Southwest Baptist University - Definition and Overview

Southwest Baptist University (SBU) is a private institute of higher education affiliated with the Missouri Baptist Convention which is part of the Southern Baptist Organization. In 2003 there were approximately 3,600 students attending at one of SBU’s four campuses in Bolivar, Mountain View, Salem, and Springfield.

History

Abner S. Ingman and James R. Maupin founded Southwest Baptist College in 1878 in Lebanon. In 1879 the state of Missouri chartered the school and it moved to Bolivar. The college went through many financial difficulties and in 1908 a fire destroyed the only building on campus. The college remained closed from 1908-1913 until Missouri Baptists and area supporters helped it open again as a two-year junior college. In 1964 it became a four year liberal arts college and in 1981 Southwest Baptist College was renamed Southwest Baptist University. In 1995 SBU agreed with St. John’s School of Nursing, a traditionally Catholic institution, to form St. John’s School of Nursing of Southwest Baptist University, which is located in Springfield MO.

See Also

• List of colleges and universities in the United States
• List of colleges and universities starting with S
• Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association

External Links

Southwest Baptist University (http://www.sbuniv.edu)