Louisiana Christian University

Early history Louisiana Christian University was founded as Louisiana College on October 3, 1906, in Pineville, across the Red River from the larger city of Alexandria . The college began in tents with four professors and nineteen students. Baptist clergyman and educator Edwin O. Ware, Sr. , is considered to have been the principal founder of the institution. From 1906 to 1907, Ware was the college's financial agent and its first president from 1908 to 1909. LCU is the successor to two earlier Louisiana Baptist schools: Mount Lebanon College and Keatchie Female College. After a history beset with financial difficulties, both schools came under the control of the Louisiana Baptist Convention in 1899. The state convention selected an Education Commission to administer the schools, understanding that both would be succeeded by a more centrally located institution as soon as a suitable campus could be chosen. When Louisiana College was opened in 1906, Mount Lebanon College closed, followed by Keatchie a few years later. Since the first class of nineteen students in 1906, more than ten thousand students have graduated. In 1920, the school completed Alexandria Hall . It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Until 1921, Louisiana College was administered by the Education Commission. The new charter established a board of trustees. The first administrative head of Louisiana College was W. F. Taylor, whose title was faculty chair. Since its opening under President Edwin Ware, LC has had nine presidents: W. C. Friley , 1909–1910, also the first president of Hardin–Simmons University in Abilene, Texas Claybrook Cottingham, 1910-1942 Edgar Godbold , 1942-1951 G. Earl Guinn , 1951-1975 Robert L. Lynn , 1975-1997 Rory Lee , 1997-2005 Joe W. Aguillard , 2005-2014 Argile Smith , 2014-2015 (interim) Rick Brewer , 2015–2024 David Jeffreys, 2024-2025 (interim) Mark Johnson, 2025-present

In 2012, the Louisiana Baptist Convention approved Louisiana College to seek $12 million in donations from member churches within the state as part of the institution's $50 million capital improvements program. The $12 million had been intended to improve on-campus housing. Although the campaign has since been abandoned, many residence halls were renovated shortly after the inauguration of Rick Brewer as a part of his "Campus Beautification" campaign. LC ended its fiscal year on July 31, 2012, with a $1.3 million deficit; the institution spent $30.5 million during that time but collected only $29.2 million in revenues. [ 2 ] In 2013, LCU reported an enrollment growth of 50 percent relative to 2006. [ 3 ] [ clarification needed ] In December 2013, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) reaffirmed LC's regional accreditation after two years of warning status. [ 4 ] Less than three months later, SACS announced that it would investigate after LC officials were accused of having submitted documents that contain forged signatures and other inconsistencies in its official reports to the agency. [ 5 ] Three months later, SACS placed the university on probation because of an "'integrity issue,' as well as its failure to comply with the accreditor's standards regarding 'external influence,' personnel appointments, administrative staff evaluations, control of finances, and its administration of federal student aid funds." [ 6 ] Some students called for a strike against Aguillard on March 24, 2014, at LC's Guinn Auditorium. [ 7 ] Three days later, LC trustees asked Aguillard to resign [ 8 ] and the following day ten LC trustees released a public letter critical of his leadership. [ 9 ] On April 15, 2014, the trustees removed Aguillard as president and named Argile Smith , the associate dean of the Christian ministry of the Caskey School of Divinity, as the interim leader and began the search for a permanent successor.

[ 10 ] The college was granted an exception to Title IX in 2015, which allows it to discriminate against LGBT students for religious reasons. [ 11 ] In 2020, the college was admitted into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics . [ 12 ] On September 24, 2020, President Rick Brewer announced that the college would be undergoing an organizational restructuring. This restructuring included naming a Provost, a first for the historic institution. Cheryl Clark, previously serving as Vice President of Academic Affairs, was named provost. [ 13 ] At the start of the fall semester in 2021, the college welcomed its largest first-year class ever, with 350 students showing up for the opening day of Wildcat Welcome Weekend: the largest first-year class in the school's 115-year history. [ 14 ] Louisiana College in Pineville formally announced its new name Louisiana Christian University on November 16, 2021, during a meeting of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, according to a Wednesday news release, [ 15 ] although in November 2022 it was brought to the attention of the Louisiana Baptist Convention that the school had failed to change its name with the state of Louisiana. A motion was brought before the convention to refer to LC by its legal name (Louisiana College) until such a time as the school's legal name had changed, but the motion was denied. [ 16 ]

On December 14, 2010, the LC trustees received a $1 million contribution from an anonymous foundation to launch a divinity school on the Pineville campus. [ 17 ] The school was named the Caskey School of Divinity after a Southern Baptist minister who "tirelessly worked and evangelized in Louisiana". [ 17 ] The founding dean for the school was Charles Quarles. Louisiana College was able to grant up to the master's degree under Level 3 status of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The school began classes in fall 2011. Quarles explained the goals of the Caskey School of Divinity: Louisiana College will establish a divinity school that will train coming generations of Christian leaders: To correctly handle the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15) To preach the word (2 Tim 4:2) To emphasize the great truths of the Christian faith in their preaching and teaching(1 Tim 4:16) To share the gospel passionately with the lost (2 Tim 4:5) To model outstanding Christian character (1 Tim 3). Charles Quarles [ 18 ] Meanwhile, funding for the divinity school came into question. The Cason Foundation, which donated $5 million to LC to fund the divinity school, announced that it will no longer financially support the college because of "actions of President (Joe) Aguillard which we believe to be unethical and potentially illegal." [ 19 ] Edgar Cason and his wife, Flora Jean Caskey Cason, who established the foundation in honor of her father, informed LC trustees by letter on April 15 that it would end its ties to LC. A probe into the matter by a law firm in New Orleans claims that Aguillard had improperly diverted some $60,000 in divinity school donations to LC projects in Tanzania , Africa. Five LC board members, however, have defended Aguillard and maintained that he did not act improperly regarding the funds. Cason questioned why the LC trustees did not permit him to address the board at its March meeting.