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39-556: Hardin–Simmons University was founded as Abilene Baptist College in 1891 by the Sweetwater Baptist Association and a group of cattlemen and pastors who sought to bring Christian higher education to the Southwest. The purpose of the school would be "to lead students to Christ, teach them of Christ, and train them for Christ." The original land was donated to the university by rancher C.W. Merchant. The school

78-763: A Baptist after hearing an evangelist speak in Sheffield. Rev. John LaGrange baptized him at the old Northeast Baptist Church. He worked as a farmer and a teacher while receiving his education and also attended prayer meetings. He entered Brown University in 1847 and graduated in 1851. He studied alongside his wife at a seminary in Rochester, New York for one year. They also studied together at Newton Theological Seminary and he finished his education there in 1854. Simmons met Mary Eliza Stevens when he attended Brown University. Her parents, Deborah and Robert Stevens, were wealthy Quakers from Rhode Island. Mary graduated from

117-633: A Quaker college with distinction. She became a Baptist after she met Simmons. The couple married on October 28, 1851. Mary was interested in missionary work. She studied Greek and Hebrew at the seminary. Their son Robert was born on December 9, 1854, in Providence, Rhode Island. He became a physician, having graduated from the Homeopathic Medical College in New York. After receiving his degree from Brown, and while studying at

156-591: A conference sport after the 2016 season. In July 2018, the NCAA approved UT Tyler's application to begin a transition to NCAA Division II effective with the 2019–20 school year. Accordingly, UT Tyler left the ASC at the end of the 2018–19 school year. While the school did not immediately announce its future affiliation, it stated that it expected to join the Lone Star Conference . The following month, UT Tyler

195-458: A doctorate in physical therapy , the first in Texas which is open to private citizens, as well as Doctor of Education (Ed.D.). HSU students come from diverse backgrounds and a variety of Christian denominations . With an approximate enrollment of 1,500 students, the student-to-teacher ratio was 33:1. In 2016, U.S. News & World Report ranked Hardin-Simmons 33 among Regional Universities in

234-598: A school. Before that, the slave pen called Lumpkin's Jail was rented out and used as a school. In 1876, it was named the Richmond Institute and it was later merged into the Virginia Union University . He was instrumental in this role in the early development of a number of schools in the south. He helped establish the following schools: He helped establish Morehouse College . He was assigned in 1869 to development of missions among

273-777: A small farm animal petting area. The activities have become a fun educational opportunity for Abilene-area elementary school-aged children. The Hardin–Simmons athletic teams are called the Cowboys/Cowgirls. The university is a member of the Division III level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the American Southwest Conference since the 1996–97 academic year. as of November 2016 had won 75 conference titles,

312-454: A writing center, academic advisors, library services, faculty mentors, disability services, health services, peer mentors, and counseling. HSU's grounds include six residence halls and eight apartment complexes as well as campus houses. Campus infrastructure is built in classic brick architecture, and the school's golden-domed, red brick clock tower serves as its signature building, along with the 30 by 41-ft stained glass wall of Logsdon chapel, on

351-672: The American Civil War , he was an American missionary who was Corresponding Secretary of the American Baptist Home Mission Society from 1867 to 1874. He was an early benefactor and trustee of Hardin–Simmons University in Texas, which is partially named for him. He was born in North East , Dutchess County, New York in 1827. His father William Simmons was a thrifty farmer of Dutch extraction. His mother Clarissa Roe, of Scotch descent,

390-515: The Gulf South Conference , a league that it had been a member of until 1996. The departures of McMurry, Texas Lutheran and Mississippi College will leave the conference with only six football playing members, below the minimum seven participating schools required to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA football playoffs. The conference has not announced a plan to maintain its automatic bid. ASC officials announced on March 13, 2014,

429-460: The NCAA 's Division III . All member schools are located in the state of Texas . The conference competes in baseball , men's and women's basketball , men's and women's cross country , football , men's and women's golf , men's and women's soccer , softball , men's and women's tennis , men's and women's track and field , and women's volleyball . The American Southwest Conference operates from

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468-598: The University of Dallas and the University of the Ozarks . The expansion soon began as the University of Mary Hardin–Baylor joined the ASC in 1997; followed by East Texas Baptist University , LeTourneau University , Schreiner University and the University of Texas at Dallas in 1998; then Concordia University Texas in 1999, and finally Louisiana Christian University , then known as Louisiana College, and Texas Lutheran University in 2000. The University of Dallas

507-609: The 1996-2019 period, and an NCAA Division III National Championship title in 2010. 32°28′37″N 99°44′02″W  /  32.477°N 99.734°W  / 32.477; -99.734 James B. Simmons (clergyman) James B. Simmons (c. 1827 – December 17, 1905), was a minister and abolitionist during the Antebellum period . He served as a Baptist minister in Providence, Rhode Island ; Indianapolis , Indiana ; Philadelphia , Pennsylvania; and New York City. After

546-603: The 2021 season, committing to at least four years as an affiliate, then on August 19, 2021, Southwestern University announced its football program will move to the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) to start the 2023 season as an affiliate member. and on November 26, 2021, when the USA South Athletic Conference initially named Belhaven as its newest member in the 2022–23 academic year. However, on February 18, 2022, Belhaven

585-652: The ASC in the fall of 2024 to join the Lone Star Conference into Division II. Additionally on May 15, 2023, the SCAC announced it would also be accepting Concordia and University of the Ozarks as members for the 2024-25 school year. The rapid loss of members continued, with UT Dallas announcing their intent to transition to Division II and follow fellow conference member Sul Ross State to the Lone Star Conference on July 20, 2023 and LeTourneau announcing that they would be following McMurry, Concordia, and Ozarks to

624-487: The SCAC on April 25, 2024, with both changes occurring for the 2025-26 school year. If no more schools join the ASC, the conference will be down to four schools, below the minimum required to qualify for an automatic bid to the NCAA championships for those sports with 100% participation. David Flores was named the new commissioner of the American Southwest Conference on June 21, 2023, replacing

663-750: The West. That same year, Princeton Review included the university among its Best Western Colleges. In 2016 Campus Pride ranked the university among the worst schools in Texas for LGBT students. Chapel services are held weekly for the entire student body. Neighborhood outreach programs are also available in which students can participate. Baptist Student Ministries (BSM) offers free noon lunches for students every Wednesday. The BSM provides possibilities for students to get involved in Bible study groups and go on mission trips, in addition to hosting concerts and other campus events. Campus resources include career services,

702-800: The board of the American Baptist Publication Society elected Simmons as field secretary for the State of New York. He fundraised for Bible and mission work, as well as two more schools. One of the schools became the University of Columbia in Washington D.C. Another was a short-lived school in Indiana. Mary died on September 24, 1894, and she was buried in a Quaker cemetery near Providence. He died in his home on East 59th Street in New York on December 17, 1905. A service

741-600: The campus' southeast corner. HSU was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful Christian Colleges and Universities in 2017. Western Heritage Day is an annual celebration of the heritage and way of life in the American frontier that has occurred since the Abilene Centennial Celebration in 1981. The event is held on the HSU campus and includes activities such as trick roping, pit branding, chuck wagon snacks, and

780-515: The colored peoples of the South and West and Mexico . He was a trustee of Brown University . In 1891, Simmons was a founder of Simmons College, now known as Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas . Simmons set up a fund for a library, which was used to build Anna Hall. He donated and catalogued a large number of books for the library. After working as a minister from 1874 to around 1882,

819-572: The conference for football in 2017 as football-only members. Both schools are members of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, but the conference only had four remaining schools competing in football. Two other SCAC schools. Austin College and Trinity University (Texas) , announced they would play football in the Southern Athletic Association beginning with the 2017 season. The SCAC dropped football as

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858-519: The conference in 2011, after completing their transition from Division I to Division III, but almost immediately announced its departure for the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. Recently, however, several schools have announced plans to leave the conference in favor of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference , which lost seven of its members at the end of the 2011–12 school year. Centenary departed at

897-542: The end of the 2011–12 season after joining the ASC in that same season; Schreiner and Texas Lutheran left at the end of the 2012–13 season. In 2012, McMurry left the ASC and completed the process of reclassifying to a full-scholarship, Division II institution and joined the Heartland Conference . Additionally, Mississippi College announced that it would be also leaving the conference and reclassifying to Division II in 2014. Mississippi College will re-join

936-1062: The first 15 years after HSU restarted its football program (1990–2005), the Hardin–Simmons Cowboy football team had the best winning percentage (77.4%) of all Texan college football programs. Also, the men's basketball team won two Border Conference titles, in 1953 and 1957, advancing to the NCAA basketball tournament each time. The Cowboys are one of fourteen teams to have played in the tournament and no longer be in Division I; they are also one of five such teams to have appeared in more than one tournament. Hardin–Simmons competes in 16 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball. Hardin–Simmons women's soccer has been HSU's single-most successful athletic program with 22 ASC Conference Championships in

975-484: The forthcoming addition of McMurry University and Belhaven University to its membership. McMurry will re-join the ASC after a two-year stint in the Division II level, competing as a member of the Heartland Conference ; while Belhaven is scheduled to join the ASC as a provisional member in 2015. On December 3, 2015, ASC officials reported that Texas Lutheran University and Southwestern University would join

1014-751: The governor, the church was set on fire. He also received threats. He wrote The Cause and Cure of the Rebellion: How far the people of the loyal states are responsible for the war. After he retired from the American Baptist Home Mission Society , he ministered to the Old Trinity Baptist Church congregation in New York. He was there from 1874 to 1882. Following the end of the American Civil War (1861–1865), there were four million enslaved people who were freed. However, there were no constructs to help build successful lives, like education and opportunities to move out of poverty. He

1053-663: The late 2010s, continuing into 2020 as the state and the Baptist General Convention of Texas reduced the funding levels of programs in which the university participates. In 2018, the university ended nine undergraduate and four graduate programs and closed five campus extensions (Logsdon Seminary campuses in Coppell, Lubbock, Corpus Christi and McAllen; Acton MBA Program in Austin). These changes also included terminations of staff and faculty. Two years later, in 2020,

1092-710: The most of any school. The Cowboys/Cowgirls also competed in the Division III-based Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (TIAA) from 1990–91 to 1995–96. Hardin–Simmons previously competed as a member of the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association (BIAA; also known as the Border Conference ) from 1941–42 to 1961–62, during which time the football team won three conference championships . For

1131-758: The same headquarters complex in the Dallas suburb of Richardson as the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference . The American Southwest Conference was announced in May 1996. The new league included some former members of the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (TIAA). Founding members of the ASC were Howard Payne University , Austin College , Hardin–Simmons University , McMurry University , Mississippi College , Sul Ross State University ,

1170-678: The seminary, he was a pastor of the Third Baptist Church in Providence, Rhode Island from 1851 to 1854. He led the First Baptist Church of Indianapolis beginning in August 1857. In 1861, he left Indianapolis for the Fifth Baptist Church of Philadelphia. Under his leadership a Gothic English style church. He became known for his ability to coordinate fundraising and his abilities as a minister, which

1209-657: The university announced that it would close Logsdon Seminary and end an additional 22 academic programs with accompanying terminations of staff and faculty. The university was granted an exception to Title IX in 2016 which allows it to legally discriminate against LGBT students for religious reasons. HSU offers six undergraduate degrees with 70 majors, and seven graduate degrees with 18 programs. Pre-professional programs include dentistry , engineering , medicine , law , pharmacology , physical therapy , and seminary . HSU offers courses in geography, Greek, Hebrew, humanities, and physical sciences, as well. The university offers

Hardin–Simmons University - Misplaced Pages Continue

1248-455: Was a member of the ASC until the end of the 2000–01 season to become a Independent ; and Austin College withdrew the ASC in the 2005–06 season to join the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC). The University of Texas at Tyler began athletics in 2002 and became a member in 2003, but as a provisional member of the NCAA, was ineligible to participate in ASC or NCAA postseason tournaments until 2007. Centenary College of Louisiana joined

1287-554: Was announced as an inaugural member of the new Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) following a geographical split in the USA South, where the Blazers will remain as football associate members. On November 1, 2022, McMurry University announced that it will leave the ASC in the fall of 2024 to join the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference . While on February 1, 2023, Sul Ross State University announced that it will leave

1326-642: Was held at the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church. Simmons, Mary, and Robert are all buried in a gravesite on the Simmons College campus in the Founders' Cemetery. Simmons once said that he hoped that even their "very ashes may witness for Christian Education." American Southwest Conference The American Southwest Conference ( ASC ) is an intercollegiate athletic conference , founded in 1996, whose member schools compete in

1365-473: Was officially unveiled as an incoming LSC member. In July 2020, Louisiana College announced that it would leave the NCAA and applied to rejoin the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics after the 2020–21 school year. More changes in the ASC membership were announced August 13, 2020, when Austin reported it would return to the conference as a football-only affiliate beginning with

1404-693: Was recruited by the American Baptist Home Mission Society and became the secretary of the Baptist Home Missions. He established schools in the post-war Southern states for freedmen, starting with a Christian school in Richmond, Virginia . He negotiated a $ 10,000 (~$ 155,957 in 2023) donation from the Freedmen's Bureau for Colver Institute in 1865. The money was used to purchase the old United States Hotel in Richmond and convert it into

1443-549: Was renamed Simmons College in 1892 in honor of an early contributor, James B. Simmons . By 1907 it claimed an enrollment of 524 and a staff of 49. In 1925, it became Simmons University . It was renamed Hardin–Simmons University in 1934 in honor of Mary and John G. Hardin, who were also major contributors. The university has been associated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas since 1941. The university publicly experienced financial challenges in

1482-558: Was rewarded by two honorary doctorates from two universities. Simmons witnessed a fugitive slave named West get shot by a deputy marshal and subsequently was captured. He was horrified that the governmental rules were so distant from his Biblical understanding. This led him to deliver a sermon entitled The American Slave System Tried by the Golden Rule and he vowed to act more forthrightly about his beliefs going forward. After he preached that all men are created equal and called out

1521-518: Was thrown from a carriage and killed when James was not quite five months old. He had four older siblings: Hervey Roe, Edward W. Julia and Amanda. His brother Edward, eleven years older than Simmons, was a teacher in a classic school of Sheffield. He prepared for an advanced education by his brother and he also attended Madison University's (now Colgate University ) preparatory department in Hamilton, New York from 1846 to 1847. He decided to become

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