PURSUING AND APPLYING TRUTH:
LEE UNIVERSITY
Louis F. Morgan
WHEN THE Church of God’s flagship educational institution returned to Cleveland in 1947, more than 600 students enrolled in one of three divisions: Junior College, Academy (high school), or Religious Education. Those first years as Lee College were marked with advancement, and enrollment in the Junior College surpassed that of the original religious education program. J. Stewart Brinsfield became Lee’s president in 1948, and his leadership, accompanied by an administrative team of visionaries, accelerated Lee’s development.
The shift toward a more academic curriculum was not without tension, however. Opinions varied as to Lee’s future. As historian Charles W. Conn explained, “Some felt that it should be a liberal arts college with strong curricula in theology and biblical studies, while others felt that it should be strictly a Bible College for training Christian workers, with only necessary courses in arts and sciences. The question to identify virtually ended the excitement and growth. A decade would pass before that matter was finally settled.”
As an effort to strengthen the biblical training emphasis, in 1953 the school began Lee Bible College, a four-year degree program, which received accreditation from the American Association of Theological Schools in 1959. The other programs were aligned within the Liberal Arts College. Nonetheless, the continued tension over Lee’s approach to education contributed to a rapid turnover in leadership, including four presidents in 10 years: J. Stewart Brinsfield (1948–1951), John C. Jernigan (1951–1952), R. Leonard Carroll Sr. (1952–1957), and Rufus L. Platt (1957–1960). Lee found it difficult to retain faculty, and student enrollment declined to less than 400 by 1959.
Ray H. Hughes became president in 1960, having attended BTS and establishing himself as a Church of God leader. His guidance in creating new programs and connecting with alumni and potential students led to growth. In 1960, the Southern Association also accredited the two-year Junior College, a significant accomplishment and affirmation of Lee’s direction.
The shift toward a more academic curriculum was not without tension, however. Opinions varied as to Lee’s future. As historian Charles W. Conn explained, “Some felt that it should be a liberal arts college with strong curricula in theology and biblical studies, while others felt that it should be strictly a Bible College for training Christian workers, with only necessary courses in arts and sciences. The question to identify virtually ended the excitement and growth. A decade would pass before that matter was finally settled.”
As an effort to strengthen the biblical training emphasis, in 1953 the school began Lee Bible College, a four-year degree program, which received accreditation from the American Association of Theological Schools in 1959. The other programs were aligned within the Liberal Arts College. Nonetheless, the continued tension over Lee’s approach to education contributed to a rapid turnover in leadership, including four presidents in 10 years: J. Stewart Brinsfield (1948–1951), John C. Jernigan (1951–1952), R. Leonard Carroll Sr. (1952–1957), and Rufus L. Platt (1957–1960). Lee found it difficult to retain faculty, and student enrollment declined to less than 400 by 1959.
Ray H. Hughes became president in 1960, having attended BTS and establishing himself as a Church of God leader. His guidance in creating new programs and connecting with alumni and potential students led to growth. In 1960, the Southern Association also accredited the two-year Junior College, a significant accomplishment and affirmation of Lee’s direction.
Response to Changing Times
The 1960s marked a period of rapid change and cultural shifts. While the transition was met with student riots at many colleges, the changes at Lee, although slow at times, were peaceful. A significant advancement was Lee’s desegregation. In the early years, the school adhered to government laws prohibiting integrated schools, except for a handful of minority students with missions-related status, whom the school had accepted since 1928. In the 1950s and 1960s, Lee provided teachers for music and Bible classes for the denomination’s underserved minority constituency. In May 1964, the Church of God adopted a resolution endorsing the desegregation of schools. Two years later, Lee was desegregated when Deborah Bacon and Larry Cox of Cleveland and Hazel Edwards of Mississippi became the first African-American students. Mollye Edmond of Mississippi, Pauline Washington of Washington, D.C., Mike Linley of Georgia, and Sam Ellis and Quan Miller of Florida soon joined them. Creating a Unique Identity
Several student life programs began in the 1960s and 1970s that helped shape Lee’s identity and provided a sense of community. The first Greek-letter social service clubs were chartered: Upsilon Xi (1962) and Alpha Gamma Chi (1963) for men, and Delta Zeta Tau (1964) and Sigma Nu Sigma (1966) for women. Today students can participate in 10 Greek-letter service clubs and numerous other academic and social clubs. Parade of Favorites began in 1963 with Betty Jo Byrd [Sumner] of Lakeland, Florida, chosen as the first “Miss POF.” Emerging from the first traveling choir, organized in 1958 by A.T. Humphries, vocal and instrumental ensembles represented Lee across the nation and internationally. Currently, these include Campus Choir, Evangelistic Singers, Ladies of Lee, Lee Singers, Voices of Lee, and Symphonic Band. Intramural athletic teams have existed at Lee since the 1940s, but the first varsity team, men’s basketball, was organized in 1958 with Hubert Black as athletic director. Lee adopted the Vikings mascot by 1961, but transitioned to the Flames in 1982. Today, more than 10 athletic varsity teams compete in the NCAA Division II—Gulf South Conference, and Lee’s student athletes have earned recognition for their excellence on the field and in the classroom. These new initiatives created enthusiasm among prospective students, and by 1966 enrollment exceeded 1,000 for the first time. |
AVIS SWIGER
Avis Swiger, of Berea, West Virginia, taught at BTS and Lee for 37 years (1935–1972). A former school teacher, she studied for three years at Salem College. Upon joining the Church of God, she completed the BTS correspondence course, after which she and her husband, Archie, desired to attend BTS. Upon learning of her teaching experience, President J.H. Walker Sr. recruited her as a teacher. Through the years, Swiger taught Old Testament, missions, and personal evangelism, and she often wrote her own textbooks. She also served as dean of women for several years. Swiger is remembered for her influential guidance and counsel to countless students, as well as encouraging students to memorize scripture, which proved to help preachers in delivering their sermons. Clyne Buxton remembers her as “remarkably gifted as an instructor and genuinely spiritual.” To honor her long-term commitment to teaching, in 1958 the Alumni Association created the Avis Swiger Student Loan Fund, which for many years was the principal loan fund available to make it possible for many to attend Lee. She was the first faculty member awarded an honorary doctorate by Lee’s Board of Directors, and she was among the first faculty members to be awarded Professor Emeritus status. Upon her retirement in 1972, Swiger was honored at the General Assembly for her direct influence upon and instruction to hundreds of Church of God ministers. President Charles W. Conn noted she was “one of the most loved and dedicated faculty members ever to teach at Lee College.” |
Universidad de Lee
La institución regresó a Cleveland en 1947 con más de seiscientos estudiantes. Aunque los primeros años estuvieron marcados por avances, el debate sobre el tipo de educación (bíblica o humanista) apagó la emoción y afectó la matrícula. Ray H. Hughes, uno de los líderes más respetados de la denominación, lidió con estas divisiones y sacó adelante a la universidad. La academia cerró en el 1965 y en 1968 el Colegio Bíblico de Lee y el Colegio de Artes Liberales se convirtieron en una universidad con dos divisiones: Artes y Ciencias, Religión y Pedagogía. Charles W. Conn fue su presidente desde el 1970 hasta 1982 y supervisó la transición hacia una universidad de artes liberales con un programa de cuatro años. La matrícula siguió en aumento hasta que hubo una recesión económica. Lamar Vest fue nombrado presidente en 1984 y cambió el rumbo. En 1986, Paul Conn comenzó su presidencia con una visión clara, amor y mucho entusiasmo. Bajo su liderazgo la universidad expandió sus instalaciones, su reputación, la matrícula y la oferta académica. Lee ofreció sus primeros cursos de maestría en el 1995 y dos años más tarde fue designada como universidad. En el otoño de 2017 su matrícula alcanzó los 5,370 estudiantes provenientes de cincuenta y dos países a través de la División de Educación de Adultos, la Facultad de Artes y Ciencias, la Facultad de Educación, la Escuela de Negocios, la Escuela de Música, la Escuela de Enfermería y la Escuela de Religión. |
DON BOWDLE
[T]here is a positive correlation between scholarship and wholeness; that one must approach all of learning with a sense of privilege and responsibility under God; that truth is truth wherever it is found, whether the test tube, literary masterpiece, or Holy Scripture; that appropriate integration of truth is both intellectual and behavioral in nature; and that the pursuit and application of truth is, indeed, “ministry.”
Penned by Donald N. Bowdle, this description summarizes the philosophy and mission that has guided Lee University for more than a half-century. Bowdle devoted his life’s vocation to preparing men and women for ministry and engaging their minds. Originally from Maryland and an ordained bishop with the Church of God, Bowdle graduated from Lee and earned four additional degrees, including a Ph.D. from Bob Jones University, Th.M. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and Th.D. from Union Theological Seminary, as well as postdoctoral fellowships at Yale University and the University of Edinburgh. He authored numerous books, received Lee’s second Excellence in Teaching award in 1973 and Lee’s first Excellence in Scholarship award in 1986, and taught systematic theology, New Testament Greek, history of Christianity, and numerous other subjects for 51 years (1962–2013). In 2004, Bowdle was promoted to Distinguished Professor of History and Religion. His former student and faculty colleague, Jerome Boone, noted, “The fruit of Bowdle’s half century of teaching is the many disciples of Jesus Christ that he has been instrumental in mentoring. Literally, thousands of men and women are engaged in vocational ministry today as a result, in part, of the preparation that they received in his classes.” |
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The Dream Becomes a Reality
The period of decline at Lee in the 1950s caused church leadership to reconsider its approach to higher education. They appointed a committee comprised of James A. Cross, Charles W. Conn, Ray H. Hughes, James L. Slay, and Lewis Willis in 1960 to better comprehend the future needs in higher education. Two years later, they recommended, “…it is our responsibility to sponsor one four-year liberal arts college, strong in education and the arts. It is our further responsibility to sponsor a strong school of theology and Christian training. We recommend that our efforts and attention be directed toward the full realization of such an institution, which is and shall be Lee College.” This was a significant turning point for Church of God higher education and for Lee.
In 1966, James A. Cross became president, and Donald Aultman was hired as vice president and dean. Lee’s academic development continued with the addition of faculty with doctorates and credentials necessary to meet accreditation standards and provide quality instruction to students.
Following the recommendation of the Executive Council and Lee’s Board of Directors to unify the academic programs, the Academy closed in 1965. Three years later, Lee Bible College and the Liberal Arts program merged, allowing the school to focus more intently on a four-year degree program. Lee became a unified college with three divisions: Arts and Sciences, Religion, and Teacher Education. Aultman later reflected: “We had to take an academic bulldozer, turn the college upside down, and completely redesign it…. We created vehicles for student involvement in governance—college council, faculty affairs, [and] curriculum. We acquired doctoral faculty for each major area of study…. We raised faculty wages and established a tenure policy…. The changes we imposed on the college were not perfect, but crucial, fearless adjustments that led to Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation.” The accreditation was awarded in December 1969.
After Lee College received accreditation, Charles W. Conn was selected as president in 1970 following his tenure as general overseer. An esteemed Church of God leader who also appreciated the arts and literature, he guided Lee’s transition into a four-year liberal arts college while maintaining its Christ-centered mission. Lee increased student services, strengthened academics, and intentionally provided broader cultural opportunities for students. Additionally, Lee welcomed community residents to campus for cultural and worship events. Conn served 12 years and is the only person to date named President Emeritus.
Enrollment continued to increase, reaching 1,342 students in 1979, before an economic recession created challenges and led to a decrease. Ray H. Hughes was appointed president a second time in 1982. R. Lamar Vest became president two years later and secured psychology faculty member Paul Conn as vice president for Institutional Advancement. Enrollment had dipped to 960, but Vest and Conn worked together to strengthen the college financially, numerically, and academically. Within two years, enrollment increased to 1,214 students.
The period of decline at Lee in the 1950s caused church leadership to reconsider its approach to higher education. They appointed a committee comprised of James A. Cross, Charles W. Conn, Ray H. Hughes, James L. Slay, and Lewis Willis in 1960 to better comprehend the future needs in higher education. Two years later, they recommended, “…it is our responsibility to sponsor one four-year liberal arts college, strong in education and the arts. It is our further responsibility to sponsor a strong school of theology and Christian training. We recommend that our efforts and attention be directed toward the full realization of such an institution, which is and shall be Lee College.” This was a significant turning point for Church of God higher education and for Lee.
In 1966, James A. Cross became president, and Donald Aultman was hired as vice president and dean. Lee’s academic development continued with the addition of faculty with doctorates and credentials necessary to meet accreditation standards and provide quality instruction to students.
Following the recommendation of the Executive Council and Lee’s Board of Directors to unify the academic programs, the Academy closed in 1965. Three years later, Lee Bible College and the Liberal Arts program merged, allowing the school to focus more intently on a four-year degree program. Lee became a unified college with three divisions: Arts and Sciences, Religion, and Teacher Education. Aultman later reflected: “We had to take an academic bulldozer, turn the college upside down, and completely redesign it…. We created vehicles for student involvement in governance—college council, faculty affairs, [and] curriculum. We acquired doctoral faculty for each major area of study…. We raised faculty wages and established a tenure policy…. The changes we imposed on the college were not perfect, but crucial, fearless adjustments that led to Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation.” The accreditation was awarded in December 1969.
After Lee College received accreditation, Charles W. Conn was selected as president in 1970 following his tenure as general overseer. An esteemed Church of God leader who also appreciated the arts and literature, he guided Lee’s transition into a four-year liberal arts college while maintaining its Christ-centered mission. Lee increased student services, strengthened academics, and intentionally provided broader cultural opportunities for students. Additionally, Lee welcomed community residents to campus for cultural and worship events. Conn served 12 years and is the only person to date named President Emeritus.
Enrollment continued to increase, reaching 1,342 students in 1979, before an economic recession created challenges and led to a decrease. Ray H. Hughes was appointed president a second time in 1982. R. Lamar Vest became president two years later and secured psychology faculty member Paul Conn as vice president for Institutional Advancement. Enrollment had dipped to 960, but Vest and Conn worked together to strengthen the college financially, numerically, and academically. Within two years, enrollment increased to 1,214 students.
CAROLYN DIRKSEN
Carolyn Rowland Dirksen arrived at Lee in 1968 as an English instructor for what she thought would be a one-year assignment while she determined her next career move. However, she found her niche at Lee and retired in 2018 after half a century. In 1972, Dirksen received the first Excellence in Teaching Award given at Lee. Two years later she became the first female faculty member granted a sabbatical to study for a Ph.D., and enrolled in her home state’s University of Arizona, where she earned a doctorate in 1977. Dirksen later became chair of the Department of Language and Literature and then served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. In 2000, she became Lee’s first female vice president. She served as vice president for Academic Affairs for 13 years before becoming director of Faculty Development.
In addition, Dirksen is the first female appointed to the Church of God World Missions Board, on which she continues to serve. She also teaches short-term at international Bible schools and assists in several missions and social ministries. Carolyn Dirksen spent her academic career intentionally making room for those who might otherwise feel isolated, in keeping with her philosophy that serving others is an extension of serving Christ. |
Lee Becomes a University
Paul Conn became president in 1986. He began his presidency at age 40 with hopeful vision, a love for Lee, and contagious enthusiasm that renewed excitement about Lee’s future. He assembled an energetic team committed to Christ-centered, student-focused academic excellence. During his inaugural address, he proclaimed, “We are trying to teach [students] that the greatest force in human history is produced by the fusion of man’s ability with God’s power. We want them to understand that the ultimate expression of the human experience is to train and prepare oneself with discipline and hard work, and then to submit oneself to the sovereignty of God to do as He wills with us. I want to teach them that the greatest power in the world is unleashed when the enormous energy of the human spirit is undergirded, channeled, and empowered by the hand of Almighty God.”
Within two years, Lee reached an enrollment of more than 1,500 students. Building projects began that would span 30 years of expansion in order to keep up with enrollment and the development of new academic programs. Lee offered its first graduate courses in 1995, and two years later, awarded its first degrees in the Master of Church Music.
On May 10, 1997, Lee adopted a university structure and now offers almost 100 major fields of study (undergraduate, graduate, and education specialist) in six schools: College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education, School of Business, School of Music, School of Nursing, and School of Religion. Lee also enjoys partnerships with the European Theological Seminary in Germany, and offers graduate programs at SEMISUD in Ecuador and SEBIPCA in Guatemala. Lee University sets the standard for the certification of postsecondary schools in the Church of God.
Lee University celebrated its centennial as a respected, Christ-centered academic institution with more than 5,300 students (on campus and online) from 52 countries. It has continued to expand its academic programs, build state-of-the-art facilities across its 120-acres, and attract a well-trained faculty and staff. Lee has nationally ranked athletic teams, a vigorous global cross-cultural program, a nationally recognized service-learning program, and a continually growing list of internationally recognized musical talent. Lee’s faculty, staff, and administrators provide a nurturing presence and sense of community by intentionally caring about the holistic development of students.
As longtime faculty member and administrator Carolyn Dirksen explains, “Despite all the dramatic changes and explosive growth, Lee at heart is still much the same place as it was when Nora Chambers welcomed the first 12 students. The center of all Lee’s work is still a deep love for the things of God and a deep longing to share that with students. Like Nora Chambers, Lee faculty welcome the Unseen Guest into every class meeting and dream of sending graduates out to make the world a better, more just and more merciful place.”
Paul Conn became president in 1986. He began his presidency at age 40 with hopeful vision, a love for Lee, and contagious enthusiasm that renewed excitement about Lee’s future. He assembled an energetic team committed to Christ-centered, student-focused academic excellence. During his inaugural address, he proclaimed, “We are trying to teach [students] that the greatest force in human history is produced by the fusion of man’s ability with God’s power. We want them to understand that the ultimate expression of the human experience is to train and prepare oneself with discipline and hard work, and then to submit oneself to the sovereignty of God to do as He wills with us. I want to teach them that the greatest power in the world is unleashed when the enormous energy of the human spirit is undergirded, channeled, and empowered by the hand of Almighty God.”
Within two years, Lee reached an enrollment of more than 1,500 students. Building projects began that would span 30 years of expansion in order to keep up with enrollment and the development of new academic programs. Lee offered its first graduate courses in 1995, and two years later, awarded its first degrees in the Master of Church Music.
On May 10, 1997, Lee adopted a university structure and now offers almost 100 major fields of study (undergraduate, graduate, and education specialist) in six schools: College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education, School of Business, School of Music, School of Nursing, and School of Religion. Lee also enjoys partnerships with the European Theological Seminary in Germany, and offers graduate programs at SEMISUD in Ecuador and SEBIPCA in Guatemala. Lee University sets the standard for the certification of postsecondary schools in the Church of God.
Lee University celebrated its centennial as a respected, Christ-centered academic institution with more than 5,300 students (on campus and online) from 52 countries. It has continued to expand its academic programs, build state-of-the-art facilities across its 120-acres, and attract a well-trained faculty and staff. Lee has nationally ranked athletic teams, a vigorous global cross-cultural program, a nationally recognized service-learning program, and a continually growing list of internationally recognized musical talent. Lee’s faculty, staff, and administrators provide a nurturing presence and sense of community by intentionally caring about the holistic development of students.
As longtime faculty member and administrator Carolyn Dirksen explains, “Despite all the dramatic changes and explosive growth, Lee at heart is still much the same place as it was when Nora Chambers welcomed the first 12 students. The center of all Lee’s work is still a deep love for the things of God and a deep longing to share that with students. Like Nora Chambers, Lee faculty welcome the Unseen Guest into every class meeting and dream of sending graduates out to make the world a better, more just and more merciful place.”
PRESIDENT PAUL CONN
Serving as president for thirty-four years, Charles Paul Conn led Lee University to become a premier Christ-centered institution of higher learning. The school’s most significant advancements occurred through his leadership.
During his childhood, Conn’s home was located near Lee’s campus, and he delivered newspapers to the houses around it. He and his siblings walked by the campus on their way to school. It was natural that the son of a Church of God leader attend Lee, graduating in 1965. While a student, he met his wife, Darlia McLuhan, the Canadian-born daughter of Mervyn and Merle McLuhan, Church of God missionaries to Africa.
After Lee, Conn continued his education in Atlanta, where he served as youth pastor at Mount Paran Central Church of God. He returned to Lee to teach psychology in 1972, during which time he continued his studies and earned a Ph.D. in Psychology from Emory University. Conn periodically participates in postdoctoral study and as a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University. He also became a successful author and received a commission to write for Amway International, which led to a friendship with founders Richard and Helen DeVos, who contributed significantly to Lee’s campus expansion.
A popular professor among students, Conn earned the respect of his colleagues and confidence of church leadership. When R. Lamar Vest became president, he appointed Conn vice president of Institutional Advancement in January 1985. Together, they reversed Lee’s decline and strengthened cooperation with the local community.
Following his inauguration in 1986 as Lee’s eighteenth president, Paul Conn focused on serving students and attracting faculty and staff committed to Lee’s mission. Lee set continuous record enrollment, expanded its academic and athletic programs, grew from 30 acres to 120 acres with state-of-the-art facilities, and developed into a comprehensive, doctoral level university.
Conn is an ordained bishop who continues to teach a psychology course each year and is a popular chapel speaker, as well as regularly preaching at local churches and denominational meetings. He achieved the longest tenure of any president at a Church of God educational institution, as well as the longest-serving president at one place for higher education in Tennessee. He has one of the longest tenures in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. With his leadership, Lee developed a closer relationship with the Cleveland community, and its success is admired by colleges and universities across the country. Most important, with Paul Conn’s guidance, Lee University remained a Christ-centered institution with the mission of preparing students for responsible Christian living in a complex world.
During his childhood, Conn’s home was located near Lee’s campus, and he delivered newspapers to the houses around it. He and his siblings walked by the campus on their way to school. It was natural that the son of a Church of God leader attend Lee, graduating in 1965. While a student, he met his wife, Darlia McLuhan, the Canadian-born daughter of Mervyn and Merle McLuhan, Church of God missionaries to Africa.
After Lee, Conn continued his education in Atlanta, where he served as youth pastor at Mount Paran Central Church of God. He returned to Lee to teach psychology in 1972, during which time he continued his studies and earned a Ph.D. in Psychology from Emory University. Conn periodically participates in postdoctoral study and as a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University. He also became a successful author and received a commission to write for Amway International, which led to a friendship with founders Richard and Helen DeVos, who contributed significantly to Lee’s campus expansion.
A popular professor among students, Conn earned the respect of his colleagues and confidence of church leadership. When R. Lamar Vest became president, he appointed Conn vice president of Institutional Advancement in January 1985. Together, they reversed Lee’s decline and strengthened cooperation with the local community.
Following his inauguration in 1986 as Lee’s eighteenth president, Paul Conn focused on serving students and attracting faculty and staff committed to Lee’s mission. Lee set continuous record enrollment, expanded its academic and athletic programs, grew from 30 acres to 120 acres with state-of-the-art facilities, and developed into a comprehensive, doctoral level university.
Conn is an ordained bishop who continues to teach a psychology course each year and is a popular chapel speaker, as well as regularly preaching at local churches and denominational meetings. He achieved the longest tenure of any president at a Church of God educational institution, as well as the longest-serving president at one place for higher education in Tennessee. He has one of the longest tenures in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. With his leadership, Lee developed a closer relationship with the Cleveland community, and its success is admired by colleges and universities across the country. Most important, with Paul Conn’s guidance, Lee University remained a Christ-centered institution with the mission of preparing students for responsible Christian living in a complex world.
Louis F. Morgan, Ph.D., is professor and director of Library Services at Lee University.