John Brown University

===Early years: presidency of John E. Brown Sr. 1919–1948===
Maintaining this goal of establishing a college that would provide an [[interdenominational]], [[Christianity|Christian]] education for needy students, who like himself, might not have had a chance of receiving an education, Brown laid the foundation in 1919 for the institution that would later be called John Brown University, John E. Brown College. To pay for the institution's free tuition, Brown developed his school as a Christian [[vocational college]]. Students worked jobs such as carpentry and helped in constructing the buildings on campus. The typical work-day was four hours in addition to class time.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090320110343/https://www.jbu.edu/library/archives/lantern/pdf/lanternv7oct07.pdf JBU Archives October 2007 Newsletter]</ref>

Apparently seeking to expand the reach of the growing college, John Brown announced in 1934 that the school was to be changed into a [[four-year university]]. The new university was divided into three colleges: the academic, vocational, and Bible colleges, fitting John Brown's stated vision of educating "head, heart, and hand".<ref name=KENNEDY/> {{rp|54}} Spreading the new university's fields of study into new technology, Brown soon purchased a local radio station ([[KUOA]]) from which to broadcast Christian programming and his own sermons. Brown had used radio extensively before but was eager to get the resources of [[radio]] into the hands of the university.<ref name=KENNEDY/>{{rp|55}} The expanded facilities, such as the distinctive Cathedral Group, which took root in the 1930s and 1940s, caused expenses for which the university had to pay. JBU began charging tuition in 1939, albeit a very small amount, and John Brown began to realize that financially, the [[vocational]] aspect of the school was more costly than anticipated. The university relied heavily on outside donations to break even financially.<ref name=Ostrander>{{Cite book |last=Ostrander |first=Rick |title=Head, Heart, and Hand: John Brown University and Modern Evangelical Higher Education |publisher=University of Arkansas Press |date=August 1, 2003 |isbn=978-1557287618}}</ref>{{rp|101}}