In June 1885, the Educational Board of
General Baptists organized and then gained a charter from the state of
Indiana to operate a college at
Oakland City. However, because of a lack of funds, the first building, a two-story brick structure housing the administration and classrooms, was not complete until 1891—the same year Oakland City College opened its doors for classes. In those early days, the school was called "the college on the hill." By the mid-1920s, the school had reached a zenith for the first half of the century. There were several college buildings gracing the grounds, including an expanded administration building, Wheatley Hall, a women's dorm, a field house, Memorial Gym (which housed a library in the basement), Cronbach Hall, a building used for agricultural and industrial arts classes, and a two-story brick building called the president's house. Beside the normal, liberal arts and theological school, the college had added a large industrial and agricultural department to respond to the vocational needs of the rural area it served. The college offered several sports and clubs, and enrollment during this period often exceeded 1,000 students a semester. The
Great Depression hit the school hard, and faculty and staff often forwent paychecks to keep the school running. The end of World War II and the
GI Bill saw a resurgence in enrollment and, by the mid-1960s, the "college on the hill" experienced an upswing comparable to the 1920s. Several new buildings were constructed on the campus including four dormitories, a new library, Brengle Hall, a science building, and Stinson Hall. By the fall term of 1973, enrollment had dropped considerably. The sponsoring denomination, the General Baptists, made a successful effort to raise funds to keep the school open and hired James Murray as the college president. In the 1990s, the college moved to university status under Murray's leadership. Currently the school has an enrollment of 655 and has seen the construction of two new buildings within the last five years. The university stands fully accredited and offers five graduate degrees and over 40 undergraduate programs.
Presidents • A.D. Williams, 1889–1894 • Joseph B. Cox, (acting) 1895–1903 • William P. Dearing, 1903–1945 • James E. Cox, 1945–1955 • Onis G. Chapman, 1955–1965 • Carl E. Shepard, 1965–1968 • Ben M. Elrod, 1968–1970 • Laurence N. Barrett, (acting) 1970–1971 • Bernard A. Loposer, 1971–1973 • James W. Murray, 1974–2007 • Alton D. Davis, (acting) 2007–2008 • Ray G. Barber, 2008–2019 • Ron D. Dempsey, 2019–present ==Academics==