Birmingham–Southern College

Birmingham–Southern College (BSC) is a private liberal arts college located three miles (5 km) northwest of downtown Birmingham, Alabama, United States. Founded in 1856, it is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Approximately 1400 students from 30 states and 23 countries attend the college. BSC has a 12:1 student-faculty ratio, and 98% of full-time faculty hold a doctorate or the highest degree in their field.

History
Birmingham–Southern College was created from the merger of Southern University, of Greensboro, Alabama, founded in 1856, with Birmingham College, opened in 1898 in Birmingham, Alabama.
 * 1824: General Conference of Methodist Episcopal Church recommends each conference establish a seminary of learning
 * 1854: Alabama Conference appoints committee to select site and to procure funds
 * 1856: Charter granted by State of Alabama.
 * 1883: State divided into two Methodist conferences, the North Alabama Conference, in 1883, joined with the Alabama Conference in the support of Southern University.
 * 1896: Work begun toward establishing a college in North Alabama Conference 1897: Foundation for first building laid
 * 1898: President elected and faculty chosen. Conference surrendered interest in Southern University. North Alabama Conference College (later named Birmingham College) opened
 * 1918: Consolidated as Birmingham–Southern College
 * 1937: Recognized by Phi Beta Kappa, establishing Alabama Beta chapter

Birmingham-Southern has been ranked among the best liberal arts colleges in the United States and was profiled in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives.

On March 21, 2011 Birmingham Southern named General Charles Krulak as their 13th president.

Cultural and financial crises
In 2006, three BSC students were charged with burning down nine Alabama churches. Within 24 hours the college president, Dr. David Pollick, committed the college to rebuild all nine churches with the institution's human resources of faculty, staff and students. With assistance and support arriving from throughout the nation and without the use of college financial resources, all nine churches were rebuilt and dedicated within two years.

In 2009, having discovered defects in the internal financial procedures and audits of the college occurring over several decades, the college announced on June 14, 2010 they would have to make budget cuts of $10million, around 20% of total budget. Among other practices, the college had been adding Pell Grants to financial aid packages without adjusting the amount the college added. Other inappropriate accounting practices that had been taking place over decades were discovered at this time, as well. In July 2010, the college introduced a plan to lay off 29 full and part-time faculty members and 51 staff members over a period of time. The school also planned to phase out five majors: accounting, computer science, dance, French, and German in the 2011- 2012 academic year. In July 2011 the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) placed the school on warning status due to problems with core requirements of financial stability.

Greek life
Fraternities and sororities organize campus social events and service projects.

Fraternities

 * Theta Chi
 * Alpha Tau Omega 1885
 * Kappa Alpha Order 1882
 * Lambda Chi Alpha closed 1983
 * Sigma Nu 1987
 * Sigma Chi 1991
 * Sigma Alpha Epsilon 1878

Sororities

 * Zeta Tau Alpha 1922
 * Alpha Omicron Pi 1925
 * Alpha Chi Omega 1926
 * Pi Beta Phi 1927-1989, recolonized 1991
 * Gamma Phi Beta 1930 (closed 1957)
 * Kappa Delta 1930
 * Delta Zeta 1963 (closed 1974)
 * Chi Omega 1989
 * Alpha Kappa Alpha 1979-2006, reactivated 2008

Athletics
Birmingham-Southern athletic teams are known as the Panthers. Birmingham-Southern is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and competes at the Division III level in the Southern Athletic Association. The college was originally a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and enjoyed a successful run in NAIA prior to joining the NCAA. In 2000 the college became first Alabama college to join the primarily east coast Big South Conference at the Division I level. Shortly after gaining full Division I membership in 2006, the board announced its intention to join Division III because of costs. At the time fielded 14 sports, adding five sports. Panther Stadium hosted its first home football game on 8 November 2008. The stadium features an athletic building that includes a press box, coach’s offices, meeting rooms, athletic training room, officials' dressing room and locker rooms for football, lacrosse, track and field, and cross country. In 2011, the college became a full member of NCAA Division III after the multi-year reclassification process from Division I. The college currently fields 18 sports, nine men's and nine women's, including:

Men's sports
 * Baseball
 * Basketball
 * Cross Country
 * Football
 * Golf
 * Lacrosse
 * Soccer
 * Tennis
 * Track & Field
 * Swimming

Women's sports
 * Basketball
 * Cross Country
 * Golf
 * Lacrosse
 * Soccer
 * Softball
 * Tennis
 * Track & Field
 * Volleyball
 * Swimming

Notable alumni

 * Robert Aderholt - United States Congressman from Alabama (1997- )
 * Dr. Harvie Branscomb - Chancellor, Vanderbilt University (1946–1963)
 * Pat Buttram - actor (sidekick of Gene Autry in films, and Mr. Haney in the TV series Green Acres)
 * Howard Cruse - Cartoonist
 * Charles Gaines - Author, journalist, screenwriter, editor; Cine Gold Eagle Awards, National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Emmy Award
 * Alexander Gelman - Theatre Director, Organic Theater Company, Chicago
 * Rebecca Gilman - American playwright
 * Howell Heflin - U.S. Senator (1978–1997)
 * Perry O. Hooper, Sr. - 27th Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court
 * Hugh Martin - Broadway and film composer and arranger, including movie musical Meet Me In St. Louis, starring Judy Garland.
 * Sena Jeter Naslund - Author
 * Howell Raines - Executive editor, The New York Times (2001–2004); Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing, 1992
 * Ray Reach - jazz pianist, vocalist, arranger, composer, producer and educator.
 * Robert Lee Williams - 3rd Governor of Oklahoma  (1915–1919)
 * Luther Leonidas Terry - Surgeon General of the United States (1961–1965)
 * Martin Waldron (1925–1981) - Winner of the 1964 Pulitzer Prize
 * Ray Wedgeworth - Jacksonville State University Head coach: basketball (1951–1953), football (1953) and baseball (1964–1970)
 * Frederick Palmer Whiddon - President, University of South Alabama (1963–1998)
 * Bishop Robert C. (Bob) Morgan - Bishop of the Mississippi and Kentucky Annual (regional) Conferences of the United Methodist Church (1984-2000), Presiding Bishop of the worldwide United Methodist Church (2000-2001)

Notable faculty

 * General Charles C. Krulak (President), 31st Commandant of the US Marine Corps
 * Dr. Charles Norman Mason, composer and Birmingham–Southern College professor of music (left 2010)
 * Dr. Natalie Davis, political scientist and former Democratic nominee for congress.
 * Dr. Ed LaMonte, former Howell Heflin Professor of Political Science and director of the Office of International Programs.

College Presidents
Birmingham–Southern College


 * 2011–Present Charles C. Krulak
 * 2004–2010: G. David Pollick
 * 1976–2004: Neal R. Berte
 * 1972–1975: Ralph M. Tanner
 * 1969–1972: Charles D. Hounshell
 * 1968–1969: Robert F. Henry
 * 1963–1968: Howard M. Phillips
 * 1957–1962: Henry K. Stanford
 * 1955–1957: Guy E. Snavely
 * 1942–1955: George R. Stuart
 * 1938–1942: Raymond R. Paty
 * 1921–1937: Guy E. Snavely
 * 1918–1921: Cullen C. Daniel

Points of interest
The Southern Environmental Center is an environmental educational facility on the BSC campus. Each year, hundreds of school children tour the facility's Interactive Museum and EcoScape.