"Based squarely on biblical principles, Bio/a University is committed to providing a quality educational experience through the practical integration of faith and learning in every aspect ofstudent life. Our goal is the total development of each graduate as one who has learned how to live, not just how to make a living.,, - Dr. J. Vincent Morris Vice Presidcent for University Student Affairs and Campus Resources General
Information Carrying on a tradition of educational excellence that dates back 76 years, Biola University now encompasses four distinct schools: The School of Arts, Sciences and Professions , Rosemead School of Psychology, Talbot Theological Seminary, and The School of Intercultural Studies and World Missions. Offering three baccalaureate degrees in 24 majors, 13 master ' s and three doctoral degrees, Biola's commitment to academic excellence is firmly rooted in its adherence to an in-depth, knowl edgeable and alive Christianity. Each year, over 3200 students find Biola's unique blend of faith and learning conducive to their academic and vocational goals. HISTORICAL SKETCH The cornerstone of the original Bible Institute building in Los Angeles - and the future university - was laid on May 31, 1913, and dedicated with these words: For the teaching of the truths for which the Institute stands, its doors are to be open every day of the year, and all people, without reference to race, color, class or creed will ever be welcome to its privileges. Spoken by Lyman Stewart, president of the Institute and founder of the Union Oil Company, the words captured the vision of Biola's founders. Stewart, together with T. C. Horton, had initi ated the Bible Institute, with the first permanent organization taking shape in 1908. By 1912, the school had grown in its outreach and constituency sufficiently to call R. A. Torrey, a leader in the field of Christian education, as the first dean. The next seven decades have witnessed tremendous growth in the development and outreach of the school. Under the leadership of Dr. Louis T. Talbot, president from 1932 to 1952, the Bible Institute program became a four year course , leading to degrees in theology, Christian education and sacred music . The School of Missionary Medicine came into being in 1945, laying the founda tion for Biola's current baccalaureate nursing program. In 1949, the Bible Institute was renamed Biola College . Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland became president in 1952 and with his leadership, the college obtained regional and professional accred itation. Additionally, many new programs of study were intro duced, including Talbot Theological Seminary. The demands imposed by the growing student body and the enlarged curric ulum prompted the purchase of a seventy-five acre site in La Mirada. Biola moved to the new site in 1959. Dr. Sutherland retired as president in 1970, but continues to lend leadership as a member of Biola's board of trustees. That same year, Dr. J. Richard Chase became Biola's sixth president. In the fall of 1981 , the undergraduate programs in psychology
were merged with Rosemead's graduate programs, forming the present Rosemead School of Psychology. Dr. Clyde Cook became the seventh president ofBiola on June 1, 1982. Under his leadership, the School of Intercultural Studies and World Missions was instituted as part of the university, beginning in the fall of 1983. Talbot Theological seminary and School of Theology also began in the fall of 1983 as the result of a merger between appropriate undergraduate programs and the graduate programs of Talbot Theological Seminary. Because of the university's heritage and commitment, its academic basis is broader than that of the standard college of arts and sciences. Terminal and preparatory programs lead to service in both church-related vocations and the many other vocations and professions embraced by the present curricula. In addition, the university is a Christian institution of higher education with out any denominational affiliation. From an institute to a university, Biola' s real cornerstone has remained the same: commitment to Jesus Christ and biblical Christianity (within the evangelical Protestant framework) as well as to the spiritual, academic and holistic growth of those who are personally committed to Him.
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