College History

During the Scopes Evolution Trial in 1925, William Jennings Bryan expressed the wish that a school might be established in Dayton to teach truth from a Biblical perspective. Following his death on July 26, 1925, a national memorial association was formed to establish such an institution in Bryan's honor.

William Jennings Bryan University (in 1958 it was designated William Jennings Bryan College, and the name was shortened to Bryan College in 1993) was chartered in 1930 and admitted its first class in the fall of that year. Its stated purpose was, and is, to provide "for the higher education of men and women under auspices distinctly Christian and spiritual."

Bryan College is founded upon the belief that God is the author of truth; that He has revealed Himself to mankind through nature, conscience, the Bible and Jesus Christ; that it is His will for man to come to a knowledge of truth; and that an integrated study of the arts and sciences and the Bible, with a proper emphasis on the spiritual, mental, social and physical aspects of life, will lead to the balanced development of the whole person.

Bryan is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the associate, baccalaureate, and master of business administration degrees. It is an independent, Christ-centered liberal arts institution offering degrees in 40 areas including Biblical Studies, Biology, Business Administration, Christian Ministry, Christian Thought, Communication Studies, Computer Science, Elementary Education licensure, English, Exercise and Health Science, History, Liberal Arts, Mathematics, Music, Politics & Government, Psychology, Spanish, and Theatre. Eighty percent of the faculty holds earned doctoral degrees.