John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas’ top-ranked regional university (U.S. News Best Colleges, 2019), today JBU enrolls more than 2,100 students from 38 states and 53 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers more than 40 majors, with top programs including engineering, nursing, family and human services, biology, graphic design and construction management.
John E. Brown, Sr., founded the university, originally dedicating it as "Southwestern Collegiate Institute."
Friends trying to help raise funds for the school recommended it be renamed to give it more distinction. The name "John E. Brown College" was officially incorporated under the Arkansas state laws.
J. Alvin, known as “Uncle Alvin” around campus and the youngest brother of John Brown, was integral in the early years of JBU. In 1920, Jesse H. Jones donated $50,000 for the construction of the dormitory, and he gave the check directly to J. Alvin himself. The cornerstone was laid June 1, 1920, and the building was named by popular vote for the man who had been like family to so many students. J. Alvin is the oldest building on campus and has grown steadily over the years. In the 1950s, JBU renovated the dorm, modernizing the interior and constructing an entirely new wing. In 1985, a million-dollar renovation began to completely change the atrium, giving more of a “Holiday-Inn style,” and it became the focal point of J. Alvin. In 2014, JBU conducted the most recent renovation, gutting the old rooms, installing new plumbing, and updating the atrium and exterior.
In 1922, ground was broken for the California dormitory during the JBU's Bible Conference. This dormitory’s name reveals its connection to the state, as much of the funding for the building came from donors in California.
John Brown, Sr., purchased a wide array of properties—hotels, storefronts, and businesses—which generated income in the summer and provided housing facilities.
The Yearbook was originally titled the "Jebroco" and was a joint effort between both of John Brown's campuses.
Nearly five years after groundbreaking, California was completed and dedicated, having been furnished with products constructed by the vocational students in the furniture factory. The dedication was a grand event, with over three thousand people in attendance. After the celebration, some guests were given the opportunity to stay in prepared rooms in the new building.
In 1923, a funding campaign began for a heating and lighting plant on the university campus. By Christmas Day of that year, when a generous donation was received, ground had already been broken for the new building. The building later served so many other purposes that it was sometimes referred to as "the queen" of the campus buildings.
Constructed from materials from the Southwestern building, the Helen the First Memorial was dedicated in 1934 to Helen Brown Hodge’s memory. Helen was John Brown Sr.’s second-born daughter and was an alumna of JBU.
At this time, the articles of incorporation were amended. John E. Brown College, Siloam School of the Bible, and John Brown Vocational College were all a part of the university.
The first broadcast was an all-day program hosted in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Within a month, KUOA began broadcasting in Siloam Springs.
A new transmitter was built for KUOA, along with a radio tower that was fondly dubbed the "Rod of God."
The academy was renamed Brown Military Academy and served to instill responsibility, leadership, and integrity in its students while maintaining high scholastic achievement.
The student-run newspaper that began in 1937 is still operating today. The Threefold publishes papers biweekly, coming out with 12 issues a year. Over the years, the paper has won numerous awards, especially through the Arkansas College Media Association.
JBU begins a Civil Aeronautics unit and constructs an airfield, hangar, wind tunnel, shop, and laboratory.
During this time, only 11 male students were enrolled at the University.
The vision for this iconic structure came long before the cornerstone was placed in 1945. Indeed, John Brown, Sr., called the Ozark Mountains "a great cathedral” and dreamt of creating a building that captured the beauty of Arkansas’s sloping hills.
The New York Times included a piece about John Brown University in their "Who's Who in America" article.
This school was aimed at elementary- and middle-school-aged boys. It would later be somewhat consolidated with the Brown Military Academy.
JBU reduced the vocational requirements for students from 15 to 10 hours weekly.
At the time of his investiture, John Brown, Jr., was, at 26 years old, the youngest college president in America—just as his father had been in 1919.
The May 1945 commencement ceremonies at JBU were marked by an important groundbreaking. Mrs. Emily Biddle, whose son, Bruce Biddle, had died in the war, was given the honor of pushing the first shovel into the earth on the site where the cathedral would one day stand. The Cathedral of the Ozarks and its two companion buildings would now be constructed and called the “Memorial Group,” for the cornerstone of the Cathedral was inscribed, “In Memory of Our Boys.”
The military academy was moved close to the Glendora campus. As years went by, it became clear that the university could not support its multiple campuses, and the military program was shut down.
In 1952, the university recieved pressure from the North Central Association to build a library. An anonymous donation was given, and the building was completed and dedicated in 1956. The three-story library contained offices, processing rooms, storerooms for overflow books, a reading room, a projection booth, a kitchen, a small stage, and a historical room, among other things. The rules of the library were strict—no boys and girls sitting at the same table, little movement, and no consulting with a teacher while in the library.
During his last days, John Brown, Sr., continued his radio broadcasts from his bed. He passed away on February 12th, 1957, leaving behind a vast and unique legacy.
The Cathedral, which had been a work-in-progress for ten years, was completed two months after the founder's passing. The completed sanctuary was filled with pews made in the campus furniture factory and decorated with stained-glass windows depicting the life of the founder and the university.
By the mid-1950s, the university needed something more to attract students. The first men's basketball team was recruited and began playing in 1958, kicking off John Brown's athletics programs. Men's basketball would soon be followed by a women's team, men's and women's tennis, swimming, volleyball, and baseball.
On Tuesday, September 15th, 1959, famous evangelist Billy Graham spoke in the first chapel service of the semester. Graham spoke to a packed Cathedral on Mark Ch. 10, urging students to "go all out for Christ."
In the 1950s, J. Alvin received a renovation conducted in two phases. During the first phase, the interior was modernized and 8-person suites were added to an old wing, which was innovative at the time. The second phase brought the construction of an entirely new wing, and the dorm was rededicated in May of 1961 after all the changes were complete.
Under the leadership of President John Brown, Jr., the university worked diligently to refine JBU's academic program and facilities in order to achieve full accreditation. To that end, a "general education" core curriculum was instituted in August of 1961, establishing a core of liberal arts classes for all students.
In 1962, JBU received full regional accreditation, an achievement which was a major step in JBU's growth into a full-fledged university. Student enrollment jumped in the next years after the university's accreditation.
These buildings on the west side of campus were mostly used as married student housing. They were remodeled after two decades of use and eventually torn down to make space for new projects.
Mayfield was constructed on the grounds of the Brown family’s former home. The dorm, built in an L-shape design, originally housed 158 women and was formally opened under the name South Hall in 1964. Later, the dorm was renamed in honor of oil tycoon John P. Mayfield and his wife Julia A. Woffard Mayfield, who were major donors at the time. The “New” wing was completed in 1979 during the presidency of John Brown III. Mayfield has served the JBU community well, but underwent a much-needed renovation in July 2018. After the massive redesign, Mayfield can now 231 women, adding to the over 10,000 women who have lived in Mayfield since 1964.
In 1964, after only 90 days, funds were raised for the Murray Sells Physical Education Building and Gymnasium. Construction of the building lasted a year. Upon its completion, the Murray Sells Building included a gymnasium and swimming pool. The gymnasium’s namesake, Murray Sells, was a man who heard John Brown Sr.’s radio production and called in to the program. He became a lifelong friend and made numerous contributions to the university. Upon his death, he left a large portion of his estate to JBU.
The Glendora campus was sold to Azuza Pacific College, and the Long Beach military academy was sold off shortly thereafter.
In line with JBU's motto of Head, Heart, and Hand, students were given opportunities to serve others in the U.S. and abroad.
After JBU's regional accreditation in 1962, both the enrollment and degree program offerings were expanded. Vocational training units were aligned with the student’s career interests as well as with work-study financial aid positions. These changes sparked many students' interest in JBU, and in the 1970s, the university passed the 750-student mark in enrollment.
The Mabee Foundation of Tulsa funded a project that would cover needs that were being not being met by other areas of campus. In 1972, construction began on a two-story student activities building that included a dining area, bookstore, student offices, coffee shop, game rooms, conference rooms, and indoor and outdoor lounges. The building was dedicated the following year, with guests including Paul Harvey, Sr., and senator Mark Hatfield of Oregon.
This decision is based on the insistence that no particular denomination be favored and no particular church should exercise control over the university.
This fundraising campaign began with the goal of raising $5 million in 5 years for construction projects.
John Brown purchased Sager’s cabin in 1919, and the house was used for agriculture classes during the school's early years. In 1965, the cabin began a restoration process through the initiative of Mrs. Maggie Smith, great-granddaughter of Simon Sager.
JBU's campus was expanded and modernized during the presidency of John Brown III, and Mayfield was no exception. During John Brown III’s first semester as president in 1979, the final expansion of Mayfield Hall—the “New” wing—was completed.
At his formal investiture ceremony, John E. Brown III said, "I came to work at JBU for the same reason as the faculty and staff—I felt called by God to service at JBU."
JBU started to attract people from all over the world, increasing the amount of students at JBU overall. As the international diversity of JBU’s student body increased in the 1980’s, a tradition emerged where one chapel service each year would be dedicated to celebrating the many nationalities on campus. One student from each of the represented nations would carry his or her country’s flag to the front of the Cathedral in a ceremony that, by the late 1990’s, included more than 30 foreign flags.
This multi-use facility, known as the LRC, housed a new library, classrooms, offices, a TV studio, and administrative space. The Arutunoff Library, a main feature in the complex, was named for Armais Arutunoff, a Russian engineer who often spoke as a guest lecturer on campus.
The men's rugby club, along with other club sports, gained strong support from the campus community.
The flagpoles and marker at the JBU entrance were built by the construction management department. Several items were enclosed during the dedication to be extracted during the centennial in 2019.
KLRC, named after the Learning Resource Center in which student-run studios were located, first broadcasted from a 100-watt station with small local reach.
This tradition has been listed as a top fan tradition of college basketball and has been described as the "best technical foul in all of sports."
The Walton Scholar Program was founded in 1985 by Sam and Helen Walton. Three universities were invited to partake in this program: Harding University, University of the Ozarks, and John Brown University. This program provides free college education for students from Central America and Mexico. Students must complete a competitive application process and are required to return to their home countries upon graduation. Over 1,000 students have completed degrees and returned to their home countries through this program.
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