7]

Amberton University, 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 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.^[8] Called ACU Dallas, the new campus began offering several new graduate programs, including an MBA and Ed.D. in organizational leadership.^[9]

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 10 years, an advisory board composed of community members served to monitor the station against this possibility.^[10] On October 18, 2008, the school hosted a live broadcast of NPR's long-running "A Prairie Home Companion" radio show from the campus' Moody Coliseum.^[11][12]

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 regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. ACU's business programs are professionally accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), 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 ACU School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). ACU Graduate School of Theology is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). ACU is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).

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.^[13]

Jacob's Dream statue and display on the ACU campus. The artwork is based on Genesis 28:10–22 and graphically represents the scenes alluded to in the hymn "Nearer, My God, to Thee" and the spiritual "We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder" as well as other musical works.

• Sing Song. Since 1956, this annual competition in mid-February has featured student groups of 30–100 people, singing themed a cappella medleys, usually satirical. Originating as a fundraiser for the school, the modern event has developed into a major show for which each group assembles costumes related to their act's theme, such as Peter Pan, the British Royal Guard, Coca-Cola, Adam and Eve, or forest fires. Often the costumes involve a mid-performance quick-change to a second costume — such as the 1987 acts in which grapes turned into raisins or bananas peeled to reveal Carmen Miranda — or elaborate choreography within the risers, as when the 1983 freshman class act recreated a Pac-Man screen and manipulated their costumes so that the character appeared to move around the screen.^[14][15][16] 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.^[17]
• 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.
• Spring Break Campaigns. Hundreds of students participate each year in missionary or community-service programs of 7–10 days in various parts of the United States and, some years, other nearby countries, a tradition that began with alumni Max Lucado in 1976.^[15][18]
• Wildcat Week. Formerly called Welcome Week, this event for the integration of incoming first-year and transfer students 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.^[15]
• 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. The whole campus stops classes and activities for chapel.

Abilene Christian University Press

ACU is one of only seven faith-based institutions with a press.^[19] ACU Press, founded in 1983 to print books about Churches of Christ theology, is now a member of the Association of American University Presses, printing books about Christian Higher Education, West Texas History and Christian Living as well as theology.^[20] Along with its trade imprint, Leafwood Publishers, 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 and Walt McDonald.

Technology and mobile learning

On February 26, 2008, ACU announced that all incoming freshman classes would receive a free Apple 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.^[21] In February, 2009, ACU hosted more than 400 academics and technologists from 31 states and 8 countries for its first ConnectEd Summit^[22] 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,^[23] 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^[24] from ACUTA and on March 4, 2009, Alcatel-Lucent named ACU a Dynamic Enterprise Award winner and awarded ACU with its first Analyst Choice Award^[25] for its ACU Connected initiative. On June 13, 2009, the New Media Consortium presented ACU with one of three Center of Excellence^[26] awards at its annual summer conference for ACU's efforts in mobile learning.

Athletics

Abilene Christian Athletics wordmark

Formerly a charter member of the Division I Southland Conference, Abilene Christian joined the Lone Star Conference (LSC) of Division II of the NCAA in 1973, but have since rejoined the Southland Conference as of 2013. 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.^[27] 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.^[28]

In 2012 Abilene Christian had received NCAA permission to compete in Division I FCS and was under consideration for reattachment to the Southland Conference.^[29] On August 25, Abilene Christian's Board of Trustees 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.^[28]
• The women's track and field program has won 22 national championships: 12 indoor and 10 outdoor.^[28]
• The Wildcats were NAIA national football champions in 1973 and 1977.^[30]
• 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.^[27] 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."^[31] 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 kicked the longest field goal in college football history (69 yards) in 1976, 6 yards longer than the current NFL record. As of 2009 it remains the longest field goal ever kicked in any level of football competition and is an unbroken world record.^[32]
• 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, 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; and
• James Browne, 1988 competitor for Antigua.^[27]
• ESPN 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 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.^[33] Clubs also participate in intramural sports and Sing Song.

Current social clubs

There are a total of fourteen social clubs for both men and women.^[34]

Rankings

• Ranked 5th on Guide to Online School's "2012 Online College Rankings".^[38]
• Ranked 18th in Regional Universities West.

People

Alumni

• Gordon Bethune, former CEO of Continental Airlines
• Bill Blakeley, former basketball coach at the interscholastic, intercollegiate, and professional levels; ACU Sports Hall of Fame (1992–93)
• Grant Boone, sportscaster with the CBS Sports Network.
• Jeffrey S. Boyd, Justice of the Texas Supreme Court,^[39][40] 2012 –
• Kent Brantly an American 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 Antigua
• Nelson Coates, Emmy-nominated film production designer^[41][42][43] and the first alumnus to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences^[44]
• Randall "Tex" Cobb, professional boxer, actor
• Bonnie Curtis, film producer
• Chris Christian, record producer, recording Artist, songwriter
• Jody Dean, news anchor of KTVT-TV, Dallas, 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, Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks; ACU Sports Hall of Fame (1994–95)
• Greg Feasel, former offensive tackle in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers; currently Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer for the Colorado Rockies; ACU Sports Hall of Fame (2004–05)
• Tracey M. Ferguson, editor of Jet (magazine) (2017-) and Ebony (Magazine) (2017-) ^[45]
• Don Finto, Pastor and author in Nashville, Tennessee
• Edward Fudge, theologian
• Janice Hahn, member of the United States House of Representatives and former Los Angeles City Councilwoman
• James Hill, professional football player for the Seattle Seahawks
• Micah P. Hinson, singer and songwriter
• V. E. Howard, Church of Christ clergyman who started the radio International Gospel Hour, based originally in Texarkana, Texas^[46]
• Robert Dean Hunter, vice-president emeritus of ACU; member of the Texas House of Representatives, District 71, (1986–2007)
• Ove Johansson, Swedish-born American football fieldgoal record setter, father of Annika Johansson
• Annika Johansson, stage actress, daughter of Ove Johansson
• Daniel Johnston, singer and songwriter – attended ACU in his first year of college
• Robert Kelley, 11th president of the University of North Dakota.
• H. Jeff Kimble, William L. Valentine Professor and Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology
• Johnny Knox, professional football player for NFL team Chicago Bears
• John Layfield, professional wrestler
• David Leeson (1978), co-winner of 2004 Pulitzer Prize (previously nominated in 1986, 1990, and 1995)^[47] and winner of the Edward R. Murrow and National Headliner Awards^[48]
• Clint Longley, former NFL quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers
• Max Lucado, best-selling Christian author
• Danieal Manning, professional football player for Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Cincinnati Bengals (retired)
• Stephen Mansfield, an American author who writes about men's issues, leadership, history and modern culture. His books have appeared on the New York Times best-seller list.
• Barry McCarty, National radio host and former President of Cincinnati Christian University
• TJ McCloud, singer-songwriter, former member of Stephen Speaks
• Bobby Morrow, Olympic sprinter, winner of three gold medals in the 1956 Games
• Cleo Montgomery, professional football player (also "Cle" or "Cleotha")
• Wilbert Montgomery, professional football player
• Billy Olson, Olympic pole vaulter (1988 Summer Olympics, U.S. team for boycotted 1980 Summer Olympics); held several world records, including first 19-foot indoor pole vault — vaulted for AHS and ACU^{[49][50][51][52][53]}
• Cline Paden (1947), Church of Christ missionary, founder of Sunset International Bible Institute in Lubbock
• Gerald S. Paden, Church of Christ missionary and minister, younger brother of Cline Paden
• Johnny Perkins, professional football player
• Robert L. Pitman, lawyer, former United States Attorney; former United States Magistrate Judge; United States federal judge
• Ted Poe, former Harris County, Texas, judge; member of the United States House of Representatives
• Jack Pope, lawyer, judge, and Supreme Court of Texas Chief Justice, 1982–1985
• Big Pokey, Rapper
• David Sampson, President and CEO of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America
• Daryl Richardson, professional football player for the New York Jets
• Bernard Scott, professional football player
• Jack Scott, California state senator; chancellor, California Community College System
• Joe Shirley(1978) President, Navajo Nation,
• Jeev Milkha Singh (1996), professional golfer from India^[27][54]
• Paul Stelzer, Co-Director of the Heart Valve Center and a senior surgeon in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital, and a Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, whose experience with the Ross procedure is considered among the most extensive in the world.^[55]
• Gilbert Tuhabonye, Burundian Championship runner and genocide survivor, author
• R. Gerald Turner, president of Southern Methodist University
• Thomas B. Warren, Minister, Restoration Theologian, and Religious Philosopher
• Aaron Watson, country music singer
• Charcandrick West, professional football player for the Kansas City Chiefs
• Zane Williams, Texas Country Artist
• Allen Wilson, football coach
• Earl Young, 1960 Olympic gold medal winner in 4X400 relay
• Cindi Love, entrepreneur and LGBT advocate
• Taylor Gabriel, professional football player for the Atlanta Falcons
• Charles Coody, professional golfer, winner of the 1971 Masters Tournament
• Cliff Felkins, 5 time NCAA Champion in Track and Field

Faculty

• Everett Ferguson, Patristics scholar and noted author
• Douglas A. Foster, Professor of Church History, editor of the Stone-Campbell Encyclopedia
• Gary D. McCaleb, vice-president of ACU, professor of management, and founder of Center for Building Community; former mayor of Abilene
• Michael A. O'Donnell, (former) Professor of Family Studies and Founding Executive Director of the Southwest Center for Fathering
• John B. Weaver, Dean of Library Services and Educational Technology, Professor in the College of Biblical Studies.

Campus

• 
  Zona Luce Building - original 1929 school house, now home of the Nursing department.
• 
  ACU Police Headquarters on Campus Court
• 
  Sewell Auditorium - built in 1929, original home of daily chapel
• 
  University Church of Christ on EN 16th St
• 
  McDonald Hall for freshman women
• 
  Nelson Hall for freshman women
• 
  Gardner Hall for freshman women
• 
  Sikes Hall for sophomore women
• 
  Williams Performing Arts Center, built in 2003
• 
  Williams Performing Arts Center glass atrium
• 
  A view of the WPAC and the Business Building from across the pond
• 
  Moody Coliseum, home of daily chapel and Sing Song, as well as sporting events and concerts
• 
  Brown Library
• 
  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, Texas: Abilene Christian University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-89112-031-9.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Abilene Christian University.

• Official website
• ACU Athletics website

Coordinates: 32°28′10″N 99°42′29″W / 32.46944°N 99.70806°W / 32.46944; -99.70806