WBU History
At the start of the 20th century, Dr. James Henry Wayland, a pioneering physician, recognized the importance of education. He was passionate about providing a faith-based education to the people of West Texas. To make this dream a reality, Dr. and Mrs. Wayland donated $10,000 and 25 acres of prime land, leading to the establishment of the Wayland Literary and Technical Institute, officially chartered in 1908.
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Classes began in September 1910, with 241 students enrolled at what was now called Wayland Baptist College. The first graduation took place in 1911, with Elmer Childress as the first graduate. By 1914, Wayland had joined the Baptist General Convention of Texas as one of its affiliated schools.
Under Dr. James W. "Bill" Marshall's leadership (1947-1953), Wayland expanded its reach, launching an international student program that soon boasted the highest percentage of international students of any American college. By 1948, Wayland had become a four-year college.
In 1951, Wayland made history by becoming the first four-year liberal arts college in the former Confederate states to voluntarily admit black students on an equal basis with white students, three years before the Supreme Court's landmark decision on racial segregation.
In 1956, Wayland achieved full accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and received approval from the Texas Education Agency to certify teachers.
During the 1970s, Wayland began offering courses to law enforcement in Lubbock in 1972, and opened its first official external campus in Wichita Falls in 1974, followed by Amarillo in 1976, and Hawaii in 1979. The university also introduced a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Education (later the Bachelor of Applied Science) in 1973 to cater to non-traditional, full-time adult learners.
In the 1980s, Wayland transitioned from a college to a university, expanding its offerings to include graduate and lifelong learning programs. In the early 2000s, the university opened another campus in Altus and launched its virtual campus, allowing students worldwide to attend Wayland. By 2003, Wayland Baptist University had become the fourth-largest Southern Baptist university in the United States.
Today, Wayland operates campuses and offers degrees in six states as well as online. In 2016, the university launched its first doctoral program, the Doctor of Management Degree.
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