Judson University is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

university in

Elgin, Illinois Elgin ( ) is a city in Cook County, Illinois, Cook and Kane County, Illinois, Kane counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is located northwest of Chicago along the Fox River (Illinois River tributary), Fox River. As of the 2020 United Stat ...

. It is affiliated with the

American Baptist Churches USA The American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) is a mainline Protestant and Baptist Christian denomination. It is a reorganization from 1907 of the Triennial Convention. The Triennial Convention was renamed as the Northern Baptist Convention in ...

. Judson was formed out of the liberal arts component of

Northern Baptist Theological Seminary Northern Seminary is a private Baptist seminary in Lisle, Illinois. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. History The Seminary was founded in 1913 by the Second Baptist Church of Chicago under the name ''Northern Baptist Theol ...

. When the seminary moved from

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Lombard, Illinois Lombard is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States, and a suburb of Chicago. The population was 44,476 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Lombard was originally named "Babcock's Grove", after the Babcock brothers ...

, it was decided to make the college separate from the seminary. Originally known as Judson College, it was named after

Adoniram Judson Adoniram Judson (; August 9, 1788 – April 12, 1850) was an American Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalist and later Particular Baptist missionary who worked in Burma for almost 40 years. At the age of 25, Judson was ...

, the first American Baptist

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

to foreign shores. The university has campuses in Elgin and

Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, Winnebago and Ogle County, Illinois, Ogle counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located in far northern Illinois on the banks of the Rock River (Mississippi River tributary), Rock River, Rockfor ...

, and a student body of approximately 1,300. Judson College became Judson University on August 28, 2007.

History

Judson was formed out of the liberal arts component of

(NBTS), which was founded in 1913. In the early 1960s, when the seminary portion of Northern moved from

to Lombard it was decided to make the college an independent entity. Under the guidance of Benjamin P. Browne, the college and seminary president, Judson College was founded along the shores of the Fox River in

Elgin Elgin may refer to: Places Canada * Elgin County, Ontario * Elgin Settlement, a 19th-century community for freed slaves located in present-day North Buxton and South Buxton, Ontario * Elgin, a village in Rideau Lakes, Ontario * Elgin, Manit ...

in 1963. The college was named after

, the first American missionary abroad, who went to

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

in 1813 and would spend 37 years overseas. 1 Judson U

The land where Judson College was founded was an estate belonging to Margaret Deuterman, a doctor's widow. Deuterman was ready to sell the estate at $150,000 to a business that was planning to convert it into an entertainment club, but she was willing to listen to Browne and the other men from NBTS in their effort to use the estate to build the college. Mrs. Deuterman agreed to sell the estate for $100,000, and all she required was $500 earnest money to secure the property. No one else had any cash, except for Browne, who had $5. But Amos Barton, a college trustee who owned a construction business, had his company checkbook, and he agreed to loan the college the $500 needed to secure the property. The college received a charter from the State of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, dated March 11, 1963. Judson College was financially strapped for most of its first ten years of existence and faced fierce opposition from the trustees of NBTS, other Baptist seminaries, other Baptist colleges, and even from the leadership of the American Baptists. Despite this, enrollment continued to grow, and by its fifth year, Judson was sending more graduates to Baptist seminaries than all the other established Baptist colleges. Judson College became Judson University on August 28, 2007. In 2023 the administrations of Ambria College of Nursing and Judson University announced that Ambria was being acquired by Judson University.

Academics

Judson University is

accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

by the

Higher Learning Commission The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...

and has more than 60 undergraduate majors, minors, and pre-professional programs and is the only evangelical Christian college or university that offers an accredited graduate program in architecture. Its Master of Architecture degree is accredited by the

National Architectural Accrediting Board The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), established in 1940, is the oldest accrediting agency for architectural education in the United States. The NAAB accredits professional degrees in architecture offered by institutions with U.S. ...

(NAAB). The university was granted an exception to

Title IX Title IX is a landmark federal civil rights law in the United States that was enacted as part (Title IX) of the Education Amendments of 1972. It prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other education program that receiv ...

in 2017 which allows it to legally discriminate against LGBT students for religious reasons. Judson was ranked 95th out of 157 in the list of Midwest Regional colleges by '' U.S. News & World Report'' in 2022. It is ranked among the "Absolute Worst Campuses for

LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...

Youth" in the US by

Campus Pride Campus Pride is an American national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded by M. Chad Wilson, Sarah E. Holmes and Shane L. Windmeyer in 2001 which serves lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and ally student leaders and/or campus o ...

. All undergraduate students taking 12 or more credit hours are automatically enrolled in "Chapel" as a graded one-credit hour academic course. The grade is determined by attendance at religious worship held three times per week. Chapel grades are included in each students grade point average.

Arts

The university offers programs and extra curricular activities in fine arts, including degrees in art and design, music, and concentrations in theater. The Draewell Gallery, housed in the Harm A. Weber Academic Center, hosts student work as well as exhibits from artists across the country and around the world. The School of Art, Design and Architecture features a Lecture and Exhibition Series each fall and spring semester. Invited artists tend to show three-to-five times a semester along with one-to-three student shows mainly for senior exhibition. The Judson University Theater Program offers a musical, a traditional play and a Nowhere Near Broadway production each fall and spring semester. In recent years, the theater program has produced Shakespeare performances and such plays as ''Steel Magnolias'', ''Alice in Wonderland'', ''The Wizard of Oz'', ''Children of Eden", ''Newsies''. Off-Stage Improv is a student-led, school-approved group that performs once a month. The Music Department at Judson University offers degrees in professional music performance, music education, music ministry, and most recently, music business and entrepreneurship. The university has a variety of performing musical groups including symphonic and orchestral bands, choral groups and ensembles.

Athletics

The Judson athletic teams are called the Eagles. The university is a member of the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for higher education, colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic schola ...

(NAIA), primarily competing in the NAIA

Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference The Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) is a List of college athletic conferences in the United States, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Its 12 members are loc ...

(CCAC) since the 1996–97 academic year. They are also a member of the

National Christian College Athletic Association The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) is an association of Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada whose mission is "the promotion and enhancement of intercollegiate athletic c ...

(NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the North Central Region of the Division I level. The Eagles previously competed in the

Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference The Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference (NIIC) was a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division III level. Member schools transitioned from the NAIA ranks during the early 1980s. ...

(NIIC) of the

Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Third ...

ranks of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

(NCAA) from 1973–74 to 1995–96. Judson competes 20 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, track & field and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading. Former sports included men's lacrosse.

Accomplishments

* Men's Soccer program has won 13 CCAC Championships. * Women's Basketball program has won a combined six CCAC Championships. * Men's Soccer has had much success at Judson University winning six NCCAA Championships. * Women's Soccer program won their first-ever CCAC Championship in 2007. * Men's baseball program has won winning six CCAC Championships. * Softball program won their first-ever CCAC Championship in 2011. * Volleyball program has won two CCAC Divisional Championships in the history of the program.

University events

World Leaders Forum

The World Leaders Forum at Judson University brings recognized world leaders to the Judson University campus each year "to give students a chance to hear an inspiring message, take an active interest in the framework of leadership, understand how leaders develop, and even ask questions and seek advice from someone who has made a global impact on our world". All proceeds are donated to the Entrepreneurship Studies Endowment Fund and Judson Student Scholarship Fund. Past guest speakers have included former

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

, former General Secretary of the Soviet Union

Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...

, former U.K. Prime Minister

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He was Leader ...

, former

U.S. Secretary of State The United States secretary of state (SecState) is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The secretary of state serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

Condoleezza Rice Condoleezza "Condi" Rice ( ; born November 14, 1954) is an American diplomat and political scientist serving since 2020 as the 8th director of Stanford University's Hoover Institution. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served ...

, former

Mexican President The president of Mexico (), officially the president of the United Mexican States (), is the head of state and head of government of Mexico. Under the Constitution of Mexico, the president heads the executive branch of the federal government and ...

Felipe Calderón Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa (; born 18 August 1962) is a Mexican politician and lawyer who served as the 63rd president of Mexico from 2006 to 2012 and Secretary of Energy during the presidency of Vicente Fox between 2003 and 2004. ...

Queen Noor of Jordan Noor Al Hussein (; born Lisa Najeeb Halaby; August 23, 1951) is an American-born Jordanian philanthropist and activist who was the fourth wife and widow of Hussein of Jordan, King Hussein of Jordan. She was Queen of Jordan from their marriage on ...

Newt Gingrich Newton Leroy Gingrich (; né McPherson; born June 17, 1943) is an American politician and author who served as the List of speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 50th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1 ...

Caroline Kennedy Caroline Bouvier Kennedy (born November 27, 1957) is an American author, diplomat, and attorney who served as the List of ambassadors of the United States to Australia, United States ambassador to Australia from 2022 to 2024. She previously serv ...

, and

Howard Dean Howard Brush Dean III (born November 17, 1948) is an American physician, author, consultant, and retired politician who served as the 79th governor of Vermont from 1991 to 2003 and chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from 2005 to 20 ...

. File:George-W-Bush.jpeg,

File:Mikhail Gorbachev.jpg,

File:Tony Blair in 2002.jpg,

File:Condoleezza Rice.jpg,

File:Felipe Calderon 20090130 (cropped).jpg,

File:Queen Noor Jordan 2011.jpg,

File:Newt Gingrich by Gage Skidmore 3.jpg,

File:Caroline Kennedy US State Dept photo.jpg,

File:Howard Dean (cropped).jpg,

World Leaders Forum Inspirational Series

The World Leaders Forum Inspirational Series is based on the World Leaders Forum. Its inaugural speaker was

Nick Vujicic Nicholas James Vujicic ( ; born 4 December 1982) is an Australian-American Christian evangelist and motivational speaker of Serbian descent. Vujicic has tetra-amelia syndrome, a condition characterised by the absence of arms and legs. Early li ...

, who spoke on October 12, 2015 and

Mary Lou Retton Mary Lou Retton (born January 24, 1968) is an American retired gymnast. At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, she won a gold medal in the individual all-around competition, as well as two silver medals and two bronze medals. Retton's per ...

, who spoke on October 10, 2016. File:CBR-AIA-Nick-Vujicic-021916-0252.jpg,

File:Retton-m.jpg,

Imago Film Festival

The Imago Film Festival is five-day film festival held every spring at Judson University. It has been held every year since 2004. The Imago Film Festival showcases independent films dealing with faith issues, and it emphasizes images and stories about the spiritual journey of the human experience through any genre.

Literacy in Motion Conference

Judson's School of Education annually hosts its Literacy in Motion Conference in June. The conference welcomes hundreds of educators from all over the world to hear from a diverse group of speakers about new instructional methods for elevating literacy in K-12 students.

Judson University Founders' Day

Judson University was founded in 1913, and established in its current location in 1963. It celebrates Founders' Day every Fall to celebrate its founding.

Campuses

Main Elgin Campus

Judson's campus is located on the banks of the Fox River, about west of

. The university campus was purchased in 1963, when Dr. Benjamin Browne visited the original country estate, known as Braeburn-on-the-Fox, and offered the owner $100,000. Judson University - Architecture - panoramio

Judson University - Architecture - panoramio

The Elgin campus now hosts to 17 different buildings, among them the new Harm A. Weber Academic Center, established in 2007. The Weber Center, which is home to the campus library and School of Art, Design and Architecture, is a LEED Gold certified building and one of the most energy-efficient buildings of its kind in North America.

Rockford Campus

In 1999, Judson University established a campus in

Notable alumni

Dave Breese David William Breese (October 14, 1926 – May 3, 2002) was an evangelical Christian pastor and theologian from the mid-20th century to the early 21st century. Early life Breese was born in Chicago to David and Ruth (Gunton) Breese. He was the y ...

(1926–2002), evangelical Christian pastor, theologian, and televangelist. *

Susan Christensen Susan Larson Christensen (born April 27, 1962) is an American lawyer who has served as an associate justice of the Iowa Supreme Court since 2018 and as the chief justice since 2020. Education Christensen received an undergraduate degree in psych ...

, Chief Justice of the

Iowa Supreme Court The Iowa Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Iowa. The Court is composed of a chief justice and six associate justices. The Court holds its regular sessions in Des Moines in the Iowa Judicial Branch Building located at 1111 ...

. *

Kelly Findley Kelly Findley (born September 8, 1970) is an American soccer coach and is currently the head coach for Liberty University Men's Soccer Program. Findley Previously coached at North Carolina State University. He formerly held the same position at ...

, former head men's soccer coach at

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State, North Carolina State, NC State University, or NCSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1887 and p ...

. * Citizen Way,

Contemporary Christian music Contemporary Christian music (CCM), also known as Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music, is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christianity, Chri ...

band

References

External links

Official website

Official athletics website
{{Coord, 42, 3, 59, N, 88, 17, 43, W, display=title Universities and colleges affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA Universities and colleges established in 1963 Schools in Elgin, Illinois Evangelicalism in Illinois 1963 establishments in Illinois Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Private universities and colleges in Illinois