Samford University

        Samford University , founded as Howard College, is a private , coeducational university located in Homewood , a suburb of Birmingham , Alabama , United States . Connect with the Alabama Baptist Convention , this includes the Howard College of Arts and Sciences , Cumberland School of Law , McWhorter School of Pharmacy , Brock School of Business , Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing , Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education and Beeson Divinity School. In the 2014 report , Samford was ranked third in the Southern Regional Universities by U.S. News & World Report .

History :

           Samford was founded in 1841 in Marion , Alabama , when members of Siloam Baptist Church acquired land in the town and the Alabama Baptist Convention called for a new Baptist school building there . They did Howard College in honor of John Howard , known for his work in prison reform in England . Under the charter trustees in 1841 was lawyer William Parish Chilton of Talladega . The new college opened its doors to students on January 3, 1842 . In 1887 the school moved to the East Lake community of Birmingham . It also ran Howard College Academy as a preparatory school at the time .
          Women were first admitted to Howard College in 1895 , and the college officially became coeducational in 1913 . One year later, the school's Teacher Education Department was established . In 1920 the school by the Southern Association of Colleges . In 1927 it added its pharmacy school .
For religious purposes , William Dudley Geer taught Christianity . Dudley was in the Second World War as a soldier, but focus on religion as his career .
           In 1961 , the school has the Cumberland School of Law of Cumberland University in Lebanon , Tennessee.
Under the leadership of President Harwell Goodwin Davis , the college moved . On June 11, 1953 Howard College in the Shades Valley broke ground on its third campus just south of Birmingham . The school 's new campus occupied in 1957 .

           In 1965 Howard resumed his master's degree program . This led to the college's elevation to university status on 9 November 1965 . The school was renamed in honor of Frank Park Samford , chairman of the board of trustees and until that time , the institution's most generous individual benefactor . ( In addition, there is also a Howard University in Washington , DC . )
The Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing , which is owned by the Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham , in 1973 at the University . In 1988 , the Beeson Divinity School established through donations from Ralph W. Beeson .
          The University consists of the Howard College of Arts and Sciences , Brock School of Business , Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education and Professional Studies , School of Performing Arts , Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing , McWhorter School of Pharmacy , Beeson Divinity School and Cumberland School of Law .
          On January 29, 2004 , in his Founder 's Day Address, then-President Thomas E. Corts announced a multi - year improvement plan called " Promise. " He said , " Samford University is an academically strong Christian university that coordinates a strong , effective educational program and encouragement of the Christian faith and service in a community that respects its individual members and encourages everyone to the highest and best levels of performance and conduct - academically , socially , spiritually , physically . "
The plan calls for Samford to invest about $ 200 million to " enrich the educational experience of their students better." Since June 1, 2003 more than $ 37 million was contributed in philanthropic gifts to the campaign.

Colleges and schools :

          Samford University is currently divided into degree - granting units . Each section is headed by a dean . The divisions of the University :
:

• Howard College of Arts and Sciences
• Brock School of Business
• Beeson Divinity School
• Beeson School of Education and Professional Studies
• Cumberland School of Law
• Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing
• School of the Arts
• McWhorter School of Pharmacy

Campus :

          Samford 's campus a few times in its history . Originally, Howard College located in Marion , Alabama , a black belt town between Selma and Tuscaloosa , this is the birthplace of Coretta Scott King . In 1887 , the college moved to the East Lake community in Birmingham .
           The college and now the University is currently located about 5 miles ( 8 km ) south of downtown Birmingham in Homewood , Alabama 's Shades Valley . The campus is located along Lakeshore Drive in Homewood , just 2 miles ( 3 km ) from Interstate 65 .
           Besides its lush lawns and well maintained gardens , Samford boasts a distinctive example of Georgian style architecture found in the United States . Samford 's uniform style , based on Colonial Williamsburg , was the vision of President Harwell Davis campus when he moved to the Shades Valley in 1953-1955 .