Lipscomb University

About Lipscomb University

Lipscomb University is a liberal arts university in Nashville, Tennessee. It is affiliated with the churches of Christ.

Lipscomb University was founded in 1891 by David Lipscomb and James A. Harding. The campus grounds consist predominantly of the former estate of David Lipscomb, who donated it to the school. In the early 20th century, the institution was a Bible college. Its original name was the Nashville Bible School, which was changed to David Lipscomb College, then to David Lipscomb University. Lipscomb graduated its first senior class in 1948, leaving behind the name of "junior college" forever. In 1954, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools granted Lipscomb its first accreditation. In 1988, Lipscomb attained Level III (master's degree-granting) status and became known as David Lipscomb University. In 2005, the "David" was legally dropped and the institution was renamed simply Lipscomb University.

From the school's inception all full-time students were required to take daily Bible classes and to attend daily chapel services (now held in the on-campus sports facility Allen Arena), although the school was never intended to function primarily as a seminary, a term looked upon with disfavor by many members of the Churches of Christ, but rather as a Christian liberal arts institution. However, several prominent Church of Christ religious ministers received at least a portion of their higher education there (see "Notable alumni" below), and the institution remains thoroughly ensconced in the Churches of Christ: Potential faculty must prove their membership in a Church of Christ before being hired, and most of the student body comes from a Church of Christ background, high school, or family.