Founding in McLemoresville Bethel Seminary was founded in 1842 in
McLemoresville, Tennessee, and renamed to Bethel College in 1847. The seminary was overseen by the
West Tennessee Synod of the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church, who also oversaw 82 other schools at varying points in its own history. In 1851, the West Tennessee Synod founded a Theology Department at the school. This was prompted by other schools attempting to start theology departments in order to acquire more support from church leadership. The school closed in 1861 due to the start of the
American Civil War. The buildings were used as barracks by both the
American and
Confederate armies during the conflict. An interesting anecdote involved a large refracting
telescope that was captured by the U.S. troops who thought it the barrel of a brass
cannon. The telescope was later returned to the college by the troops and is still reportedly in the care of the college. The school reopened in 1869. In the 1920s, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church implemented upgrades to the school, expanding the campus and curriculum. This was aided by a donation from the estate of Iowa businessman John T. Laughlin, who bequeathed $100k to the church in his will. From 1924 to 1928, an additional four buildings were constructed on the campus. The new administration building, a 2.5 story brick building, was designed by Missouri architect A. F. Lindsey. In May 1975, comedian
Bob Hope made an appearance at Bethel College as part of a fundraiser for the school.
Renamed to Bethel University The school assumed its current name in 2009. On August 4, 2014, Bethel University and the Board of Trustees officially announced Walter Butler as its 40th president, a position he held on an interim basis since August 1, 2013 after longtime President Robert Prosser retired. In the 2010s, Bethel University began renovating and building new facilities to accommodate its rapidly growing enrollment numbers. This included a new student center, football stadium, three new dorm buildings, and a new basketball arena. Additionally, the seminary, library, and old cafeteria buildings were extensively renovated to serve the changing needs of the school's academic programs. On May 8, 2010, the university held a dedication service for its newest building, the Ray and Linda Morris Science Complex, featuring new laboratories, additional classrooms, and a lecture hall. Also dedicated that year was a new residence hall, University Hall, which houses up to 250 students. June the following year saw the reopening of the Odom Hall math building after extensive renovations, along with Heritage Hall, a new three-story residence hall which was dedicated in August 2011. The university's most ambitious construction plan also saw its first of four phases completed in August 2011. Phase I of the Vera Low Center for Student Enrichment features a new cafeteria, student services offices, bookstore, enrollment offices and a student activities room. Phase II of the Rosemary and Harry L. Crisp Arena, which opened in Spring 2012, consists of a new gymnasium, athletic training facilities, offices, and a fitness center for students, faculty, and general public. Phase III, the Cumberland Chapel, was under construction . In conjunction with the Henry County Medical Center, in November 2012, Bethel University opened its new satellite campus for the Physician Assistant Program along with the medical centers' new Diagnostic Center. == Student body ==