Simmons College of Kentucky
Encyclopedia
Simmons College of Kentucky, also referred to as Simmons College and Simmons Bible College, is a private
, co-educational college
located in Louisville
, Kentucky
. Founded in 1879, Simmons College is a historically black college. The school is in applicant status for accreditation from the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) and also plans to apply to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
(SACS).
In August 1865, 12 Black Baptist
Churches met at Fifth Street Baptist Church in Louisville, KY and organized the state Convention of Colored
Baptist
Churches in Kentucky
, led by the pastor Henry Adams
.
Because there was no place in the state where Blacks could obtain a college education, members of the Convention soon began discussing the need to create a school for the training of Negroes – many of whom were one generation removed from slavery
.
Having first given consideration to Frankfort, KY as the home to the school, members of the Convention instead decided in 1869 to locate what would be known as the Kentucky Normal Theological Institute in Louisville, KY.
It was not until 10 years later in 1879, however, that any definite steps were taken for the opening of the school. In November of that year the trustees of the Convention of Colored Baptist Church in Kentucky purchased 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of land on the corner of 7th & Kentucky Street in Louisville that immediately served as the campus
for the school.
Rev. Elijah P. Marrs. After a brief one-year tenure
, Rev. Marrs was succeeded by Dr. W. J. Simmons
. Simmons was an ex-slave who had greatly developed Howard University
's teacher training programs. It was under the leadership of Dr. Simmons that the school would begin to flourish in such a way that it would eventually be renamed Simmons University in appreciation for his contributions: by 1893 the school had 159 students, and by 1900 it was offering professional degrees in nursing and law in cooperation with the University of Louisville
.
During his 10-year tenure, which stretched from 1880 – 1890, the school became a full university
and expanded its offerings to include liberal arts
, college preparatory courses and medical, law
, business
, music
, and theological departments. Additionally, the school was the home to competitive football
, basketball
, and baseball
teams.
Simmons University continued to grow and prosper. In 1918, Charles Parish became President of the school, now called State University, and improved the school's endowment and academic offerings. In 1930, the school was made a "colored" branch of the University of Louisville
and was renamed Louisville Municipal College.
found its way to the school. In 1930, the campus was forced to sell its property due to a foreclosure on the mortgage. As a result, the school significantly scaled back its offerings. Additionally, in 1950 the University of Louisville desegregated, making the LMC campus obsolete; most of its faculty were forced to find jobs at other universities. One member, Charles Parrish Jr, joined the Department of Sociology, becoming the University of Louisville's first African-American faculty member. Today there is a park on the campus named for him. Parrish Jr is also known for attending the Highlander School (a school of peace) with Rosa Parks
, the woman who started the Montgomery Bus Boycott
.
In 1935, however, a new location for the school had been secured in west Louisville that allowed the school to continue with a more narrowed mission to simply educate young men and women for Christian
service. Eventually in 1982 the school was renamed Simmons Bible College to more adequately reflect its mission.
, faith-based
approach to community involvement, interaction, and development.
Non-degree Programs:
• Certificates in Christian Ministry Studies
• Diploma in Christian Ministry Studies
Degree Programs:
• Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies
• Bachelor of Theology
Non-Degree Programs
The non-degree programs are designed to provide prospective students with essential Christian training at the college level particularly those students who do not qualify for admission to a degree program. The Certificate program is a thirty-one (31) credit hour course of study. The Diploma in Christian Ministry program is a sixty (60) credit hour course of study and provides the student with a more comprehensive Liberal Arts and Christian Studies curriculum. The Diploma program is designed to be completed in two years.
Degree Programs
The degree programs provide both academic and practical experiential training in Biblical, Theological, and Ministerial studies, in addition to a wide range of ministry areas. The Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies is a four (4) year degree program which incorporates both Liberal Arts and Christian Studies into its 120 hour educational program.
The Bachelor of Theology
program is designed for students who desire study in the area of Theology
and Biblical studies beyond the Bachelor of Arts
program. A written thesis
is required for the completion of this program.
Certificate Program
Simmons College of Kentucky offers a one-year program of thirty-one (31) credit hours leading towards a certificate in Christian Ministry
. The program is designed for persons who desire Christian
training in order to more effectively serve in Christian ministry, but who either do not meet the academic requirements for admission to the Bachelor of Arts degree program or desire a shorter program or study.
Students in the Certificate program will attend the same classes and do the same class work as the degree
students. Should the student meet the necessary academic requirements and desire to be admitted to the Bachelor of Arts degree program only course work in the Certificate program in which the student earned a letter grade "C" or above will be applied to the degree program.
A significant component of the institutional strategic plan is Simmons Community Solutions (SCS), a comprehensive community development program. The target population for SCS is not only just the current student body, but also the entire Louisville Metro community in general, and Western Louisville
in specific.
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
, co-educational college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
located in Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. Founded in 1879, Simmons College is a historically black college. The school is in applicant status for accreditation from the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) and also plans to apply to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
(SACS).
Beginnings
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Churches met at Fifth Street Baptist Church in Louisville, KY and organized the state Convention of Colored
Colored
Colored is a term once widely used in the United States to describe black people and Native Americans...
Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Churches in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, led by the pastor Henry Adams
Henry Adams (pastor)
Henry Adams was a Baptist pastor and leader in the black community in 19th century Kentucky. He was born to free parents in Franklin County, Georgia and became ordained at age 23...
.
Because there was no place in the state where Blacks could obtain a college education, members of the Convention soon began discussing the need to create a school for the training of Negroes – many of whom were one generation removed from slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
.
Having first given consideration to Frankfort, KY as the home to the school, members of the Convention instead decided in 1869 to locate what would be known as the Kentucky Normal Theological Institute in Louisville, KY.
It was not until 10 years later in 1879, however, that any definite steps were taken for the opening of the school. In November of that year the trustees of the Convention of Colored Baptist Church in Kentucky purchased 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of land on the corner of 7th & Kentucky Street in Louisville that immediately served as the campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
for the school.
Growth
That same year, the school opened its doors under the direction of its first PresidentPresident
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
Rev. Elijah P. Marrs. After a brief one-year tenure
Tenure
Tenure commonly refers to life tenure in a job and specifically to a senior academic's contractual right not to have his or her position terminated without just cause.-19th century:...
, Rev. Marrs was succeeded by Dr. W. J. Simmons
W. J. Simmons
William J. Simmons was an ex-slave who became Simmons College of Kentucky's second president and for whom the school eventually was named. Simmons greatly developed Howard University's teacher training programs when he took over the school. In addition, he was a writer, journalist, and educator...
. Simmons was an ex-slave who had greatly developed Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
's teacher training programs. It was under the leadership of Dr. Simmons that the school would begin to flourish in such a way that it would eventually be renamed Simmons University in appreciation for his contributions: by 1893 the school had 159 students, and by 1900 it was offering professional degrees in nursing and law in cooperation with the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
.
During his 10-year tenure, which stretched from 1880 – 1890, the school became a full university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
and expanded its offerings to include liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
, college preparatory courses and medical, law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, and theological departments. Additionally, the school was the home to competitive football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
teams.
Simmons University continued to grow and prosper. In 1918, Charles Parish became President of the school, now called State University, and improved the school's endowment and academic offerings. In 1930, the school was made a "colored" branch of the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
and was renamed Louisville Municipal College.
Demise
The effects of the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
found its way to the school. In 1930, the campus was forced to sell its property due to a foreclosure on the mortgage. As a result, the school significantly scaled back its offerings. Additionally, in 1950 the University of Louisville desegregated, making the LMC campus obsolete; most of its faculty were forced to find jobs at other universities. One member, Charles Parrish Jr, joined the Department of Sociology, becoming the University of Louisville's first African-American faculty member. Today there is a park on the campus named for him. Parrish Jr is also known for attending the Highlander School (a school of peace) with Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....
, the woman who started the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a political and social protest campaign that started in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, USA, intended to oppose the city's policy of racial segregation on its public transit system. Many important figures in the civil rights movement were involved in the boycott,...
.
In 1935, however, a new location for the school had been secured in west Louisville that allowed the school to continue with a more narrowed mission to simply educate young men and women for Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
service. Eventually in 1982 the school was renamed Simmons Bible College to more adequately reflect its mission.
Renaissance
In 2005, Dr. Kevin W. Cosby became the 13th President and subsequently changed the name of the school to Simmons College of Kentucky to reflect the school's mission to prepare Christians for ministry, while reinstating its initial mission of general education. In 2006, the school bought and moved back to the original campus.Academics
Simmons College of Kentucky has developed four distinct educational programs, plus a commitment to a fifth program objective, with a focus on an academic, research-basedResearch
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
, faith-based
Faith-based
The term faith-based is a neologism , mostly current in US English, to describe any organization or government idea or plan based on religious beliefs, specifically Christian beliefs....
approach to community involvement, interaction, and development.
Non-degree Programs:
• Certificates in Christian Ministry Studies
• Diploma in Christian Ministry Studies
Degree Programs:
• Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies
• Bachelor of Theology
Non-Degree Programs
The non-degree programs are designed to provide prospective students with essential Christian training at the college level particularly those students who do not qualify for admission to a degree program. The Certificate program is a thirty-one (31) credit hour course of study. The Diploma in Christian Ministry program is a sixty (60) credit hour course of study and provides the student with a more comprehensive Liberal Arts and Christian Studies curriculum. The Diploma program is designed to be completed in two years.
Degree Programs
The degree programs provide both academic and practical experiential training in Biblical, Theological, and Ministerial studies, in addition to a wide range of ministry areas. The Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies is a four (4) year degree program which incorporates both Liberal Arts and Christian Studies into its 120 hour educational program.
The Bachelor of Theology
Bachelor of Theology
The Bachelor of Theology is a three to five year undergraduate degree in theological disciplines. Candidates for this degree typically must complete course work in Greek or Hebrew, as well as systematic theology, biblical theology, ethics, homiletics and Christian ministry...
program is designed for students who desire study in the area of Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and Biblical studies beyond the Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
program. A written thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
is required for the completion of this program.
Certificate Program
Simmons College of Kentucky offers a one-year program of thirty-one (31) credit hours leading towards a certificate in Christian Ministry
Christian ministry
In Christianity, ministry is an activity carried out by Christians to express or spread their faith. 2003's Encyclopedia of Christianity defines it as "carrying forth Christ's mission in the world", indicating that it is "conferred on each Christian in baptism." It is performed by all Christians...
. The program is designed for persons who desire Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
training in order to more effectively serve in Christian ministry, but who either do not meet the academic requirements for admission to the Bachelor of Arts degree program or desire a shorter program or study.
Students in the Certificate program will attend the same classes and do the same class work as the degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
students. Should the student meet the necessary academic requirements and desire to be admitted to the Bachelor of Arts degree program only course work in the Certificate program in which the student earned a letter grade "C" or above will be applied to the degree program.
Community involvement
Simmons Community SolutionsA significant component of the institutional strategic plan is Simmons Community Solutions (SCS), a comprehensive community development program. The target population for SCS is not only just the current student body, but also the entire Louisville Metro community in general, and Western Louisville
Limerick, Louisville
Limerick is a neighborhood one mile south of downtown Louisville, Kentucky USA. It was developed in the 1860s as a place of residence for employees of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad freight yard. It was named because nearly all of the residents were from the Irish county of Limerick. The St....
in specific.
Notable people
- W. J. SimmonsW. J. SimmonsWilliam J. Simmons was an ex-slave who became Simmons College of Kentucky's second president and for whom the school eventually was named. Simmons greatly developed Howard University's teacher training programs when he took over the school. In addition, he was a writer, journalist, and educator...
— ex-slave who was the college's second president and namesake - Samuel PlatoSamuel PlatoSamuel M. Plato was an African-American architect and builder who is noted for contributions to the African-American community in Louisville and imaginative designs elsewhere in the country.-Early years:Plato was born in Waugh, Alabama...
- Arenia MalloryArenia MalloryArenia Mallory was a religious grade- and high-school founder and advocate for civil rights and the poor in Holmes County, Mississippi.Mallory was born in Jacksonville, Illinois...
Athletics
Simmons College of Kentucky currently has men's and women's basketball teams. The 2006-2007 season was the first time since 1930 that the school sponsored an athletic program.External links
- www.simmonscollegeky.edu] -- Official Website
- Life and History of the Rev. Elijah P. Marrs, First Pastor of Beargrass Baptist Church Louisville, Ky.: Bradley & Gilbert, 1885.