*Southwestern Christian College (SwCC) started classes on this date in 1948. It is among over 100 historically black colleges and universities in America (HBCUs).
SwCC was founded by the educator and minister G. P. Bowser under the Southern Bible Institute in Fort Worth, Texas. The initial class consisted of 45 students. School officials intended to buy property in Fort Worth to erect a permanent school plant. In the summer of 1949, the school purchased the property of the closed Texas Military College in Terrell, changing the college's name. The campus includes two locally significant historic buildings.
The first dwelling was erected in Terrell, an octagonal-shaped house designed to provide better defense against Native American attacks. It is one of only 20 surviving Round Houses in the entire nation. The second is the Administration Building, which originally housed all of the Texas Military College, which burned down in 2008. SwCC became accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1973 to award Associate and Bachelor-level degrees. SwCC offers associate degrees in most fields outside of preparation for full-time ministry. Many junior- and senior-level courses have been offered in recent years, eventually leading to the school's first bachelor's degree graduates in 1984 and current online courses.
The board has made a concerted effort to ensure trustees do not allow the college's somewhat limited resources to be spread too thinly. Southwestern’s associate-level graduates typically earn the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degree; the bachelor's-level graduates typically earn the Bachelor of Science degree. Dr. Jack Evans, Sr., is the former college president. He held this position from 1967 until 2016 and was believed to be the longest-serving college president in the nation at the time of his retirement. The school participates in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 5 as a Division I program. SwCC participates in volleyball, basketball (men's and women's), and track (men's and women's). The school colors are blue and white, and the school mascot is the Ram.
