Birmingham–Southern College

Birmingham–Southern College (BSC) is a private liberal arts college in Birmingham, Alabama. Founded in 1856, the college is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). More than 1300 students from 33 states and 16 foreign countries attend the college.^[2]

Birmingham–Southern College

Former names	Southern University (1856–1918) Birmingham College (1898–1918)
Motto	Pro Christo et Republica (Latin)
Type	Private college
Established	1856; 167 years ago (1856) (predecessor) May 30, 1918; 105 years ago (1918-05-30) (current institution)
President	Daniel B. Coleman
Undergraduates	975^[1]
Location	Birmingham , Alabama , United States
Campus	Urban
Colors	Black and Gold
Nickname	Panthers
Affiliations	SAA (NCAA Division III)
Mascot	Rowdy
Website	www.bsc.edu

History

 

Ginkgo Tree by Munger Hall

Birmingham–Southern College is the result of a merger of Southern University, founded in Greensboro, Alabama, in 1856, with Birmingham College, opened in 1898 in Birmingham, Alabama. These two institutions were consolidated on May 30, 1918, under the name of Birmingham–Southern College. Phi Beta Kappa recognized Birmingham–Southern in 1937, establishing the Alabama Beta chapter. Only ten percent of the nation's institutions of higher education shelter Phi Beta Kappa chapters, and Birmingham–Southern College is one of only three sheltering institutions in the state of Alabama.

Presidents

 

Edwards Bell Tower and the academic quad

• 1918–21: Cullen C. Daniel
• 1921–37: Guy E. Snavely
• 1938–42: Raymond R. Paty
• 1942–55: George R. Stuart
• 1955–57: Guy E. Snavely
• 1957–62: Henry King Stanford
• 1963–68: Howard M. Phillips
• 1968–69: Robert F. Henry
• 1969–72: Charles D. Hounshell
• 1972–75: Ralph M. Tanner
• 1976–2004: Neal R. Berte
• 2004–10: G. David Pollick
• 2011–15: Charles C. Krulak
• 2015–2016: Edward F. Leonard III
• 2016–2018: Linda Flaherty-Goldsmith
• 2018–present: Daniel B. Coleman

Academics

The college currently offers five bachelor's degrees in more than 50 programs of study, as well as interdisciplinary and individualized majors and dual degree programs.

Campus

The campus is situated on 192 wooded acres three miles west of downtown Birmingham. The college has 45 academic, residential, administrative, and athletics buildings/facilities. Some highlights:

Elton B. Stephens Science Center: Housing the natural sciences, the 100,000-square-foot, $24.1 million Stephens Science Center.^[3]

 

Stephens Science Center

Norton Campus Center: The hub of campus, the Norton Campus Center houses the bookstore, cafeteria, post office, and student lounge areas as well as offices for student development, residence life, and counseling and health services.

Munger Memorial Hall: The architectural centerpiece of campus, Munger Hall, built in the 1920s, houses administrative offices and a 900-seat auditorium.

Berte Humanities Center: Named in honor of former BSC President Neal Berte, the Humanities Center opened in 2004 and houses the foreign languages lab, the academic resource center (ARC), and classrooms designed for BSC's small student-to-faculty ratio.

College Theatre: With a split-revolve-lift stage, the main theatre can host a variety of set designs.

Lakeview Residence Halls: The first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) residence halls in Alabama, Lakeview North and South opened in 2010 and offer suite-style living for upperclass students.^[4]

 

Lakeview Dorm South

Hilltop Village Apartments: Recently renovated, the Hilltop Village apartment complex contains sixteen buildings that house approximately 350 students.

 

Urban Environmental Park

Urban Environmental Park: The Urban Environmental Park features the 1.5-acre pond, walking paths, and Wi-Fi internet.

N.E Miles Library: The N.E. Miles Library includes a collection of 257,000 volumes, 57,000 government documents, and more than 20,000 recordings, compact discs, and DVDs. More than 135 online databases provide access to the full text of over 40,000 periodicals and numerous e-books. The library also features an auditorium, study areas, conference rooms, and an electronic classroom.^[5]

Striplin Fitness and Recreation Center: The main facility for campus recreation, Striplin features two basketball courts, an indoor jogging track, racquetball courts, a golf simulator, an indoor swimming pool, and strength training and cardiovascular workout rooms.

Student life

Greek life

Fraternities

• Kappa Alpha Order 1882
• Alpha Tau Omega 1885
• Theta Chi 1942
• Sigma Chi 1991
• Alpha Phi Alpha
• Lambda Chi Alpha 1924 (closed 1983)
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon 1878

Sororities

• Zeta Tau Alpha 1922
• Alpha Omicron Pi 1925
• Alpha Chi Omega 1926
• Pi Beta Phi 1927–1989, recolonized 1991
• Gamma Phi Beta 1930–1957
• Kappa Delta 1930
• Delta Zeta 1963–1974
• Chi Omega 1989
• Alpha Kappa Alpha 1979–2006; 2021

Athletics

See also: Birmingham–Southern Panthers football

 

Bill Battle Coliseum, the home court of Birmingham-Southern women's volleyball team, and the women's and men's basketball teams.

Birmingham–Southern athletic teams are the Panthers. The college is a member of the Division III level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) since the 2012–13 academic year. The Panthers previously competed in the D-III Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) from 2007–08 to 2011–12; in the Big South Conference of the Division I ranks of the NCAA from 2001–02 to 2006–07; and in the TranSouth Athletic Conference (TranSouth or TSAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1996–97 to 2000–01.

Birmingham–Southern competes in 22 intercollegiate varsity sports:^[6] Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis and track & field (indoor and outdoor); while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field and volleyball.

Overview

Birmingham–Southern enjoyed a successful run in the NAIA prior to joining the NCAA. After three years as a Division I member, the college moved to Division III in 2006.^[7] Panther Stadium, home to the college's football program, hosted its first home football game on November 8, 2008. The stadium features an athletic building that includes a press box, coaches' offices, meeting rooms, athletic training room, officials' dressing room, and locker rooms for football, lacrosse, track and field, and cross country.

Notable alumni

• William Acker – United States district judge
• Robert Aderholt – United States congressman from Alabama (1997–present)
• Laurie C. Battle – United States congressman from Alabama (1947–1955)
• Amanda Bearse – actress, best known for her role as Marcy on the television sitcom Married... with Children.^[8]
• Richmond C. Beatty (BA 1926) – academic, biographer and critic^[9]
• Harvie Branscomb – Chancellor, Vanderbilt University (1946–1963)
• Lewis C. Branscomb (1865–1930) – Methodist minister^[10]
• Charles Brooks – Editorial cartoonist
• Pat Buttram – Actor (sidekick of Gene Autry in films, and Mr. Haney in the TV series Green Acres)
• Miles Copeland III – Music and entertainment executive, former manager of The Police and cofounder of I.R.S. Records
• Howard Cruse – Cartoonist
• Marion Evans (BMus 1950) – Jazz composer, arranger^{[11][12][13][14][15]}
• Charles Gaines – Author, journalist, screenwriter, editor; Cine Gold Eagle Awards, National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Emmy Award
• Alexander Gelman – Theatre Director, Organic Theater Company, Chicago
• Rebecca Gilman – American playwright
• Jennifer Hale – Voice Actress
• Walker Hayes – Country Singer / Songwriter
• Donald Heflin – American diplomat
• Howell Heflin – U.S. Senator from Alabama (1978–1997)
• Perry O. Hooper, Sr. – 27th Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court
• Alexa Jones – former Miss Alabama and news reporter
• Hugh Martin – Broadway and film composer and arranger, including movie musical Meet Me In St. Louis, starring Judy Garland.
• Walter P. McConaughy - Career diplomat and US Ambassador to Burma, South Korea, Pakistan, and Taiwan.
• John B. McLemore – (Dropout after 3 years) Antique clock restorer, and focus of "This American Life" podcast "S- Town"
• Morgan Murphy – Food critic and author
• Joe Nasco – Professional Footballer
• Sena Jeter Naslund – Author
• LaFayette L. Patterson – United States Representative
• Gin Phillips – Novelist
• Howell Raines – Executive editor, The New York Times (2001–2004); Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing, 1992
• Ray Reach – Jazz pianist, vocalist, arranger, composer, producer and educator. Director of Student Jazz Programs at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.
• Glenn Shadix – American actor
• Daryl Shore – Professional soccer player and coach
• Morgan Smith Goodwin – Actress, Spokesperson for Wendy's
• Luther Leonidas Terry – Surgeon General of the United States (1961–1965)
• Butch Thompson, head baseball coach, Auburn University^[16]
• Martin Waldron (1925–1981) – Winner of the 1964 Pulitzer Prize
• Ray Wedgeworth – Jacksonville State University head coach: basketball (1951–1953), football (1953), and baseball (1964–1970)
• Frederick Palmer Whiddon – President, University of South Alabama (1963–1998)
• Robert Lee Williams – 3rd Governor of Oklahoma (1915–1919)
• John H. Yardley – Pathologist

References

1. "College Navigator – Birmingham-Southern College". Nces.ed.gov. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
2. . Archived from the original on 2013-07-07. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
3. Birmingham-Southern College. . Archived from the original on 2014-01-30. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
4. Birmingham-Southern College. . Archived from the original on 23 June 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
5. Birmingham-Southern College. . Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
6. Birmingham-Southern College. "BSC Basics". Retrieved 26 November 2013.
7. "Birmingham-Southern to D-III: Why? A Q&A". D3Hoops.com. May 26, 2006. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
8. Married With Children star reminisces about her childhood in Winter Park from The Watermark, 10 April 2013
9. "Richmond C. Beatty". Guggenheim Foundation. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
10. "Injuries Sustained In Accident Fatal To Dr. Branscomb. Widely Known Methodist Leader Dies In Jasper Hospital. Held Pastorate In Anniston. Was President of Alabama Anti-Saloon League". The Anniston Star. October 30, 1930. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
11. "Class of 1950". The Hilltop News. May 26, 1950. p. 2. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
12. Caldwell, Lily May (October 6, 1957). "On Local Turntables — Marion Evans Has New Album Out". The Birmingham News. p. E7. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
13. Grimes, William (December 11, 2009). "Torre Zito, Versatile Arranger for Lennon, Sinatra". The Boston Globe. p. B13. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
14. Lees, Gene (1988). Meet Me at Jim & Andy's : Jazz Musicians and Their World. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 11. ISBN 0-19-504611-0.
15. Fuller, Cam (April 27, 2017). "Galloping Jazz; The Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra gets set to swing with PJ Perry". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. p. C1. ProQuest 1892845423. The repertoire has been arranged by Marion Evans, a music icon who's been active since the 1950s. His music for Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga won a Grammy Award.
16. "Auburn hires Butch Thompson as baseball coach". Auburn Tigers. October 22, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2023.

Further reading

• Joseph H. Parks and Oliver C. Weaver, Birmingham-Southern College, 1856–1956. Nashville, TN: Parthenon Press, 1957.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Birmingham-Southern College.

• Official website
• Official athletics website

33°30′54″N 86°51′11″W / 33.515°N 86.853°W / 33.515; -86.853