History of Samford University in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: March 20, 2026

Samford University, located in Homewood, Alabama, is a private Christian university founded in 1841 by Baptists as Howard College. Originally located in Marion, Alabama, it moved to its current location in 1887. Though historically Baptist, Samford is now governed by an independent board of trustees, who are required to be Baptists. Samford University is a well-respected institution in the Birmingham area.

1913: College Becomes Coeducational

In 1913, Howard College transitioned to a fully and permanently coeducational institution.

1914: School of Music Added

In 1914, Howard College expanded its academic offerings by establishing its School of Music.

1927: Department of Pharmacy Introduced

In 1927, Howard College established its Department of Pharmacy, which was the only program of its kind in the Southeastern United States at the time.

1947: Creek Bottom Gift

In 1947, when the university purchased its campus site, it was given the creek bottom south of Lakeshore Drive as a gift by a local syndicate and Jefferson County.

1953: Campus Moved to Shades Valley Area

The campus was moved to the Shades Valley area of Jefferson County in 1953-57.

1955: Construction Begins on New Campus

In 1955, construction commenced on the new campus for Howard College in Shades Valley, adjacent to Edgewood Lake in Homewood, Alabama.

1957: New Campus Opens

In 1957, the new campus of Howard College officially opened in Shades Valley, Homewood, Alabama.

1961: Acquisition of Cumberland School of Law

In 1961, Howard College acquired Cumberland School of Law, which is one of the oldest law schools in the United States.

1963: Statement of Baptist Faith and Message

In 1963, The Statement of the Baptist Faith and Message was adopted as the university's corporate expression of faith commitment.

1964: Segregation Outlawed

In 1964, the Civil Rights Act outlawed segregation by private universities.

1965: Howard College Renamed Samford University

In 1965, Howard College achieved university status and was renamed Samford University in honor of Frank Park Samford, a longtime trustee. The name change was necessitated by the existing "Howard University" in Washington, D.C.

1965: University declines NDEA program

In 1965, Samford University declined to apply for the NDEA Student Loan Program due to desegregation requirements.

1967: First Black Student Admitted

In 1967, Audrey Lattimore Gaston became Samford's first black student, admitted to Cumberland School of Law.

1969: First Black Student on Campus

In the fall of 1969, Elizabeth Sloan Ragland became the first African American student to live on Samford University's campus.

1972: High School Opened

In 1972, portions of the creek bottom land was conveyed to the City of Homewood for a high school.

1973: Acquisition of Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing

In 1973, Samford University expanded its academic programs by acquiring the Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing.

1983: Study Center Established in London

In 1983, the university established a study center in London, England, called the Daniel House. The center is located at 12 Ashburn Gardens in South Kensington and hosts 15-24 students each semester.

1984: Study Center Established in London

In 1984, Samford University established a study center in the South Kensington district of London, England, to facilitate study abroad programs for its students.

1986: Davis Architects

Davis Architects has been known as Davis Architects since 1986 and has designed almost all buildings on the campus.

September 21, 1989: Professor Stabs Student

On September 21, 1989, William Lee Slagle, a professor at Samford University, fatally stabbed one of his debating team students and fled. He was apprehended six months later.

1994: Board Independence Vote

In 1994, Samford's board of trustees voted to allow the board to elect its own members, granting the university formal independence from the Alabama Baptist State Convention.

2005: Inaugural APR Ranking

In 2005, Samford University placed 7th in the nation in the inaugural Academic Progress Rate ranking.

2006: Westmoreland Appointed President

In 2006, Andrew Westmoreland was appointed president of Samford University. The Jane Hollock Brock Recital Hall was also dedicated that year.

2007: President's Home Purchased

In 2007, the university purchased a private home in Vestavia Hills, on Shades Mountain, to serve as the president's residence. It was remodeled to serve as a residence and a place for entertaining many guests.

2008: Joined the Southern Conference

In 2008, the Bulldogs joined the Southern Conference.

2011: New Athletic Facilities Opened

In 2011, Samford University opened a new soccer and track facility, marking the beginning of a decade-long expansion of athletic facilities.

2011: Track and Soccer Facility Added

In 2011, a track and soccer facility was added between the office building and the high school, expanding the athletic amenities at Samford University.

2011: SAFE Samford Founded

SAFE Samford (Students, Alumni, & Friends for Equality) was founded in 2011.

2013: College of Health Sciences Established

In 2013, Samford University established a new College of Health Sciences, which included the existing Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing and McWhorter School of Pharmacy, as well as the newly created School of Health Professions and School of Public Health. A new facility to house Brock School of Business was also announced.

2013: Highest APR in Alabama

In the NCAA's 2013 report, Samford University student-athletes achieved an average Academic Progress Rate of 990, the highest in Alabama.

2014: West Village Opens and Southern Progress Purchased

In 2014, Samford University opened the West Village residence complex and purchased the adjacent headquarters of Southern Progress, a subsidiary of Time, Inc.

2014: Purchase of Southern Progress Corporation Campus

In 2014, the university purchased the campus of the Southern Progress Corporation, which borders its main campus to the east. The three buildings on the former Southern Progress campus contrast with the Georgian Colonial classicism of the central campus.

May 2015: Internship Completion Rate and Community Service Hours

In May 2015, 81 percent of Samford University graduates completed an internship during their time at Samford. During 2015, Samford students completed 716,902 hours of community service.

2016: Economic and Fiscal Impact Report

For the 2016–17 academic year, the economic and fiscal impacts of Samford University on Alabama were $424.8 million, 2,424 jobs, $16.1 million in state income and sales taxes, and $6 million in local sales tax.

July 2017: Financial Independence from Convention

In July 2017, Samford University ended its financial connection with the Alabama Baptist State Convention when the trustees announced they would no longer accept funds from the convention.

2017: Samford Together Rejected

In 2017, President Westmoreland rejected Samford Together, an organization seeking to create a space for students to discuss topics related to sexual orientation and gender identity, despite approval from the Student Government Association and faculty.

2017: End of Formal Connection with Convention

In 2017, Samford ended key aspects of its formal connection to the Alabama Baptist State Convention, including the presentation of its trustee slate for affirmation and ex officio positions for convention officers on the board.

May 2019: Post-Graduation Outcomes

In May 2019, 97 percent of all Samford University undergraduate alumni were employed, enrolled in graduate school, or in internships within six months of graduation.

2019: Graduation Success Rate Ranking

In 2019, Samford University's athletics teams were ranked first in Alabama and the Southern Conference and 18th in the country among all NCAA Division 1 schools for Graduation Success Rate by the NCAA with an average score of 97%.

June 1, 2020: Memorial Announced Honoring African Americans

On June 1, 2020, Samford University announced the installation of a memorial recognizing the sacrifices of African Americans, including Audrey Lattimore Gaston and Harry.

August 2020: Westmoreland Announces Retirement

In August 2020, Andrew Westmoreland announced his plans to retire as president of Samford University on June 30, 2021.

2020: Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing

In 2020, the nursing school was renamed the Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing after Nena Sanders retired as dean and vice-provost of the College of Health Sciences.

March 10, 2021: Taylor Named Next President

On March 10, 2021, Beck A. Taylor, president of Whitworth University, was announced as the successor to Andrew Westmoreland as president of Samford University.

June 30, 2021: Westmoreland Retires

Andrew Westmoreland retired as president of Samford University on June 30, 2021.

July 1, 2021: Taylor Takes Office

On July 1, 2021, Beck A. Taylor officially took office as the president of Samford University.

2021: Ragland Scholars Program Created

In 2021, Samford University announced the creation of the Ragland Scholars program, a four-year cohort experience for leaders among Samford’s multicultural student body, named in honor of Elizabeth Sloan Ragland.

2021: Tree Campus USA Recognition

In 2021, the Arbor Day Foundation recognized Samford University as a Tree Campus USA for the first time.

February 15, 2022: Public Dedication of Memorial

On February 15, 2022, Samford University held a public dedication of the memorial honoring the contributions and sacrifices of African Americans.

May 2022: Largest Single-Donor Gift Received

In May 2022, Samford University received a $100 million gift from the estate of alumnus Marvin Mann, which was the largest single-donor gift ever made to a higher education institution in Alabama.

2022: LGBTQ+ Ministries Uninvited and OUTLaw Declined

In 2022, Samford University took several actions related to LGBTQ+ issues. In late August, representatives of Episcopalian and Presbyterian campus ministries affirming of LGBTQ+ individuals were "uninvited" from a campus event. On September 30, President Beck Taylor stated that formal ministry partnerships would be limited to organizations supporting Samford's traditional view of human sexuality and marriage. In October, university recognition was declined to a chapter of OUTLaw at Samford's Cumberland School of Law.

2023: Samford Prism Active

As of 2023, Samford Prism, an off-campus student group, was supporting LGBTQ+ students, and SAFE Samford continued to advocate on their behalf.

2023: Acceptance Rate and Scores

In 2023, Samford's acceptance rate was 83.3%, with admitted students having an average GPA of 3.8 and an average SAT score of 1160 or an average ACT score of 26.

May 2024: Birmingham-Southern College closed

In May 2024, Birmingham-Southern College closed, leading to 151 transfer students enrolling at Samford.

May 2024: Commissioner's Cup and Germann Cup Wins

In May 2024, Samford University won the Commissioner's Cup and the Germann Cup. The school also won the graduation success award, marking the first time a SoCon school has swept all three awards in back-to-back years.

2024: New Residence Hall Named for Gaston

In 2024, Samford University announced that a new residence hall would be named in honor of Audrey Lattimore Gaston.

May 2025: Fifth Consecutive Germann Cup for Women's Athletics

In May 2025, Samford University's women's athletics program won a fifth consecutive Germann Cup.

August 2025: $300 Million Construction Phase Completed

In August 2025, Samford University completed a $300 million phase of construction on campus. This included a 165,000-square-foot student recreation center, two new sorority houses and two freshman residence halls, one of which was named in the memory of Audrey Lattimore Gaston Howard.

2025: Purchase of Finca de Samford

In 2025, Samford University announced the purchase of a second international study center, Finca de Samford, located outside of San Jose, Costa Rica.

2025: Creekside Complex Proposed and Withdrawn

In 2025, Samford University proposed a mixed-use residential, hotel, and retail complex called Creekside for the site of the track and soccer fields and adjoining lands. Due to community concerns, the university withdrew the plan in 2025.

2025: Rankings

In 2025, Samford University ranked No. 20 on Niche's list of "Best Christian Colleges in America" and 35th nationally in U.S. News & World Report's list for Best Undergraduate Teaching. Samford also ranked highest among all colleges and universities in Alabama in Best Value, at No. 105 nationally, per U.S. News & World Report.

2025: Student Demographics and Enrollment

In 2025, almost 61 percent of Samford University students came from outside of Alabama, and Samford welcomed 132 undergraduate transfer students. The university enrolled 4,370 undergraduate and 1,954 graduate and professional students. Students from 44 U.S. states and 16 other countries attended Samford, with 75 percent of undergraduate first-year students coming from outside the state of Alabama.

2025: Office of Student Success and Diversity Closed

In late 2025, Samford University closed the Office of Student Success and Diversity, which had provided support for the Ragland Scholars.

2025: Record Enrollment

In the fall of 2025, Samford University achieved a record enrollment for the 17th consecutive year, with 6,324 students from 44 states, 1 U.S. territory, and 16 other countries.