Arlington Baptist University

The college was founded by J. Frank Norris in 1939 as Fundamental Baptist Bible Institute.{{cite book|title=Baptists in America|author= Leonard, Bill J. | publisher=Columbia University Press | year= 2007 | isbn=978-0-231-12703-5| page=116 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ilK4e4xba98C&pg=PA116 |access-date=2011-01-31}} The university started with 16 students and held classes at the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth. The college's first graduates became pastors or missionaries through the World Fundamental Baptist Fellowship (as World Baptist Fellowship was then known).{{cite journal|last=Brian|first=Hart|title=Arlington Baptist College|url=http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/kbach|journal=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=April 27, 2012}}

In 1945, the university was renamed the Bible Baptist Seminary.{{cite book|editor=Jonas, W. Glenn|title=The Baptist River: Essays on Many Tributaries of a Diverse Tradition|year=2008|publisher=Mercer University Press|location=Macon, Ga.|isbn=978-0-88146-120-6|page=111}} Norris stepped down as the college's president, and George Beauchamp Vick became the new president. Shortly thereafter, Norris worried that Vick had been given too much power, so Norris regained control over the school and removed Vick as president. Vick's removal angered many pastors, who had reportedly grown tired of Norris' ways and who began to pull away from him, the college, and the World Baptist Fellowship.{{cite book|editor=Jonas, W. Glenn |title=The Baptist River: Essays on Many Tributaries of a Diverse Tradition|year=2008|publisher=Mercer University Press|location=Macon, Ga.|isbn=978-0-88146-120-6|page=113}} By 1950, these pastors had established the Baptist Bible Fellowship International and Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, with George Vick as president.{{cite book|editor=Melton, J. Gordon|editor2=Martin Baumann | author=Johnson, Todd M. | author2=Donald Wiebe | name-list-style=amp|title=Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices|year=2010|publisher=ABC-CLIO|location=Santa Barbara|isbn=978-1-59884-203-6|pages=284–85|edition=2nd}}

After Norris died in 1952, the college no longer met at his church, so moved to temporary facilities in downtown Fort Worth.

Earl K. Oldham became the college's president in 1953.{{cite book|last=Bryant|first=Vickie|title=Top O' Hill Terrace|year=2012|publisher=Arcadia Publishers|isbn=978-0-7385-8527-7|page=100}} During Oldham's tenure, the college's name was changed to Arlington Baptist College, and it was moved to its present location in 1955.

In 1980, Wayne Martin was appointed president, who led the college to full accreditation. Martin was succeeded in 1992 by Wendell Hiers as interim president until the appointment of David Bryant in 1993.{{cite web|title=David Bryant|url=http://newtestamentofpantego.org/staff/|publisher=New Testament Baptist Church|access-date=April 30, 2012}} D.L. Moody (no relation to the evangelist of the same name) served as president from 2009 to 2019. Appointed in 2020, Clifton McDaniel currently serves as the president of the school.

In 2015, the college applied for an exception to Title IX, allowing it to discriminate against LGBT students for religious reasons.{{cite news |last=Hacker |first=Holly K. |date=August 29, 2016 |title= 9 Texas colleges rank among the 'absolute worst' for LGBT students, gay rights group says |url= https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2016/08/29/9-texas-colleges-rank-among-the-absolute-worst-for-lgbt-students-gay-rights-group-says/ |work=The Dallas Morning News |access-date=August 22, 2021}} Notwithstanding the request, the ABU Student Handbook (pp. 38-39) affirms the university's position that sexual activity is limited to heterosexual marriage only, and "[s]tudents participating in sexual misconduct [which it defines as all behavior outside of heterosexual marriage] will be subject to dismissal".{{cite web

|url=https://www.abu.edu/library/public/documents/Handbooks/ABU-Student-Handbook-2022-2023-12-2-22.pdf|title=Student Handbook 2022-2023

|website=abu.edu|access-date=22 May 2023}}

On June 1, 2017, the institution's name changed from Arlington Baptist College to Arlington Baptist University. In conjunction with the name change, the bachelor's and master's programs were divided into schools rather than divisions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.abu.edu/arlington-baptist-college-becomes-arlington-baptist-university|title=abu.edu|website=www.abu.edu|language=en|access-date=2017-09-11}}

The university has been accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education since 1981.{{cite web|title=ABHE Membership Directory|url=http://www.abhe.org/pages/NAV-Directory.html|publisher=Association for Biblical Higher Education| access-date=2012-04-30}} The college is also approved by the Texas State Board for Educator Certification{{cite web|title=Arlington Baptist College Teacher Certification Program|url=https://secure.sbec.state.tx.us/SBECOnline/approvedprograms.asp?s=2 |publisher=Texas State Board for Educator Certification | access-date=April 30, 2012}} and by the Texas Veterans Commission as an approved institution to receive veteran's educational benefits.{{cite web|url=http://www.arlingtonbaptistcollege.edu/content/accreditations-and-affiliations |title=Accreditations and Affiliations | Arlington Baptist College |access-date=2014-01-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108215712/http://www.arlingtonbaptistcollege.edu/content/accreditations-and-affiliations |archive-date=January 8, 2014 |df=mdy }}

File:Athletics-WBSK vs ABU-0846 (16028405280).jpg in 2015]]

File:Athletics-MBSK vs ABU-1443 (16215754925).jpg

The university participates as a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association, Southwest Region, Division II, and is a member of the Association of Christian College Athletics.{{cite web|url=http://abpatriots.com/athletic-department/athletic-handbook/ | publisher=Arlington Baptist University | access-date=2014-01-07|title=Athletic Handbook}} The college fields intercollegiate teams, known as the Patriots, in baseball (men's), basketball (men's and women's), volleyball (women's), soccer (men's and women's), golf (men's and women's), and softball (women's).

Arlington Baptist University is the educational institution for the World Baptist Fellowship, which maintains its headquarters on the campus. An 8-foot bronze sculpture of J. Frank Norris (sculpted by Pompeo Coppini), founder of both the university and the Fellowship, is displayed on the campus.{{cite book|author=Baker, T. Lindsay|title=A Gangster Tour of Texas|year=2011|publisher=Texas A&M University Press|location=College Station|isbn=978-1-60344-258-9|page=281|edition=1st}}

The campus is the site of the former Top O' Hill Terrace casino, which has been recognized with a Texas state historical marker.{{cite web|title=Top O' Hill Terrace |url=http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/map/viewform.asp?atlas_num=5439013170 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713205132/http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/map/viewform.asp?atlas_num=5439013170 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 13, 2012 |work=Historical Markers Database |publisher=Texas Historical Commission |access-date=April 29, 2012 }} Historic features from the casino still present on the campus include a sandstone guardhouse, an iron gate, an open-air tea garden, and escape tunnels; the public is allowed to tour the facilities by appointment during normal business hours.{{Cite web|url=http://www.topohillterrace.com/tours/|title = Tour a Texas Historic Landmark}}

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Category:Universities and colleges in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex

Category:Independent Baptist universities and colleges in the United States

Category:Education in Arlington, Texas

Category:Universities and colleges in Tarrant County, Texas

Category:Universities and colleges established in 1939

Category:Association of Christian College Athletics member schools

Category:1939 establishments in Texas

Category:Buildings and structures in Arlington, Texas