Bethune-Cookman University

Bethune-Cookman University, or B-CU, is a private historically black university in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. White Hall has been added to the US National Register of Historic Places.

History
Mary McLeod Bethune founded the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School in 1904. The school underwent several stages of growth and development through the years and in 1923, it merged with the Cookman Institute of Jacksonville, Florida and became a co-ed high school. A year later in 1924, it became affiliated with the Methodist Church. By 1931, the school had become a junior college.

The school became a four-year college in 1941 when the Florida Board of Education approved a 4-year baccalaureate program in Liberal Arts and Teacher Education. The name was changed to Bethune-Cookman College.

On February 14, 2007, the Board of Trustees approved the name Bethune-Cookman University after the institution established its first graduate program.

In October 2010 the American Association of University Professors accused the university administration of improperly dismissing tenured members of the faculty—some for alleged sexual harassment (but, in the opinion of the AAUP, without due process), others for "budgetary reasons" but without a declaration of "financial exigency". The university responded saying that the AAUP report contained errors and a one-sided view.

Presidents
Bethune retired in 1942 at which time James A. Colston became president until 1946 when Bethune resumed the presidency for a year.

Richard V. Moore, Sr. became president in 1947. Under his tenure the college was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1970, joined the United Negro College Fund and other academic and professional organizations. The curriculum expanded, student enrollment increased and new buildings were constructed for residential housing and classrooms.

Oswald P. Bronson, Sr.(B-CU alumnus) served as the fourth president of the college from 1975 to 2004. During his tenure increased student enrollment led to continuous development and expansion of the college. A rapidly increasing student enrollment led to construction of more student housing, classroom buildings and the Mary Mcleod Bethune Auditorium. Major fields of study increased from 12 in 1974 to 37 by 2003. In addition, seven continuing education centers for students began operating throughout the state. While maintaining accreditation by SACS, Florida Board of Education, and the United Methodist Church Board of Higher Education the college added new accreditations in the Nursing and the Teacher Education programs.

Trudie Kibbe Reed was appointed to the presidency in August 2004 by the Board of Trustees. Reed was the first woman to serve in this capacity since Bethune. The university saw a number of campus improvements including construction of the Center for Civic Engagement, the L. Gale Lemerand School of Nursing, the creation of the Alexis Pugh and Eugene Zimmerman Scholarship houses, and the provision of a university-owned house as an alumni center during her tenure. Reed also established the university's first graduate program under the School of Graduate & Professional Studies and a Master of Science in Transformative Leadership.

Dr. Edison O. Jackson was appointed as the university's interim president in May 2012.

Academics
Bethune-Cookman University is a small, private, co-educational, and residential institution. The university meets its commitment to excellence through expanding and modifying academic programs and innovative curricular offerings by preparing students to meet the demands of the future.

The academic program of the university is conducted within seven schools.


 * School of Arts & Humanities
 * School of Business
 * School of Education


 * School of Nursing
 * School of Graduate & Professional Studies


 * School of Science, Engineering and Mathematics
 * School of Social Sciences

Athletics
Bethune-Cookman University is a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and participates in NCAA Division 1-AA. The school sponsors basketball, bowling, baseball, cross country, football, track and field and volleyball. The Wildcats joined the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 1979. The Wildcats have 29 MEAC titles; 13 in baseball, 1 in bowling, 1 in men's cross country, 2 in women's cross country, 3 in football, 2 in women's indoor track and field, 5 in softball and 2 in women's tennis.

B-CU has an intense in-state rivalry with Florida A&M University. Today, they meet annually in the Florida Classic, a regular-season, neutral-Bethune-Cookman's first win came a year later, 12-0 in 1926. In 2000, Mervyl S. Melendez, (B-CU alumnus) was named as the head coach for the Wildcats' baseball program. He's the first B-CU head coach to win a MEAC title in his first season, and under his tutelage, the Wildcats baseball team has won seven conference championships in the last eight years (2000–2004, and 2006–2007). In 2007, the Wildcats finished the regular season with a record of 33–25, with notable wins against both University of Tennessee and Stetson University, as well as ranking No. 1 in the 2007 Black College Baseball poll.

Football
Brian Jenkins (Native Floridian) was named the tenth head football coach at Bethune-Cookman University on December 21, 2009. He comes to B-CU from Rutgers where he served as an Assistant Coach. In 2010, Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M and South Carolina State all shared a piece of the 2010 MEAC Football Title; with each team posting an identical 7-1 conference record. B-CU has won 3 MEAC football championships outright in 1984,2002 and 2012.

Marching band
The Marching Wildcats are a 325 member unit that includes instrumentalists, the Sophisticat Flag Corps and the 14 Karat Gold dancers. Known as "The Pride," the band is under the direction of a Bethune-Cookman alumnus and former Marching Wildcat, Donovan Wells.

The 14 Karat Gold dancers are featured performers in all engagements of the Marching Wildcats and occasionally perform as a solo act. The 14 Karat Gold dancers can be seen frequently in BET video clips promoting Black colleges. The Sophisticat Flag Corps blends traditional flag techniques with innovative choreography to create highly entertaining presentation.

The Marching Wildcats perform pre-game and halftime shows at all home games of the Fighting Wildcats football team. Games played in neutral sites where Bethune-Cookman University is deemed the home team, The Pride also performs a traditional pre-game show.
 * Performances