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:''BSC redirects here.  For other uses, see [[BSC (disambiguation)]].''
:''BSC redirects here.  For other uses, see [[BSC (disambiguation)]].''
[[File:BSC seal.png|right|275px]]
[[File:BSC seal.png|right|225px]]
'''Birmingham-Southern College (BSC)''' is a 4-year, private liberal arts college in the [[College Hills]] neighborhood of western Birmingham.  Founded in [[1856]], it is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. As of [[2005]] there are approximately 1500 students from 30 states and 23 foreign countries. Birmingham-Southern is in the top tier of National Liberal Arts Colleges in U.S. News & World Report's ''America's Best Colleges 2005'', the highest tier a liberal arts college can attain in the annual rankings, and is the highest ranked liberal arts college in Alabama. The College also is recognized by the John Templeton Foundation Honor Roll as one of 100 schools nationwide that emphasize character-building as an integral part of the college experience; as among the 100 "Colleges Worth Considering" compiled by Washington Post staff writer Jay Mathews; as one of "America's Best Christian Colleges" by Institutional Research and Evaluation Inc.; as one of the nation's top 30 colleges by The Washington Times; and as one of The Princeton Review's Best 357 Colleges.
'''Birmingham-Southern College (BSC)''' is a private 4-year liberal arts college affiliated with the [[North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church]]. Its campus is in [[Birmingham]]'s [[Bush Hills]] neighborhood, west of [[Downtown]] at the [[Arkadelphia Road]] exit from {{I-59/20}}. The current president is [[Daniel Coleman]].
 
Birmingham-Southern is a well-rated liberal arts school, receiving accolades from numerous publications. The college has been is recognized by the John Templeton Foundation Honor Roll as one of 100 schools nationwide that emphasize character-building as an integral part of the college experience; as among the 100 "Colleges Worth Considering" compiled by ''Washington Post'' staff writer Jay Mathews; as one of "America's Best Christian Colleges" by Institutional Research and Evaluation Inc.; as one of the nation's top 30 colleges by ''The Washington Times''; and as one of ''The Princeton Review''{{'}}s Best 357 Colleges.


Birmingham-Southern is one of only six baccalaureate-liberal arts institutions in the country so classified by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to hold both AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation—and the designation of Phi Beta Kappa.  Each year, Birmingham-Southern ranks #1 in Alabama and among the nation's best in percentage of all graduates accepted to medical, dental, or health-career programs; the college also ranks high nationally in graduates accepted to law school.
Birmingham-Southern is one of only six baccalaureate-liberal arts institutions in the country so classified by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to hold both AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation—and the designation of Phi Beta Kappa.  Each year, Birmingham-Southern ranks #1 in Alabama and among the nation's best in percentage of all graduates accepted to medical, dental, or health-career programs; the college also ranks high nationally in graduates accepted to law school.


==History==
==History==
[[Image:Munger Hall in 1928.jpg|right|thumb|450px|Munger Hall, with administrative offices and a large auditorium, was completed in 1928]]
[[File:1906 Owenton College.jpg|right|thumb|425px|Owenton College, opened in 1898]]
In [[1824]], the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church recommended that each conference establish a seminary of learning under its regulation and patronage. Not until [[1854]] did the [[Alabama Conference of the Methodist Church|Alabama Conference]] undertake to carry out this recommendation of the superior body. In that year, a committee was appointed to select a site for the proposed college and to procure funds for its establishment and maintenance. '''Southern University''' was chartered in [[Greensboro]] on [[January 25]], [[1856]] and its board of trustees held its first meeting, now commemorated as "Founder's Day" on [[March 17]] of that year.
[[Image:Munger Hall in 1928.jpg|right|thumb|425px|Munger Hall, with administrative offices and a large auditorium, was completed in 1928]]
In [[1824]], the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church recommended that each conference establish a seminary of learning under its regulation and patronage. Not until [[1854]], after Southern Methodists had seceded from the national denomination, did the [[Alabama Conference of the Methodist Church Episcopal Church, South|Alabama Conference]] undertake to carry out this recommendation of the superior body. In that year, a committee was appointed to select a site for the proposed college and to procure funds for its establishment and maintenance. '''Southern University''' was chartered in [[Greensboro]] on [[January 25]], [[1856]] and its board of trustees held its first meeting, now commemorated as "Founder's Day" on [[March 17]] of that year.


After the [[North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church|North Alabama Conference]] was split from the statewide conference in [[1883]], it agreed to contribute to the operations of Southern University. In November [[1896]], though, it was proposed that a new college for men should be established by the North Alabama Conference. A committee met at Birmingham's [[First Methodist Church]] on [[February 3]], [[1897]] and approved the proposal, selecting Birmingham as the best location. [[Rose Owen]], a steward at [[Walker Memorial United Methodist Church|Elyton Methodist Church]], had acquired an area west of [[Smithfield]] which he had begun subdividing as "[[Owenton]]". He donated a 15-acre parcel on the [[Flint Ridge]] in the northern part of his subdivision for the use of the college and convinced other adjoining landowners [[Robert Greene]], [[Thomas Bush]] and [[Paul Earle]] to contribute additional acreage. Owen also served as chief fund-raiser for capital with which to erect the first building, named [[Rose Owen Hall]] in his honor. The new institution, formally called the '''North Alabama Conference College''', but popularly known as '''Owenton College''' opened in September [[1898]]. It was renamed '''Birmingham College''' in [[1906]].
After the [[North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church|North Alabama Conference]] was split from the statewide conference in [[1870]], it agreed to contribute to the operations of Southern University. In November [[1896]], though, it was proposed that a new college for men should be established by the North Alabama Conference. A committee met at Birmingham's [[First Methodist Church]] on [[February 3]], [[1897]] and approved the proposal, selecting Birmingham as the best location. [[Rose Owen]], a steward at [[Walker Memorial United Methodist Church|Elyton Methodist Church]], had acquired an area west of [[Smithfield]] which he had begun subdividing as "[[Owenton]]". He donated a 15-acre parcel on the [[Flint Ridge]] in the northern part of his subdivision for the use of the college and convinced other adjoining landowners [[Robert Greene]], [[Thomas Bush]] and [[Paul Earle]] to contribute additional acreage. Owen also served as chief fund-raiser for capital with which to erect the first building, named [[Rose Owen Hall]] in his honor. The new institution, formally called the '''North Alabama Conference College''', but popularly known as '''Owenton College''' opened in September [[1898]]. It was renamed '''Birmingham College''' in [[1906]].


On [[May 30]], [[1918]] commissioners from the Alabama and North Alabama Conferences agreed to consolidate the two schools as '''Birmingham-Southern College'''. The college began operating under that name on [[September 11]] of that year.  
On [[May 30]], [[1918]] commissioners from the Alabama and North Alabama Conferences agreed to consolidate the two schools as '''Birmingham-Southern College'''. The college began operating under that name on [[September 11]] of that year.  


Birmingham-Southern has consistently sought academic distinction. [[In 1937]], its standards were recognized by the nation’s leading academic honor society, Phi Beta Kappa, which granted the College a charter to establish Alabama Beta.
Birmingham-Southern has consistently sought academic distinction. In [[1937]], its standards were recognized by the nation’s leading academic honor society, Phi Beta Kappa, which granted the College a charter to establish Beta of Alabama.
 
In the early 1970s, during the presidency of [[Ralph Tanner]], Birmingham-Southern studied the possibility of relocating to a large tract in northern [[Shelby County]] offered to the school by an anonymous benefactor, and invited [[Miles College]] in [[Fairfield]] to negotiate on a purchase of its Bush Hills campus. BSC accepted an offer of $14 million for the property, but Miles had difficulty raising enough funds to close on the deal. Some community leaders believed the proposal to be in the best interest of the college as well as the community, reportedly telling Tanner that a white institution wouldn't be able to serve the area as it became increasingly African-American. Others criticized the idea as "white flight", comparing it to [[Samford University|Howard College]]'s move to [[Shades Valley]]. In May [[1975]] Birmingham-Southern's board made the decision to remain on its existing campus.
 
In December [[1976]] a Birmingham-Southern student, [[Quenette Shehane]], was kidnapped from a convenience store near campus and murdered. The sensational crime fueled racist fears about the demographics of the college's surrounding neighborhoods. Within a few years a fence was erected around the perimeter of the campus.
 
The long presidency of [[Neal Berte]] boosted the status of Birmingham-Southern, growing enrollment to about 1,500 by [[2000]] and moving the athletics program into NCAA Division I competition. He also expanded the endowment from $11 million to $136 million.
 
===Decline and closure===
{{Main|Closure of Birmingham-Southern College}}
<!--The idea is to put a shorter summary here-->
 
==Enrollment==
* 2000: 1,500
* 2010: 1,542
* 2011: 1,400
* 2017: 1,200 students from 34 states and 8 foreign countries
* 2019: 1,205
* 2020: 1,127
* 2021: 1,047<!--1,058-->
* 2022–2023: 972
* 2023 (fall term): 731 full-time students
* 2024 (spring term): 689 full-time students


==Campus==
==Campus==
The wooded 192 acre (780,000 m²) campus is located three miles (5 km) west of [[Downtown]] Birmingham. There are 45 buildings in all, and 25 of them have been renovated since [[1976]].  There are many new facilties since [[1998]] including the [[Striplin Fitness Center]], [[Norton Campus Center]], the recently completed [[Elton B. Stephens Science Center]] of 100,000 square feet (9,000 m²), and the fraternity row.  Under the leadership of President [[Dr. G. David Pollick]], construction on a new lake, ''The Falls'', as well as an ''Admissions House'' are expected to be completed by the end of the 2006-2007 academic year.
The wooded 192-acre campus is located approximately three miles west of [[downtown Birmingham]] on the [[Flint Ridge]] south of [[Thomas]] in [[Bush Hills]].  The [[Alabama State Legislature]] passed a local [[prohibition]] law forbidding alcohol sales within a two mile radius of the college on [[March 2]], [[1901]]. The original school building, [[Owen Hall]], was demolished for the larger [[Munger Memorial Hall]], which opened in [[1928]].


==National Honor Societies==
Birmingham-Southern has documented four sites on its campus with the Council of Independent Colleges "Historic Campus Architecture Project". These include the [[Birmingham-Southern Academic Quad]], [[Birmingham-Southern President's House]], the [[Simpson Building]], and the [[Stockham Woman's Building]].
Birmingham-Southern is a sheltering institution for a chapter of [[Phi Beta Kappa]] and is home to 20 other honorary or professional societies in various academic areas. The college established a new chapter of the business honorary [[Beta Gamma Sigma]] in 2003, joining 375 other schools, all accredited in business through AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, that honor top students by inducting them into lifetime membership in the society. Birmingham-Southern is one of only six baccalaureate-liberal arts institutions in the country to hold both [[AACSB]] International accreditation and the designation of [[Phi Beta Kappa]] and one of only six to hold [[Phi Beta Kappa]] and house a [[Beta Gamma Sigma]] chapter.


==The Honor Council==
The [[Southern Environmental Center]] is an environmental educational facility located on the campus of Birmingham-Southern College. Each year, hundreds of school children tour the facility's Interactive Museum and EcoScape.
 
The campus housed [[:Category:Birmingham-Southern College buildings|45 buildings]] in all, with most of them having undergone renovations. A major building campaign undertaken during the early 2000s encompassed the [[Elton B. Stephens Science Center]], the [[Larry D. Striplin Jr Physical Fitness and Recreation Center]], [[General Charles C. Krulak Stadium]], the [[Edwards Bell Tower]], and the [[Birmingham-Southern College Admission Welcome Center]]. The school's "Fraternity Row" also saw numerous construction projects.
 
==Academics==
In its final years, Birmingham-Southern's academic faculty were organized into 18 departments:
 
{|-
| valign="top" |
* Art and Art History
* Biology
* Business
* Chemistry and Physics
* Economics, Global and Comparative Studies, and Political Science
* Education
* English
* History
* Mathematics and Applied Computer Science
| valign="top" |
* Media and Film Studies
* Modern Foreign Languages
* Music
* Philosophy
* Psychology
* Religion
* Sociology
* [[Birmingham-Southern Theatre|Theatre]]
* Urban Environmental Studies
|}
 
The college offered 29 undergraduate majors and 24 approved minors, with an option for individualized courses of study.
 
Birmingham-Southern operated on the semester system, with two semesters per academic year, plus an interim "E-Term" in January. During that four-week period, students were encouraged to engaged in intensive and experiential learning by participating in internships or taking up creative projects.
 
===National Honor Societies===
Birmingham-Southern was a sheltering institution for a chapter of [[Phi Beta Kappa]] and is home to 20 other honorary or professional societies in various academic areas. The college established a new chapter of the business honorary [[Beta Gamma Sigma]] in 2003, joining 375 other schools, all accredited in business through AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Birmingham-Southern is one of only six baccalaureate-liberal arts institutions in the country to hold both AACSB International accreditation and the designation of [[Phi Beta Kappa]], and one of only six to hold [[Phi Beta Kappa]] and house a [[Beta Gamma Sigma]] chapter.
 
===The Honor Council===
The Honor Code established an Honor Council composed of 15 students as selected by the Student Government Association. This Council is in charge of hearing cases concerning the three tenets of lying, cheating, and stealing upon which the Code was built. Any honor violations governing student behavior or academic violations are brought before the Honor Council. Students must recognize the Council’s role of upholding the Honor Code as they enter the College by signing and agreeing to uphold the Code.  While the role of students in maintaining the Honor Code is crucial, the ultimate responsibility for campus governance rests with the President of The College and other designated administrators as delegated by the Board of Trustees.
The Honor Code established an Honor Council composed of 15 students as selected by the Student Government Association. This Council is in charge of hearing cases concerning the three tenets of lying, cheating, and stealing upon which the Code was built. Any honor violations governing student behavior or academic violations are brought before the Honor Council. Students must recognize the Council’s role of upholding the Honor Code as they enter the College by signing and agreeing to uphold the Code.  While the role of students in maintaining the Honor Code is crucial, the ultimate responsibility for campus governance rests with the President of The College and other designated administrators as delegated by the Board of Trustees.
==Academic calendar==
There are two semesters and an interim term in January. This is a period spanning four weeks that allows students to explore their interest in creative activities.  It is a process of intensive and experiential learning.


==Athletics==
==Athletics==
Line 38: Line 96:
Birmingham-Southern first fielded a football team in [[1918]], coached by [[Baby Haynes]]. [[Charlie Brown]] coached the team from [[1919]] to [[1923]].  [[Harold "Red" Drew]] was coach from [[1924]]-[[1927]].  The all-time winningest coach in BSC history, [[Jenks Gillem]] led the Panthers to a 51-43-8 record in 12 seasons ([[1928]] to [[1939]]).
Birmingham-Southern first fielded a football team in [[1918]], coached by [[Baby Haynes]]. [[Charlie Brown]] coached the team from [[1919]] to [[1923]].  [[Harold "Red" Drew]] was coach from [[1924]]-[[1927]].  The all-time winningest coach in BSC history, [[Jenks Gillem]] led the Panthers to a 51-43-8 record in 12 seasons ([[1928]] to [[1939]]).


After an almost seven decade absence, the Panthers fielded their [[2007 BSC Panthers football|first football team in 2007]]. Former [[Alabama Crimson Tide]] and [[Birmingham Stallions]] reciever [[Joey Jones]] was named the head [[BSC Panthers football|football]] coach in 2006, after a successful high school coaching career. Jones built the team from scratch for the 2007 season. The Panthers went 1-7 in varsity play, and 2-0 in junior varsity games, with a team made up primarily of freshman and sophomore players.  Jones left the program on [[February 14]], [[2008]], accepting the first head coach position for the University of South Alabama. Assistant coach [[Eddie Garfinkle]] was tapped to lead the Panthers for the [[2008 BSC Panthers football|2008 season]].
After an almost seven decade absence, the Panthers fielded their [[2007 BSC Panthers football|a new football team in 2007]]. Former [[Alabama Crimson Tide]] and [[Birmingham Stallions]] reciever [[Joey Jones]] was named the head [[BSC Panthers football|football]] coach in 2006, after a successful high school coaching career. Jones built the team from scratch for the 2007 season. The Panthers went 1-7 in varsity play, and 2-0 in junior varsity games, with a team made up primarily of freshman and sophomore players.  Jones left the program on [[February 14]], [[2008]], accepting the first head coach position for the University of South Alabama. Assistant coach [[Eddie Garfinkle]] was tapped to lead the Panthers for the [[2008 BSC Panthers football|2008 season]]. At the end of 2016 fall season, Coach [[Eddie Garfinkle]] was fired, and replacing him was [[Tony Joe White]]. White’s previous coaching job was at Centre College in Kentucky where he was the Offensive Coordinator. White was 3-7 in his first year as Head Coach for the Panthers.


==Notable alumni==
==Notable alumni==
Line 55: Line 113:
* [[Robert O. Miller]], Bishop, [[Episcopal Diocese of Alabama]]
* [[Robert O. Miller]], Bishop, [[Episcopal Diocese of Alabama]]
* [[Carol Newsom]], Charles Howard Candler Professor of Old Testament, Emory University
* [[Carol Newsom]], Charles Howard Candler Professor of Old Testament, Emory University
* [[Loulie Jean Norman]], 1933, operatic and popular singer
* [[Frank Osment]], Executive Vice President and Director, Amoco
* [[Frank Osment]], Executive Vice President and Director, Amoco
* [[Nancy Huddleston Packer]], author
* [[Nancy Huddleston Packer]], author
Line 61: Line 120:
* [[Dowd Ritter]], [[1969]], CEO of [[Regions Bank|Regions Financial Corporation]]
* [[Dowd Ritter]], [[1969]], CEO of [[Regions Bank|Regions Financial Corporation]]
* [[Richard Rowan]], Professor, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
* [[Richard Rowan]], Professor, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
* [[Glenn Shadix]], (attended for 2 years), actor
* [[James Sulzby Jr]], historian and civic leader
* [[James Sulzby Jr]], historian and civic leader
* [[Jabo Waggoner]], Alabama State Senate Minority Leader
* [[Jabo Waggoner]], Alabama State Senate Minority Leader
Line 66: Line 126:
* [[Kyle Whitmire]], [[2001]], journalist
* [[Kyle Whitmire]], [[2001]], journalist
* [[John Yardley]], Professor of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
* [[John Yardley]], Professor of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
* [[Frank Yeilding Jr]], Chairman, [[Jefferson Federal Savings & Loan Association]], Birmingham
* [[Frank Yeilding Jr]], Chairman, [[Jefferson Federal Savings & Loan]], Birmingham


==Faculty==
==Faculty==
{{main|List of Birmingham-Southern College presidents}}
{{main|List of Birmingham-Southern College presidents}}


Birmingham-Southern has a 12:1 student to faculty ratio, and of the full-time members of the faculty, more than 92 percent hold either a doctoral degree or the highest degree in their field.
Birmingham-Southern had a 12:1 student to faculty ratio, and of the full-time members of the faculty, more than 92 percent held either a doctoral degree or the highest degree in their field.


Dr [[Charles Norman Mason]], composer and Birmingham-Southern College professor of music, was awarded the prestigious Samuel Barber Rome Prize in Musical Composition during ceremonies April 14, 2006 in New York City.
Dr [[Charles Norman Mason]], composer and Birmingham-Southern College professor of music, was awarded the prestigious Samuel Barber Rome Prize in Musical Composition during ceremonies April 14, 2006 in New York City.
==Points of interest==
Birmingham-Southern has documented four sites on its campus with the Council of Independent Colleges "Historic Campus Architecture Project". These include the [[Birmingham-Southern Academic Quad]], [[Birmingham-Southern President's House]], the [[Simpson Building]], and the [[Stockham Woman's Building]].
The [[Southern Environmental Center]] is an environmental educational facility located on the campus of Birmingham-Southern College. Each year, hundreds of school children tour the facility's Interactive Museum and EcoScape.


==References==
==References==
* "[http://archive.org/stream/Gold_and_Black_1924#page/n13/mode/2up/ Owen Hall]" (October 3, 1924) ''The Gold and Black''. Vol. 7, No. 3, p. 3
* "[http://archive.org/stream/Gold_and_Black_1924#page/n13/mode/2up/ Owen Hall]" (October 3, 1924) ''The Gold and Black''. Vol. 7, No. 3, p. 3
* Lytle, Stewart (February 9, 1973) "Miles College negotiating to possibly buy BSC campus." {{BPH}}
* Chamblee, Leonard (March 6, 1973) "No BSC move race effect foreseen." {{BPH}}
* Joiner, Andrea (May 17, 1975) "Birmingham-Southern halts plan to sell campus to Miles." {{BPH}}, p. 1
* Brown, Donald A. (2005) ''Forward, Ever:Birmingham-Southern College at its Sesquicentennial.''
* Brown, Donald A. (2005) ''Forward, Ever:Birmingham-Southern College at its Sesquicentennial.''
* "Birmingham-Southern College", Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia 11:59UTC, 21 September 2006 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham-Southern_College]
* "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham-Southern_College Birmingham-Southern College]" (September 21, 2006) ''Wikipedia''
* Diel, Stan (June 15, 2010) "[https://www.al.com/spotnews/2010/06/financial_aid_error_costs_birm.html Financial aid error costs Birmingham-Southern College millions; cuts likely]." {{BN}}
* Garrison, Greg (June 24, 2011) "Birmingham-Southern College receives warning from accrediting agency." {{BN}}
* Garrison, Greg (June 3, 2013) "United Methodists vote to give $1 million to Birmingham-Southern College." {{BN}}
* Nicholas, William E. (October 2014) "The dilemma of the genteel tradition: Birmingham-Southern College in the civil rights era, 1957-1965." ''[[Alabama Review]]''. Vol. 67, No. 4
* Johnson, Roy S. (December 19, 2022) "Birmingham-Southern College’s future at stake as lawmakers discuss $37.5 million bailout." AL.com
* Whitmire, Kyle (January 25, 2023) "[https://www.al.com/news/2023/01/whitmire-looking-for-a-way-forward-bscs-time-is-running-out.html After 20 years of decline, BSC struggles to find a way forward]" {{AL}}
* O'Leary, A. J. (February 15, 2023) "Birmingham-Southern reports $97 million statewide annual economic impact." {{BBJ}}
* O'Leary, A. J. (March 2, 2023) "Grasping for a $37.5 million lifeline: What's next for Birmingham-Southern?" {{BBJ}}
* Crenshaw, Solomon Jr (April 6, 2023) "[https://birminghamwatch.org/bsc-board-votes-to-keep-the-college-open/ BSC Board Votes to Keep the College Open]" ''[[BirminghamWatch]]''
* Garrison, Greg (August 15, 2023) "City signals support for Birmingham-Southern College: ‘We almost didn’t make it,’ president says." {{AL}}
* Moody, Josh (October 19, 2023) "[https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/state-policy/2023/10/19/birmingham-southern-denied-state-loan-it-expected?mibextid=Zxz2cZ Birmingham-Southern College Denied State Loan]." ''Inside Higher Ed''
* Cason, Mike (October 20, 2023) "Why State Treasurer Young Boozer said he turned down Birmingham-Southern’s loan request." {{AL}}
* Cason, Mike (December 7, 2023) "College accrediting agency places Birmingham-Southern on warning status." {{AL}}
* Cason, Mike (December 10, 2023) "Birmingham-Southern makes another request to State Treasurer Young Boozer for $30 million state loan." {{AL}}
* O'Leary, A. J. (March 26, 2024) "Birmingham-Southern College is closing." {{BBJ}}
* Whitmire, Kyle (March 26, 2024) "[https://www.al.com/news/2024/03/whitmire-remember-what-alabama-lost-when-bsc-closed.html Remember what Alabama lost when BSC closed]." editorial {{AL}}
* Griesbach, Rebecca (March 27, 2024) "As Birmingham-Southern College closes, students wonder what comes next: ‘This is my family’." {{AL}}
* Watson, Nathan (March 27, 2024) "What Alabama will lose with the closing of Birmingham-Southern College on May 31." {{BNow}}
* Garrison, Greg (April 3, 2024) "[https://www.al.com/news/2024/04/the-long-slow-death-of-birmingham-southern-what-killed-an-alabama-college-with-168-year-old-roots.html The long, slow death of Birmingham-Southern: What killed an Alabama college with 168-year-old roots?]" {{AL}}
* O'Leary, A. J. (April 4, 2024) "What's next for BSC, campus, assets after fighting 'the good fight'." {{BBJ}}
* Whitmire, Kyle (April 24, 2024) "BSC said all was well. She exposed the truth with a spreadsheet.." {{AL}}
* Harwell, Harper (May 16, 2024) "Alabama A&M gives more details on bid for Birmingham-Southern College." {{BBJ}}


==External links==
==External links==
Line 90: Line 169:


[[Category:Birmingham-Southern College|*]]
[[Category:Birmingham-Southern College|*]]
[[Category: 1856 establishments]]
[[Category: 1898 establishments]]
[[Category: 2024 disestablishments]]

Latest revision as of 15:16, 12 June 2024

BSC redirects here. For other uses, see BSC (disambiguation).
BSC seal.png

Birmingham-Southern College (BSC) is a private 4-year liberal arts college affiliated with the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church. Its campus is in Birmingham's Bush Hills neighborhood, west of Downtown at the Arkadelphia Road exit from I-59/20. The current president is Daniel Coleman.

Birmingham-Southern is a well-rated liberal arts school, receiving accolades from numerous publications. The college has been is recognized by the John Templeton Foundation Honor Roll as one of 100 schools nationwide that emphasize character-building as an integral part of the college experience; as among the 100 "Colleges Worth Considering" compiled by Washington Post staff writer Jay Mathews; as one of "America's Best Christian Colleges" by Institutional Research and Evaluation Inc.; as one of the nation's top 30 colleges by The Washington Times; and as one of The Princeton Review's Best 357 Colleges.

Birmingham-Southern is one of only six baccalaureate-liberal arts institutions in the country so classified by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to hold both AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation—and the designation of Phi Beta Kappa. Each year, Birmingham-Southern ranks #1 in Alabama and among the nation's best in percentage of all graduates accepted to medical, dental, or health-career programs; the college also ranks high nationally in graduates accepted to law school.

History

Owenton College, opened in 1898
Munger Hall, with administrative offices and a large auditorium, was completed in 1928

In 1824, the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church recommended that each conference establish a seminary of learning under its regulation and patronage. Not until 1854, after Southern Methodists had seceded from the national denomination, did the Alabama Conference undertake to carry out this recommendation of the superior body. In that year, a committee was appointed to select a site for the proposed college and to procure funds for its establishment and maintenance. Southern University was chartered in Greensboro on January 25, 1856 and its board of trustees held its first meeting, now commemorated as "Founder's Day" on March 17 of that year.

After the North Alabama Conference was split from the statewide conference in 1870, it agreed to contribute to the operations of Southern University. In November 1896, though, it was proposed that a new college for men should be established by the North Alabama Conference. A committee met at Birmingham's First Methodist Church on February 3, 1897 and approved the proposal, selecting Birmingham as the best location. Rose Owen, a steward at Elyton Methodist Church, had acquired an area west of Smithfield which he had begun subdividing as "Owenton". He donated a 15-acre parcel on the Flint Ridge in the northern part of his subdivision for the use of the college and convinced other adjoining landowners Robert Greene, Thomas Bush and Paul Earle to contribute additional acreage. Owen also served as chief fund-raiser for capital with which to erect the first building, named Rose Owen Hall in his honor. The new institution, formally called the North Alabama Conference College, but popularly known as Owenton College opened in September 1898. It was renamed Birmingham College in 1906.

On May 30, 1918 commissioners from the Alabama and North Alabama Conferences agreed to consolidate the two schools as Birmingham-Southern College. The college began operating under that name on September 11 of that year.

Birmingham-Southern has consistently sought academic distinction. In 1937, its standards were recognized by the nation’s leading academic honor society, Phi Beta Kappa, which granted the College a charter to establish Beta of Alabama.

In the early 1970s, during the presidency of Ralph Tanner, Birmingham-Southern studied the possibility of relocating to a large tract in northern Shelby County offered to the school by an anonymous benefactor, and invited Miles College in Fairfield to negotiate on a purchase of its Bush Hills campus. BSC accepted an offer of $14 million for the property, but Miles had difficulty raising enough funds to close on the deal. Some community leaders believed the proposal to be in the best interest of the college as well as the community, reportedly telling Tanner that a white institution wouldn't be able to serve the area as it became increasingly African-American. Others criticized the idea as "white flight", comparing it to Howard College's move to Shades Valley. In May 1975 Birmingham-Southern's board made the decision to remain on its existing campus.

In December 1976 a Birmingham-Southern student, Quenette Shehane, was kidnapped from a convenience store near campus and murdered. The sensational crime fueled racist fears about the demographics of the college's surrounding neighborhoods. Within a few years a fence was erected around the perimeter of the campus.

The long presidency of Neal Berte boosted the status of Birmingham-Southern, growing enrollment to about 1,500 by 2000 and moving the athletics program into NCAA Division I competition. He also expanded the endowment from $11 million to $136 million.

Decline and closure

Main article: Closure of Birmingham-Southern College

Enrollment

  • 2000: 1,500
  • 2010: 1,542
  • 2011: 1,400
  • 2017: 1,200 students from 34 states and 8 foreign countries
  • 2019: 1,205
  • 2020: 1,127
  • 2021: 1,047
  • 2022–2023: 972
  • 2023 (fall term): 731 full-time students
  • 2024 (spring term): 689 full-time students

Campus

The wooded 192-acre campus is located approximately three miles west of downtown Birmingham on the Flint Ridge south of Thomas in Bush Hills. The Alabama State Legislature passed a local prohibition law forbidding alcohol sales within a two mile radius of the college on March 2, 1901. The original school building, Owen Hall, was demolished for the larger Munger Memorial Hall, which opened in 1928.

Birmingham-Southern has documented four sites on its campus with the Council of Independent Colleges "Historic Campus Architecture Project". These include the Birmingham-Southern Academic Quad, Birmingham-Southern President's House, the Simpson Building, and the Stockham Woman's Building.

The Southern Environmental Center is an environmental educational facility located on the campus of Birmingham-Southern College. Each year, hundreds of school children tour the facility's Interactive Museum and EcoScape.

The campus housed 45 buildings in all, with most of them having undergone renovations. A major building campaign undertaken during the early 2000s encompassed the Elton B. Stephens Science Center, the Larry D. Striplin Jr Physical Fitness and Recreation Center, General Charles C. Krulak Stadium, the Edwards Bell Tower, and the Birmingham-Southern College Admission Welcome Center. The school's "Fraternity Row" also saw numerous construction projects.

Academics

In its final years, Birmingham-Southern's academic faculty were organized into 18 departments:

  • Art and Art History
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Chemistry and Physics
  • Economics, Global and Comparative Studies, and Political Science
  • Education
  • English
  • History
  • Mathematics and Applied Computer Science
  • Media and Film Studies
  • Modern Foreign Languages
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Psychology
  • Religion
  • Sociology
  • Theatre
  • Urban Environmental Studies

The college offered 29 undergraduate majors and 24 approved minors, with an option for individualized courses of study.

Birmingham-Southern operated on the semester system, with two semesters per academic year, plus an interim "E-Term" in January. During that four-week period, students were encouraged to engaged in intensive and experiential learning by participating in internships or taking up creative projects.

National Honor Societies

Birmingham-Southern was a sheltering institution for a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and is home to 20 other honorary or professional societies in various academic areas. The college established a new chapter of the business honorary Beta Gamma Sigma in 2003, joining 375 other schools, all accredited in business through AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Birmingham-Southern is one of only six baccalaureate-liberal arts institutions in the country to hold both AACSB International accreditation and the designation of Phi Beta Kappa, and one of only six to hold Phi Beta Kappa and house a Beta Gamma Sigma chapter.

The Honor Council

The Honor Code established an Honor Council composed of 15 students as selected by the Student Government Association. This Council is in charge of hearing cases concerning the three tenets of lying, cheating, and stealing upon which the Code was built. Any honor violations governing student behavior or academic violations are brought before the Honor Council. Students must recognize the Council’s role of upholding the Honor Code as they enter the College by signing and agreeing to uphold the Code. While the role of students in maintaining the Honor Code is crucial, the ultimate responsibility for campus governance rests with the President of The College and other designated administrators as delegated by the Board of Trustees.

Athletics

BSCathletics.jpg

See main article: BSC Panthers

In the spring of 2006, the college's board of directors decided to move all athletic programs from the scholarship-driven NCAA Division I to the non-scholarship Division III. The college's application to join the Division III Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference was approved by a vote of league presidents on June 7, 2006. A transition period of several years is expected before BSC will become a full member of the conference. On June 15, 2006, Athletic Director Joe Dean, Jr announced that, owing to the number of scholarship athletes transferring elsewhere, BSC would not field teams in baseball or men's basketball for the 2006-07 academic year, meaning that for these sports, Division I participation was over.

Construction for Birmingham-Southern's new athletic complex began in February 2007. Land was cleared for the complex across from the BSC Softball Complex. The stadium features state-of-the-art artificial turf with an eight lane regulation track surrounding the field. An athletic building was constructed and includes a press box, coach’s offices, meeting rooms, an athletic training room, official’s dressing room and locker rooms for football, lacrosse, track and field, and cross country.

Football

Birmingham-Southern first fielded a football team in 1918, coached by Baby Haynes. Charlie Brown coached the team from 1919 to 1923. Harold "Red" Drew was coach from 1924-1927. The all-time winningest coach in BSC history, Jenks Gillem led the Panthers to a 51-43-8 record in 12 seasons (1928 to 1939).

After an almost seven decade absence, the Panthers fielded their a new football team in 2007. Former Alabama Crimson Tide and Birmingham Stallions reciever Joey Jones was named the head football coach in 2006, after a successful high school coaching career. Jones built the team from scratch for the 2007 season. The Panthers went 1-7 in varsity play, and 2-0 in junior varsity games, with a team made up primarily of freshman and sophomore players. Jones left the program on February 14, 2008, accepting the first head coach position for the University of South Alabama. Assistant coach Eddie Garfinkle was tapped to lead the Panthers for the 2008 season. At the end of 2016 fall season, Coach Eddie Garfinkle was fired, and replacing him was Tony Joe White. White’s previous coaching job was at Centre College in Kentucky where he was the Offensive Coordinator. White was 3-7 in his first year as Head Coach for the Panthers.

Notable alumni

Faculty

Main article: List of Birmingham-Southern College presidents

Birmingham-Southern had a 12:1 student to faculty ratio, and of the full-time members of the faculty, more than 92 percent held either a doctoral degree or the highest degree in their field.

Dr Charles Norman Mason, composer and Birmingham-Southern College professor of music, was awarded the prestigious Samuel Barber Rome Prize in Musical Composition during ceremonies April 14, 2006 in New York City.

References

External links

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