Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary
Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Chartered March 14, 1908, for graduate education in Christian ministries. Moved here in 1910 from Waco, Texas. Original 200-acre campus tract and first building, Fort Worth Hall, were gifts of people of Fort Worth. Control passed from Baptist General Convention of Texas to Southern Baptist Convention in 1925. First president (1908-14) was B.H. Carroll. Successors: L.R. Scarborough, 1914-42; E.D. Head, 1942-53; J. Howard Williams, 1953-58; Robert E. Naylor, 1958-. (1972)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Chartered in 1908 for graduate training in Christian ministry, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary moved from Waco to Fort Worth in 1910 onto a 200-acre campus given by the city's people, whose gift also raised Fort Worth Hall. Founding president B.H. Carroll and successors like L.R. Scarborough guided its early growth, and in 1925 control passed from the Baptist General Convention of Texas to the Southern Baptist Convention. It grew into one of the largest seminaries in the country.
Why it matters
It marks the rise of a major center of religious higher education that shaped Baptist life across Texas and the nation.
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Related people
- Β· B.H. Carroll
- Β· L.R. Scarborough
- Β· Robert E. Naylor
Themes & tags
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