Dallas Baptist University

==History==
Dallas Baptist University (formerly known as Decatur Baptist College) opened in [[Decatur, Texas]] in 1898.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> The [[Baptist General Convention of Texas]] purchased the land in 1897 from Northwest Texas Baptist College.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dallas Baptist University {{!}} History {{!}} Plexuss |url=https://plexuss.com/u/dallas-baptist-university-dbu/history |access-date=2022-10-20 |website=plexuss.com}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Baptist History - The Journal of the Texas Baptist Historical Society Volumes XXvii-XXVIII 2007-2008 |url=https://www.dbu.edu/texas-baptist-history/articles/33024-tbh-2007-2008.pdf}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM |url=https://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/NR/pdfs/71000973/71000973.pdf}}</ref> The school enjoyed a rich, full history in Decatur until 1965 when it moved to Dallas at the invitation of the Dallas Baptist Association.<ref name="US News 2009">{{citation|year = 2009|title = Best Colleges 2009|journal = U.S. News & World Report|url = http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/items/3560|access-date = 2009-02-04|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090106122351/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/items/3560|archive-date = 2009-01-06}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />

The school's historic [[Administration Building, Decatur Baptist College|Administration Building]] in Decatur, built in 1893, is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref> It was destroyed in a fire on March 18, 2023, after years of service as the [[Wise County, Texas|Wise County]] Heritage Museum.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.wcmessenger.com/articles/wise-county-heritage-museum-lost-to-blaze | title=Wise County Heritage Museum lost to blaze - Wise County Messenger | date=21 March 2023 }}</ref>

In October 1965, Dallas Baptist College began offering classes to its first class of over 900 students.<ref name=Williams1998>{{Citation| last = Williams | first   =Michael Sr | title = To God Be the Glory: the Centennial History of Dallas Baptist University| publisher = The Summit Publishing Group| year = 1998| location = Arlington| pages = 117}}</ref> The initial piece of land for the campus, overlooking [[Mountain Creek Lake]] in the hill country of southwest Dallas, was donated by [[John M. Stemmons|John Stemmons]], Roland Pelt, and associates.<ref name=Williams1998/>  An interested group of businessmen donated additional acreage, and in 1994 a donation by the Louis Hexter family brought the current size of the DBU campus, known as University Hill, to {{convert|292|acre|km2}}.<ref>{{cite book|last=Williams|first=Michael Sr|title=To God Be the Glory: the Centennial History of Dallas Baptist University|year=1998|publisher=The Summit Publishing Group|location=Arlington|pages=183}}</ref> In 2018, an additional land acquisition increased the total campus size to {{Convert|368|acre|km2}}.

In 1968, the college moved from [[junior college]] to [[Upper division college|senior college]] status, subsequently offering its first four-year [[bachelor's degree]]s in May 1970. In 1985, the college officially changed its name to Dallas Baptist University.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> The new structure consisted of the College of Arts and Sciences, the [[Mary C. Crowley]] College of Christian Faith, the Dorothy M. Bush College of Education, and the College of Business.<ref>{{cite book|title=Texas Baptist Annual|year=2005|publisher=Baptist General Convention of Texas|pages=110}}</ref>

===Growth and expansion===
[[File:DallasBaptistUniversity.jpg|thumb|A view of the university]]
In 2019, the university enrolled 4,487 students.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://american-school-search.com/review/dallas-baptist-university|title=Dallas Baptist University: Review & Facts|last=Staff|website=American School Search|access-date=April 9, 2018}}</ref> The university offers 84 undergraduate majors, 24 [[master's degree]] programs, over 45 dual master's programs, and 2 [[Doctorate|doctoral programs]]. While in its early years, the school had the reputation of being a [[Commuting|commuter college]], today's DBU has well over 2,000 students living on campus.

In 1992, the John G. Mahler Student Center, the first new building on the DBU campus in more than 20 years was dedicated. The building is a close replica of [[Independence Hall]] in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], and it was the first of many new buildings in the [[Georgian architecture|Georgian architectural style]] on the campus.<ref>{{cite book|title=Teaching Them: A Sesquicentennial Celebration of Texas Baptist Education|year=1996|publisher=Baptist General Convention of Texas|location=Dallas, Texas|pages=65–66}}</ref>

[[Image:Nation_Hall_&_Pilgrim_Chapel_at_DBU.jpg|left|thumb|<span style="font-size:100%;">Nation Hall (foreground) and Pilgrim Chapel</span>]]
In 2009, the Patty and [[Lonnie "Bo" Pilgrim|Bo Pilgrim]] Chapel was dedicated. The structure is used for various events such as chapel services and concerts, and houses office space for the Graduate School of Ministry along with classrooms and a large multipurpose room. The inspiration for the exterior of the building came from the [[First Baptist Church in America]], located in [[Providence, Rhode Island]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Dallas Baptist University Dedicates Pilgrim Chapel|url=http://www.baptiststandard.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10260&Itemid=53|access-date=28 September 2011|newspaper=Baptist Standard|date=October 30, 2009}}</ref>

[[Image:Horner Hall, Dallas Baptist University.jpg|right|thumb|<span style="font-size:100%;"> Joan and Andy Horner Hall</span>]] In the fall of 2011, the university opened the Joan and Andy Horner Hall. Named after the founders of Premier Designs, Horner Hall houses the DBU communication department, the offices for the College of Fine Arts, a multipurpose classroom and video recording studio, a design lab, and a music business recording studio, designed by the Russ Berger Design Group. The exterior of the structure is modeled after [[Congress Hall]] located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.baptiststandard.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12808&Itemid=53 |title = Baptist Standard - Baptist news, Texas Baptist Voices, Baptist commentary}}</ref>

In 2001, DBU-North<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dbu.edu/north|title=DBU North - Dallas Baptist University|work=dbu.edu}}</ref> opened in [[Carrollton, Texas]] as DBU's first regional academic center, serving North Dallas and [[Collin County, Texas|Collin County]].  For several years, DBU-North was located in [[Frisco, Texas]], and in 2011, moved to Plano, Texas.<ref>{{cite news|title=DBU Moving North Campus to Plano|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2011/04/08/dbu-moving-north-campus-to-plano.html|access-date=28 September 2011|newspaper=Dallas Business Journal|date=April 11, 2011}}</ref> DBU also opened DBU-Hurst-Colleyville in Hurst in the summer of 2005.<ref>{{cite news|title=Around the State: DBU Opens New Center|url=http://www.baptiststandard.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9040&Itemid=53|newspaper=Baptist Standard|date=January 8, 2009}}</ref>

In 2015, Jim and Sally Nation Hall opened its doors. A near replica of [[Monticello]], the building is the home of the Gary Cook School of Leadership, as well as other administrative offices. The building also houses several classrooms as well as a special event space situated in the dome of the building.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www4.dbu.edu/leadership/highlights |title=Highlights  |access-date=2015-10-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204052450/http://www4.dbu.edu/leadership/highlights |archive-date=2016-02-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Further locations for special programs and opportunities include the Department of Military Science at [[University of Texas at Arlington]] (Army ROTC), Aerospace Studies at [[Texas Christian University]] (Air Force ROTC), and the [[Dallas International University|Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics]] in Dallas Texas.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Staff|title=DBU Off-Campus Sites in the DFW Metro Area|url=https://www.dbu.edu/extension|access-date=2018-12-05}}</ref>
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