Birmingham–Southern College
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Motto | Pro Christo et Republica (Latin) |
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Type | Private |
Established | 1856 |
President | Daniel B. Coleman |
Undergraduates | 1,268[1] |
Location | , , United States |
Campus | Urban |
Colors | Black and Gold |
Affiliations | SAA (NCAA Division III) |
Mascot | Panthers |
Website | www |
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Birmingham–Southern College (BSC) is a private liberal arts college in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. Founded in 1856, the college is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). More than 1300 students from 33 states and 16 foreign countries attend the college.[2] Birmingham–Southern has a 13:1 student-faculty ratio, and 96% of full-time faculty hold a doctorate or the highest degree in their field.[3]
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/Gingko_Tree_at_Birmingham-Southern_College.jpg/350px-Gingko_Tree_at_Birmingham-Southern_College.jpg)
Birmingham–Southern College is the result of a merger of Southern University, founded in Greensboro, Alabama, in 1856, with Birmingham College, opened in 1898 in Birmingham, Alabama. These two institutions were consolidated on May 30, 1918, under the name of Birmingham–Southern College. Phi Beta Kappa recognized Birmingham–Southern in 1937, establishing the Alabama Beta chapter. Only ten percent of the nation's institutions of higher education shelter Phi Beta Kappa chapters, and Birmingham–Southern College is one of only three sheltering institutions in the state of Alabama.
Presidents
- 1918–21: Cullen C. Daniel
- 1921–37: Guy E. Snavely
- 1938–42: Raymond R. Paty
- 1942–55: George R. Stuart
- 1955–57: Guy E. Snavely
- 1957–62: Henry K. Stanford
- 1963–68: Howard M. Phillips
- 1968–69: Robert F. Henry
- 1969–72: Charles D. Hounshell
- 1972–75: Ralph M. Tanner
- 1976–2004: Neal R. Berte
- 2004–10: G. David Pollick
- 2011–15: Charles C. Krulak
- 2015-2016: Edward F. Leonard III
- 2016–2018: Linda Flaherty-Goldsmith
- 2018–present: Daniel B. Coleman
Academics
The college currently offers five bachelor's degrees in more than 50 programs of study, as well as interdisciplinary and individualized majors and dual degree programs.
Campus
The campus is situated on 192 wooded acres three miles west of downtown Birmingham. The college has 45 academic, residential, administrative, and athletics buildings/facilities. Some highlights:
Elton B. Stephens Science Center: Housing the natural sciences, the 100,000-square-foot, $24.1 million Stephens Science Center.[4]
Norton Campus Center: The hub of campus, the Norton Campus Center houses the bookstore, cafeteria, post office, and student lounge areas as well as offices for student development, residence life, and counseling and health services.
Munger Memorial Hall: The architectural centerpiece of campus, Munger Hall, built in the 1920s, houses administrative offices and a 900-seat auditorium.
Berte Humanities Center: Named in honor of former BSC President Neal Berte, the Humanities Center opened in 2004 and houses the foreign languages lab, the academic resource center (ARC), and classrooms designed for BSC's small student-to-faculty ratio.
College Theatre: With a split-revolve-lift stage, the main theatre can host a variety of set designs.
Lakeview Residence Halls: The first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) residence halls in Alabama, Lakeview North and South opened in 2010 and offer suite-style living for upperclass students.[5]
Hilltop Village Apartments: Recently renovated, the Hilltop Village apartment complex contains sixteen buildings that house approximately 350 students.
Urban Environmental Park: The Urban Environmental Park features a 1.5 acre lake, walking paths, and Wi-Fi internet.
N.E Miles Library: The N.E. Miles Library includes a collection of 257,000 volumes, 57,000 government documents, and more than 20,000 recordings, compact discs, and DVDs. More than 135 online databases provide access to the full text of over 40,000 periodicals and numerous e-books. The library also features an auditorium, study areas, conference rooms, and an electronic classroom.[6]
Striplin Fitness and Recreation Center: The main facility for campus recreation, Striplin features two basketball courts, an indoor jogging track, racquetball courts, a golf simulator, an indoor swimming pool, and strength training and cardiovascular workout rooms.
Melting Pot
The Bennett Lake is situated in the Urban Environmental Park, this body of water is named after Class of 2009 Alum John Jennings Bennett, Esq. The lake partners with The Gilmore Lawn, a popular place for social events on campus. The Voltz Flight of Stairs provides for the entrance to the park, named after Class of 2009 Alum Ingram Voltz.
Student life
Interest groups
A sampling of the more than 80 student interest groups on campus:
- Honor Council
- BSC Foosball Club
- Women's Student Association
- Sawdust Wrestling Society
- Hillel
- Native American Student Organization
- BSC Coder’s Club
- BSC Chess Club
- BSC Real Estate Club
- BSC OMFS Club
- Allies
- Art Students League
- Black Student Union
- BSC Debate Society
- BSC Bass Fishing Team
- BSC Pantherettes Dance Team
- BSC Ultimate Frisbee
- Coalition for Human Dignity
- College Republicans
- College Democrats
- Cross Cultural Committee
- Film Club
- Multi-Cultural Awareness Organization
- Reformed University Fellowship (R.U.F.)
- Student Government Association
- Quest II: The Student Programming Board (Plans and programs all major on/off - campus entertainment including concerts, talent show, and more)
- Soccer club
- Wesley Fellowship[7]
Greek life
Orders
- Kappa Alpha Order 1882
Fraternities
- Alpha Tau Omega 1885
- Sigma Nu 1987
- Theta Chi 1942
- Sigma Chi 1991
- Alpha Phi Alpha
- Lambda Chi Alpha 1924 (closed 1983)
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon 1878
Sororities
- Zeta Tau Alpha 1922
- Alpha Omicron Pi 1925
- Alpha Chi Omega 1926
- Pi Beta Phi 1927-1989, recolonized 1991
- Gamma Phi Beta 1930-1957
- Kappa Delta 1930
- Delta Zeta 1963-1974
- Chi Omega 1989
- Alpha Kappa Alpha 1979-2006
Athletics
Birmingham–Southern athletic teams are known as the Panthers. Birmingham–Southern is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and competes at the Division III level in the Southern Athletic Association. the college was originally a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and enjoyed a successful run in NAIA prior to joining the NCAA. After three years as a Division I member, the college moved to Division III in 2006.[8] Panther Stadium, home to the college's football program, hosted its first home football game on November 8, 2008. The stadium features an athletic building that includes a press box, coaches' offices, meeting rooms, athletic training room, officials' dressing room, and locker rooms for football, lacrosse, track and field, and cross country. The college currently fields 22 sports, nine men's and nine women's, including:[9]
Men's sports |
Women's sports
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Notable alumni
- William Acker – United States District Judge
- Robert Aderholt – United States Congressman from Alabama (1997–present)
- Laurie C. Battle – United States Congressman from Alabama (1947–1955)
- Amanda Bearse - actress, best known for her role as Marcy on the television sitcom Married... with Children.[10]
- Richmond C. Beatty (BA 1926) - academic, biographer and critic[11]
- Harvie Branscomb – Chancellor, Vanderbilt University (1946–1963)
- Lewis C. Branscomb (1865-1930) - Methodist minister[12]
- Charles Brooks – Editorial cartoonist
- Pat Buttram – Actor (sidekick of Gene Autry in films, and Mr. Haney in the TV series Green Acres)
- Howard Cruse – Cartoonist
- Charles Gaines – Author, journalist, screenwriter, editor; Cine Gold Eagle Awards, National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Emmy Award
- Alexander Gelman – Theatre Director, Organic Theater Company, Chicago
- Rebecca Gilman – American playwright
- Jennifer Hale - Voice Actress
- Howell Heflin – U.S. Senator from Alabama (1978–1997)
- Perry O. Hooper, Sr. – 27th Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court
- Alexa Jones – former Miss Alabama and news reporter
- Hugh Martin – Broadway and film composer and arranger, including movie musical Meet Me In St. Louis, starring Judy Garland.
- Walter P. McConaughy - Career diplomat and US Ambassador to Burma, South Korea, Pakistan, and Taiwan.
- John B. McLemore - (Dropout after 3 years) Antique clock restorer, and focus of "This American Life" podcast "S- Town"
- Morgan Murphy – Food critic and author
- Joe Nasco - Professional Footballer
- Sena Jeter Naslund – Author
- LaFayette L. Patterson – United States Representative
- Howell Raines – Executive editor, The New York Times (2001–2004); Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing, 1992
- Ray Reach – Jazz pianist, vocalist, arranger, composer, producer and educator. Director of Student Jazz Programs at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.
- Glenn Shadix – American actor
- Daryl Shore – Professional soccer player and coach
- Morgan Smith Goodwin – Actress, Spokesperson for Wendy's
- Luther Leonidas Terry – Surgeon General of the United States (1961–1965)
- Martin Waldron (1925–1981) – Winner of the 1964 Pulitzer Prize
- Ray Wedgeworth – Jacksonville State University head coach: basketball (1951–1953), football (1953), and baseball (1964–1970)
- Frederick Palmer Whiddon – President, University of South Alabama (1963–1998)
- Robert Lee Williams – 3rd Governor of Oklahoma (1915–1919)
- John H. Yardley – Pathologist
References
- ^ https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Birmingham&s=all&id=100937
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-07-07. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-07-08. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Birmingham-Southern College. "The Elton B. Stephens Science Center". Archived from the original on 2014-01-30. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- ^ Birmingham-Southern College. "Birmingham-Southern's new residence halls are first on a college campus in Alabama to achieve LEED certification". Archived from the original on 23 June 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- ^ Birmingham-Southern College. "About the BSC Library". Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- ^ Birmingham-Southern College. "Student Organizations List". Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
- ^ "Birmingham-Southern to D-III: Why? A Q&A". D3Hoops.com. May 26, 2006. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
- ^ Birmingham-Southern College. "BSC Basics". Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- ^ Married With Children star reminisces about her childhood in Winter Park from The Watermark, 10 April 2013
- ^ "Richmond C. Beatty". Guggenheim Foundation. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
- ^ "Injuries Sustained In Accident Fatal To Dr. Branscomb. Widely Known Methodist Leader Dies In Jasper Hospital. Held Pastorate In Anniston. Was President of Alabama Anti-Saloon League". The Anniston Star. October 30, 1930. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
Further reading
- Joseph H. Parks and Oliver C. Weaver, Birmingham-Southern College, 1856-1956. Nashville, TN: Parthenon Press, 1957.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Birmingham–Southern College
- Buildings and structures completed in 1921
- National Register of Historic Places in Birmingham, Alabama
- Educational institutions established in 1856
- Members of the Annapolis Group
- Universities and colleges in Birmingham, Alabama
- 1856 establishments in Alabama
- Liberal arts colleges in Alabama
- Universities and colleges formed by merger in the United States
- Private universities and colleges in Alabama