Lee College
The institution was known as "Lee College" from 1947 to 1997.
By the mid-1940’s Bible Training School and College had outgrown the campus at Sevierville, Tennessee, even after construction of additional buildings, including a large, five-story combination building, including piano studios, an auditorium, classrooms, and a large cafeteria.
When the 20-acre property of Bob Jones College in Cleveland, Tennessee, became available for sale, it was purchased for $1.5 million and the school returned to Cleveland in 1947 as Lee College. This property included 28 buildings and provided larger and better classroom space for the growing school.
The move from Sevierville to Cleveland began on August 1st and “Old Main” was renovated at a cost of $140,000 before the move in.
The first classes on the new campus were held on September 1, 1947. There were 25 faculty members and 600 students enrolled. Tuition was $150 per term and Room and Board was $288 per term. The first years as Lee College were marked with advancement, excitement, and anticipation of the future.
/ L. F. Morgan
The following history focuses on the years the institution was named Lee College. The first part of this historical sketch was written by Dr. Charles W. Conn, former President and President Emeritus of the institution, and the second part was written by Dr. Carolyn R. Dirksen, former Vice President for Academic Affairs at Lee.
[The following section was written by Dr. Charles W. Conn.]
A New Campus, College and Name
Under the guidance of President Simmons and Vice President Tapley, the school began to be noticed in the academic world. Graduates were soon able to transfer to major colleges for completion of their education. The eager stride toward accredited college status was quickened. And then, in 1946, a golden opportunity came to the Church of God—purchase of the Bob Jones College campus in Cleveland, Tennessee, which had been built originally in 1885 as Centenary College, a Methodist institution. Occupancy of the campus meant that B.T.S. would return to the place where it began in 1918, the headquarters city of the Church of God. The move was made in time for the 1947-48 school term with the name of the school changed to Lee College in honor of its second president, Flavius J. Lee. President Simmons remained with the college only one year after the return to Cleveland. But the upward move in the field of education was determined.
A Glimpse of Greatness
J. Stewart Brinsfield, a personable and progressive leader, at age 35 was appointed president. In many ways his presidency was a herald of the future. He and Tapley formed a capable and compatible team, with the continued building of a competent faculty one of their high priorities. The faculty included such attractive teachers as Hollis Gause, Mary Elizabeth Harrison Green, Leon Green, Robert Humbertson, Lacy Powell and A.T. Humphries. Recruiters and music groups were sent out in an aggressive search for students and financial support. Efforts were launched to acquaint both the church membership and the general public with the educational aims of the college. The resulting college spirit was unmistakable on campus.
Off campus, there seemed to be a divided opinion about exactly what Lee College should be. Some felt that it should be a liberal arts college with a 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.
A Treadmill Decade
Although he was popular with the faculty, students and public, Brinsfield was dismissed as president during the 1950-51 school term. The change was followed by a period of frustration that saw the loss of Lee’s recent gains, and the spread of a regrettable malaise toward Lee College. The loss of enthusiasm was caused by, or resulted from, the enrollment and financial problems that plagued the college through most of the 1950s.
E.M. Tapley served as acting president for the remaining semester of Brinsfield’s 1950-51 term, until the college appointed John C. Jernigan president for the 1951-52 term. This was not intended to be a long-term appointment and Jernigan served for only one year.
In 1952, R. Leonard Carroll, a South Carolina pastor, became president. His academic credentials recommended his appointment, and his presidency was initially well received. Yet a time of student decline commenced. By 1954, student enrollment dropped to 530, which was 100 below that of 1944 when the school was still in Sevierville. And it would drop more.
Rufus L. Platt, dean of the junior college, was appointed president in 1957. Despite Platt’s many efforts to stop the decline, it was not stopped, or even slackened. College property was sold in order to pay its obligations. A sense of discouragement was perceptible in students and faculty. Some felt that the college was being liquidated, and wondered, not always privately, if it could survive. Enrollment, down to 436 when Platt took office in 1957, dropped to 337 in the spring of 1960. Prospects for Lee College indeed seemed dim.
Lights in the Dimness
Despite these conditions, there were numerous, little-noticed successes on various fronts. At the beginning of Platt’s presidency, the already capable faculty was strengthened by the addition of J. Herbert Walker, Jr., and Lucille Walker. In 1959, the Bible College was accredited by the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges, which was followed in 1960 by accreditation of the Junior College by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Equally significant spiritual attainments kept hope alive during the period. As early as 1956, Carroll’s last year, a vibrant personal evangelism program was born on the Lee College campus. Charles R. Beach, a language professor, utilized a campus Youth for Christ club to lead students in evangelistic efforts to nearby cities and states. The idea took hold and the Pioneers for Christ movement was born. PFC flourished throughout Platt’s presidency and grew into one of the most inspiring youth movements of recent times. It stands today as one of the Church’s remarkable evangelistic efforts, a witness that God is at work even in tough times.
The 1950s also saw the advent of great music festivals that thrilled hundreds who came great distances to hear college choirs and musical groups. The tradition of Christian music established earlier by such men as J.H. Walker, Otis McCoy and Owel Denson was carried to exciting heights by A.T. Humphries.
The End of Apathy
An unusual thing happened in 1960. The Executive Council of the Church of God set aside an earlier decision of the board of directors and appointed Ray H. Hughes to be president of Lee College. Then, almost simultaneously, the Council called for a committee on Educational Aims and Accomplishments “to make a careful and comprehensive study of the entire educational program of the Church of God.”
After suffering through a decade of decline, it seemed that the church was eager to comprehend the problems of higher education, and roll up its collective sleeves in order to avoid such difficulties in the future. The committee, James A Cross, chairman; Charles W. Conn, secretary; Ray, H, Hughes, James L. Slay and Lewis Willis worked for two years, 1960-62, with research, church-wide surveys, in-depth considerations and debate. The committee report included, in part, the following recommendation: “…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.”
The Climb Resumes
President Hughes, who was also speaker for the Church of God’s radio program, Forward in Faith, was best known as an evangelist. And for six years, 1960 to 1966, he led Lee College with a youthful zeal and evangelistic ardor. At age 36, he was one of the three youngest men ever to serve as president. And, as Walker and Brinsfield had done before him, he gained the allegiance of the faculty and strongly identified with the students.
Several projects of campus enlargement improved school morale and confidence in the future. Among these were a modern administration building to replace Centenary’s “Old Main” in 1963, and a science building, which also housed Brown Auditorium in 1965.
Among efforts to stimulate enrollment and financial support, an annual “College Day” was initiated, when promising high school students were given a taste of college life. Enrollment thereupon rose remarkably to 629 in 1963, and up to 897 in 1965. A “President’s Council” was created to encourage donors to support Lee College. The cumulative result of all this activity and energy was a resumption of campus growth and a renewal of enthusiasm toward it.
Passing the Torch
When Hughes resigned from Lee at the close of the 1965-66 term, he was succeeded as president by James A. Cross, a church leader of tremendous influence and ability. Cross’ appointment was an unexpected but popular one. A lifelong supporter of the college, he kept it on its positive course and led it to great academic distinction.
The faculty was noticeably enlarged during Cross’ four-year tenure. He brought to the body such learned scholars as James Beaty in 1967, whose theological credentials and skills enhanced the Bible College. Then Cross, along with Donald S. Aultman, vice president and Dean, and their able administration and faculty, merged the former separate colleges into one unified institution of three divisions: Arts and Sciences, education, and Religion. That was an important step toward fulfilling recommendations of the Board of Directors and Executive Council.
In physical expansion, two dormitories were completed during Cross’ presidency: one for male students (Hughes Hall) in 1967, and one for female students (Cross Hall) in 1969.
It was fitting that, in 1968, President Cross led Lee College through its 50th Anniversary Celebration. The college was a mature and efficient extension of the dreams of half a century.
Probably the greatest achievement of Cross’ years at Lee would come in 1969, with the college’s accreditation as a four-year liberal arts college by SACS. With that recognition the faith and labors of all the previous years were rewarded.
[The following section was written by Dr. Carolyn R. Dirksen.]
The Dream Realized
The dream of the Church of God denomination to sponsor a four-year liberal arts college was realized in 1967 when the Bible college and liberal arts junior college were merged, and upper-division programs were added in several disciplines. In 1968, under the direction of President James A. Cross, the four-year program received Southern Association accreditation. Dr. Cross’ responsible leadership carried the college successfully through the time of transition and prepared the way for a new era of development under President Charles W. Conn who came to the office in 1970.
Finding Our Identity
The first decade of Dr. Conn’s presidency was one of comfortable prosperity. A gradual increase in enrollment was accompanied by expanded academic programs and continued upgrading of faculty credentials and development opportunities. Dr. Conn also expanded student services to include offices of academic advising, counseling and testing, and career planning and placement and enhanced the academic and cultural atmosphere of the campus through lecture series, guest artists, and free student admission to the Community Concert Series.
Campus facilities were also improved under Conn’s leadership with the addition of the 1,800-seat Conn Center, Carroll Courts housing complex for married students and the complete renovation of what is now Walker Memorial Building. He also saw the development of Alumni Park.
In the late seventies, however, the college faced the problems of a decreasing pool of eighteen-year-olds, federal funding cutbacks, increased energy costs, a recession/inflation cycle which seriously affected the blue-collar constituency of the sponsoring denomination, and soaring interest rates which cut into the college’s operational budget. As the recession forced enrollment into a slump, costs skyrocketed, and the college was soon operating with a deficit. Despite these formidable odds, President Conn led the college through a time of retrenchment and prevented it from suffering the fate of many Christian colleges during that era.
In 1982, Dr. Ray H. Hughes assumed the presidency for the second time, serving for two years. He continued Dr. Conn’s efforts to solve the school’s financial problems by launching the Partners for Excellence capital funds campaign, refurbishing Medlin (formerly Walker) Hall dorm and expanding the gymnasium into the Paul Dana Walker Arena. Construction of the long-awaited Pentecostal Research Center and library was begun in 1983. In addition to finances and buildings, Dr. Hughes focused on Christian service and expanded outreach opportunities for students.
The enrollment slide which began after a high of 1,342 in 1979, was reversed under the leadership of Dr. Lamar Vest who served as president from 1984-1986. Before the curve began turning upward, enrollment had dipped to under 1,000 in the spring of 1983. Dr. Vest focused his attention on debt reduction, student recruitment, development, and church and community relations with marked success in every area. Under his leadership, programs which had been discontinued during the retrenchment were reinstated, and new emphasis was placed on student life. The new library was completed and occupied during Vest’s administration.
New Era of Expansion
Working closely with Dr. Vest as Vice President for Institutional Advancement was Dr. Paul Conn who became president in August 1986 and ushered in a renaissance. The fourth president in five years, Dr. Conn offered much-needed continuity having served on the faculty for seventeen years prior to moving into administration. Growth in every area of the college can be documented over the first seven years of Conn’s presidency. Under his leadership, enrollment climbed from 1,214 in 1986 to 2,011 in 1993, breaking the old record from the previous six years. An increasing number of the new students coming to Lee were academically talented, attracted by an enhanced scholarship program. As a result, the mean ACT score for the freshman class increased by nearly four points. The larger student body became more heterogeneous in age and geographic and religious background.
Dramatic improvements in the physical plant kept pace with the enrollment gains with the renovation of the old library into the Vest academic building, the addition of three new dormitories (Davis, Sharp, and New Nora Chambers), the Dixon Center theater/recital hall and TV studio, the DeVos Recreation Complex, Watkins office building and a new maintenance facility. Significant renovation in almost every area greatly upgraded the working environment of the faculty and staff as well as the living environment of the student body. Campus expansion was financed by two major capital campaigns, “Carry the Torch” and “Higher Ground” which attracted several million dollars to the college and greatly expanded the base of donor support. Similar progress was made in expanding the endowment and in reducing indebtedness.
Increased enrollment and upgraded facilities made academic development possible, and several majors were added or enhanced as a result. A more appealing upper-division program also attracted well-qualified new faculty members with doctorates from well-known universities. Dr. Conn and the student life staff also focused considerable energy on campus spiritual life, enriching the chapel program and offering a wide variety of challenging speakers from diverse perspectives.
The face of Lee College changed dramatically under the first seven years of Dr. Conn’s leadership, but its fundamental character and purposes remained unchanged. He sharpened and lengthened the vision and provided unprecedented resources for its accomplishment. But Lee College in its third generation remained committed to its mission—providing education which is, “an integration of faith as revealed in the Holy Scriptures and truth as investigated and discovered in the arts and sciences.”
In 1993, at the 75-year mark, Lee was poised for significant change. Paul Conn was in the eighth year of his presidency, and it was evident that his energy and vision were taking Lee to a place never before envisioned. The devastating Ellis Hall fire in November 1993 had given rise to a new surge of determination, and the new Atkins-Ellis Hall opened in fall 1994. More than just another dormitory, it was an embodiment of Genesis 50:20, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good.” Enrollment topped 2,000 for the first time, and records were broken with each new class, increasing the student population by more than 10% per year. Lee had just successfully completed a review by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the foundation in place for the next round of academic expansion.
From that launching pad, Lee took off for 25 years of unimaginable growth and development, and at the century mark, the momentum has not slowed. To keep pace with rapidly increasing enrollment, Lee dedicated three new dormitories in the next three years along with the Curtsinger Music Building and the Deacon Jones Dining Hall. Recruitment accelerated with the addition of “Voices of Lee,” a premier acapella vocal group, and “Kingdom Players,” a theatrical recruitment troupe. To care for the influx of new students, the Office of First-Year Programs, launched in 1996, created an award-winning strategy.
As students flooded in, the academic sector created meaningful new programs, and the mid-1990s saw some dramatic curricular changes. In 1995, the first graduate program, a Masters in Church Music, opened the way for the development of programs across the disciplines. The faculty also approved a new general education core that included a required cross-cultural experience, taking most Lee students outside the US to develop a more global perspective. Core courses across the curriculum were updated to meet the changing needs of the student body.
A University Emerges
Behind the scenes in 1996-97, college administrators worked feverishly to prepare for a huge transition. The eight academic departments were clustered into four colleges and schools; administrative offices were shuffled, and approval processes were realigned. Deans were selected; new stationary was printed, and new signs, banners, and marketing materials were created. Finally, after months of preparation, On May 10, 1997, Lee College became Lee University. On that day, all the signs on campus were switched; a new catalog was published, all campus uniforms were changed, and Lee emerged into its new identity. It is hard to describe the heady atmosphere of those years when God’s blessing was so immediately visible.
/ L.F. Morgan, C.W. Conn, and C.R. Dirksen
When the 20-acre property of Bob Jones College in Cleveland, Tennessee, became available for sale, it was purchased for $1.5 million and the school returned to Cleveland in 1947 as Lee College. This property included 28 buildings and provided larger and better classroom space for the growing school.
The move from Sevierville to Cleveland began on August 1st and “Old Main” was renovated at a cost of $140,000 before the move in.
The first classes on the new campus were held on September 1, 1947. There were 25 faculty members and 600 students enrolled. Tuition was $150 per term and Room and Board was $288 per term. The first years as Lee College were marked with advancement, excitement, and anticipation of the future.
/ L. F. Morgan
The following history focuses on the years the institution was named Lee College. The first part of this historical sketch was written by Dr. Charles W. Conn, former President and President Emeritus of the institution, and the second part was written by Dr. Carolyn R. Dirksen, former Vice President for Academic Affairs at Lee.
[The following section was written by Dr. Charles W. Conn.]
A New Campus, College and Name
Under the guidance of President Simmons and Vice President Tapley, the school began to be noticed in the academic world. Graduates were soon able to transfer to major colleges for completion of their education. The eager stride toward accredited college status was quickened. And then, in 1946, a golden opportunity came to the Church of God—purchase of the Bob Jones College campus in Cleveland, Tennessee, which had been built originally in 1885 as Centenary College, a Methodist institution. Occupancy of the campus meant that B.T.S. would return to the place where it began in 1918, the headquarters city of the Church of God. The move was made in time for the 1947-48 school term with the name of the school changed to Lee College in honor of its second president, Flavius J. Lee. President Simmons remained with the college only one year after the return to Cleveland. But the upward move in the field of education was determined.
A Glimpse of Greatness
J. Stewart Brinsfield, a personable and progressive leader, at age 35 was appointed president. In many ways his presidency was a herald of the future. He and Tapley formed a capable and compatible team, with the continued building of a competent faculty one of their high priorities. The faculty included such attractive teachers as Hollis Gause, Mary Elizabeth Harrison Green, Leon Green, Robert Humbertson, Lacy Powell and A.T. Humphries. Recruiters and music groups were sent out in an aggressive search for students and financial support. Efforts were launched to acquaint both the church membership and the general public with the educational aims of the college. The resulting college spirit was unmistakable on campus.
Off campus, there seemed to be a divided opinion about exactly what Lee College should be. Some felt that it should be a liberal arts college with a 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.
A Treadmill Decade
Although he was popular with the faculty, students and public, Brinsfield was dismissed as president during the 1950-51 school term. The change was followed by a period of frustration that saw the loss of Lee’s recent gains, and the spread of a regrettable malaise toward Lee College. The loss of enthusiasm was caused by, or resulted from, the enrollment and financial problems that plagued the college through most of the 1950s.
E.M. Tapley served as acting president for the remaining semester of Brinsfield’s 1950-51 term, until the college appointed John C. Jernigan president for the 1951-52 term. This was not intended to be a long-term appointment and Jernigan served for only one year.
In 1952, R. Leonard Carroll, a South Carolina pastor, became president. His academic credentials recommended his appointment, and his presidency was initially well received. Yet a time of student decline commenced. By 1954, student enrollment dropped to 530, which was 100 below that of 1944 when the school was still in Sevierville. And it would drop more.
Rufus L. Platt, dean of the junior college, was appointed president in 1957. Despite Platt’s many efforts to stop the decline, it was not stopped, or even slackened. College property was sold in order to pay its obligations. A sense of discouragement was perceptible in students and faculty. Some felt that the college was being liquidated, and wondered, not always privately, if it could survive. Enrollment, down to 436 when Platt took office in 1957, dropped to 337 in the spring of 1960. Prospects for Lee College indeed seemed dim.
Lights in the Dimness
Despite these conditions, there were numerous, little-noticed successes on various fronts. At the beginning of Platt’s presidency, the already capable faculty was strengthened by the addition of J. Herbert Walker, Jr., and Lucille Walker. In 1959, the Bible College was accredited by the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges, which was followed in 1960 by accreditation of the Junior College by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Equally significant spiritual attainments kept hope alive during the period. As early as 1956, Carroll’s last year, a vibrant personal evangelism program was born on the Lee College campus. Charles R. Beach, a language professor, utilized a campus Youth for Christ club to lead students in evangelistic efforts to nearby cities and states. The idea took hold and the Pioneers for Christ movement was born. PFC flourished throughout Platt’s presidency and grew into one of the most inspiring youth movements of recent times. It stands today as one of the Church’s remarkable evangelistic efforts, a witness that God is at work even in tough times.
The 1950s also saw the advent of great music festivals that thrilled hundreds who came great distances to hear college choirs and musical groups. The tradition of Christian music established earlier by such men as J.H. Walker, Otis McCoy and Owel Denson was carried to exciting heights by A.T. Humphries.
The End of Apathy
An unusual thing happened in 1960. The Executive Council of the Church of God set aside an earlier decision of the board of directors and appointed Ray H. Hughes to be president of Lee College. Then, almost simultaneously, the Council called for a committee on Educational Aims and Accomplishments “to make a careful and comprehensive study of the entire educational program of the Church of God.”
After suffering through a decade of decline, it seemed that the church was eager to comprehend the problems of higher education, and roll up its collective sleeves in order to avoid such difficulties in the future. The committee, James A Cross, chairman; Charles W. Conn, secretary; Ray, H, Hughes, James L. Slay and Lewis Willis worked for two years, 1960-62, with research, church-wide surveys, in-depth considerations and debate. The committee report included, in part, the following recommendation: “…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.”
The Climb Resumes
President Hughes, who was also speaker for the Church of God’s radio program, Forward in Faith, was best known as an evangelist. And for six years, 1960 to 1966, he led Lee College with a youthful zeal and evangelistic ardor. At age 36, he was one of the three youngest men ever to serve as president. And, as Walker and Brinsfield had done before him, he gained the allegiance of the faculty and strongly identified with the students.
Several projects of campus enlargement improved school morale and confidence in the future. Among these were a modern administration building to replace Centenary’s “Old Main” in 1963, and a science building, which also housed Brown Auditorium in 1965.
Among efforts to stimulate enrollment and financial support, an annual “College Day” was initiated, when promising high school students were given a taste of college life. Enrollment thereupon rose remarkably to 629 in 1963, and up to 897 in 1965. A “President’s Council” was created to encourage donors to support Lee College. The cumulative result of all this activity and energy was a resumption of campus growth and a renewal of enthusiasm toward it.
Passing the Torch
When Hughes resigned from Lee at the close of the 1965-66 term, he was succeeded as president by James A. Cross, a church leader of tremendous influence and ability. Cross’ appointment was an unexpected but popular one. A lifelong supporter of the college, he kept it on its positive course and led it to great academic distinction.
The faculty was noticeably enlarged during Cross’ four-year tenure. He brought to the body such learned scholars as James Beaty in 1967, whose theological credentials and skills enhanced the Bible College. Then Cross, along with Donald S. Aultman, vice president and Dean, and their able administration and faculty, merged the former separate colleges into one unified institution of three divisions: Arts and Sciences, education, and Religion. That was an important step toward fulfilling recommendations of the Board of Directors and Executive Council.
In physical expansion, two dormitories were completed during Cross’ presidency: one for male students (Hughes Hall) in 1967, and one for female students (Cross Hall) in 1969.
It was fitting that, in 1968, President Cross led Lee College through its 50th Anniversary Celebration. The college was a mature and efficient extension of the dreams of half a century.
Probably the greatest achievement of Cross’ years at Lee would come in 1969, with the college’s accreditation as a four-year liberal arts college by SACS. With that recognition the faith and labors of all the previous years were rewarded.
[The following section was written by Dr. Carolyn R. Dirksen.]
The Dream Realized
The dream of the Church of God denomination to sponsor a four-year liberal arts college was realized in 1967 when the Bible college and liberal arts junior college were merged, and upper-division programs were added in several disciplines. In 1968, under the direction of President James A. Cross, the four-year program received Southern Association accreditation. Dr. Cross’ responsible leadership carried the college successfully through the time of transition and prepared the way for a new era of development under President Charles W. Conn who came to the office in 1970.
Finding Our Identity
The first decade of Dr. Conn’s presidency was one of comfortable prosperity. A gradual increase in enrollment was accompanied by expanded academic programs and continued upgrading of faculty credentials and development opportunities. Dr. Conn also expanded student services to include offices of academic advising, counseling and testing, and career planning and placement and enhanced the academic and cultural atmosphere of the campus through lecture series, guest artists, and free student admission to the Community Concert Series.
Campus facilities were also improved under Conn’s leadership with the addition of the 1,800-seat Conn Center, Carroll Courts housing complex for married students and the complete renovation of what is now Walker Memorial Building. He also saw the development of Alumni Park.
In the late seventies, however, the college faced the problems of a decreasing pool of eighteen-year-olds, federal funding cutbacks, increased energy costs, a recession/inflation cycle which seriously affected the blue-collar constituency of the sponsoring denomination, and soaring interest rates which cut into the college’s operational budget. As the recession forced enrollment into a slump, costs skyrocketed, and the college was soon operating with a deficit. Despite these formidable odds, President Conn led the college through a time of retrenchment and prevented it from suffering the fate of many Christian colleges during that era.
In 1982, Dr. Ray H. Hughes assumed the presidency for the second time, serving for two years. He continued Dr. Conn’s efforts to solve the school’s financial problems by launching the Partners for Excellence capital funds campaign, refurbishing Medlin (formerly Walker) Hall dorm and expanding the gymnasium into the Paul Dana Walker Arena. Construction of the long-awaited Pentecostal Research Center and library was begun in 1983. In addition to finances and buildings, Dr. Hughes focused on Christian service and expanded outreach opportunities for students.
The enrollment slide which began after a high of 1,342 in 1979, was reversed under the leadership of Dr. Lamar Vest who served as president from 1984-1986. Before the curve began turning upward, enrollment had dipped to under 1,000 in the spring of 1983. Dr. Vest focused his attention on debt reduction, student recruitment, development, and church and community relations with marked success in every area. Under his leadership, programs which had been discontinued during the retrenchment were reinstated, and new emphasis was placed on student life. The new library was completed and occupied during Vest’s administration.
New Era of Expansion
Working closely with Dr. Vest as Vice President for Institutional Advancement was Dr. Paul Conn who became president in August 1986 and ushered in a renaissance. The fourth president in five years, Dr. Conn offered much-needed continuity having served on the faculty for seventeen years prior to moving into administration. Growth in every area of the college can be documented over the first seven years of Conn’s presidency. Under his leadership, enrollment climbed from 1,214 in 1986 to 2,011 in 1993, breaking the old record from the previous six years. An increasing number of the new students coming to Lee were academically talented, attracted by an enhanced scholarship program. As a result, the mean ACT score for the freshman class increased by nearly four points. The larger student body became more heterogeneous in age and geographic and religious background.
Dramatic improvements in the physical plant kept pace with the enrollment gains with the renovation of the old library into the Vest academic building, the addition of three new dormitories (Davis, Sharp, and New Nora Chambers), the Dixon Center theater/recital hall and TV studio, the DeVos Recreation Complex, Watkins office building and a new maintenance facility. Significant renovation in almost every area greatly upgraded the working environment of the faculty and staff as well as the living environment of the student body. Campus expansion was financed by two major capital campaigns, “Carry the Torch” and “Higher Ground” which attracted several million dollars to the college and greatly expanded the base of donor support. Similar progress was made in expanding the endowment and in reducing indebtedness.
Increased enrollment and upgraded facilities made academic development possible, and several majors were added or enhanced as a result. A more appealing upper-division program also attracted well-qualified new faculty members with doctorates from well-known universities. Dr. Conn and the student life staff also focused considerable energy on campus spiritual life, enriching the chapel program and offering a wide variety of challenging speakers from diverse perspectives.
The face of Lee College changed dramatically under the first seven years of Dr. Conn’s leadership, but its fundamental character and purposes remained unchanged. He sharpened and lengthened the vision and provided unprecedented resources for its accomplishment. But Lee College in its third generation remained committed to its mission—providing education which is, “an integration of faith as revealed in the Holy Scriptures and truth as investigated and discovered in the arts and sciences.”
In 1993, at the 75-year mark, Lee was poised for significant change. Paul Conn was in the eighth year of his presidency, and it was evident that his energy and vision were taking Lee to a place never before envisioned. The devastating Ellis Hall fire in November 1993 had given rise to a new surge of determination, and the new Atkins-Ellis Hall opened in fall 1994. More than just another dormitory, it was an embodiment of Genesis 50:20, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good.” Enrollment topped 2,000 for the first time, and records were broken with each new class, increasing the student population by more than 10% per year. Lee had just successfully completed a review by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the foundation in place for the next round of academic expansion.
From that launching pad, Lee took off for 25 years of unimaginable growth and development, and at the century mark, the momentum has not slowed. To keep pace with rapidly increasing enrollment, Lee dedicated three new dormitories in the next three years along with the Curtsinger Music Building and the Deacon Jones Dining Hall. Recruitment accelerated with the addition of “Voices of Lee,” a premier acapella vocal group, and “Kingdom Players,” a theatrical recruitment troupe. To care for the influx of new students, the Office of First-Year Programs, launched in 1996, created an award-winning strategy.
As students flooded in, the academic sector created meaningful new programs, and the mid-1990s saw some dramatic curricular changes. In 1995, the first graduate program, a Masters in Church Music, opened the way for the development of programs across the disciplines. The faculty also approved a new general education core that included a required cross-cultural experience, taking most Lee students outside the US to develop a more global perspective. Core courses across the curriculum were updated to meet the changing needs of the student body.
A University Emerges
Behind the scenes in 1996-97, college administrators worked feverishly to prepare for a huge transition. The eight academic departments were clustered into four colleges and schools; administrative offices were shuffled, and approval processes were realigned. Deans were selected; new stationary was printed, and new signs, banners, and marketing materials were created. Finally, after months of preparation, On May 10, 1997, Lee College became Lee University. On that day, all the signs on campus were switched; a new catalog was published, all campus uniforms were changed, and Lee emerged into its new identity. It is hard to describe the heady atmosphere of those years when God’s blessing was so immediately visible.
/ L.F. Morgan, C.W. Conn, and C.R. Dirksen