Southwest Baptist University history

In 1879, the college was chartered by the state of Missouri and moved to Bolivar.

On June 1, 1910, at 11:00 am., the fire that would destroy the campus started.

When it reopened in 1913 as a junior college, Southwest Baptist College consisted of four buildings, two of which still stand on the Stufflebaum campus.

The Shoffner campus, located approximately a quarter-mile south of Stufflebaum campus, was first used in 1962 with the opening of Beasley Hall.

The first baccalaureate degrees were awarded in 1967.

In 1977, Mellers Dining Commons was opened, adjoining the Goodson Student Union.

In 1981, the Gene Taylor National Free Enterprise Center was opened to facilitate the College of Business and Computer Science.

In 1989, the Sells Administrative Building was completed to accommodate the growing administrative department of Southwest Baptist University.

In 1992, the Wheeler Science Center opened, giving the science department a facility capable of housing hundreds of students.

In 1995, SBU agreed with St John's School of Nursing, a traditionally Catholic institution, to form St John's School of Nursing of Southwest Baptist University located in Springfield, Missouri.

The campus library moved to what is now the Jester Learning and Performance Center, and was renamed the Harriet K. Hutchens Library, which opened in 1996.

The rest of the Jester Learning and Performance Center was completed in 2001.

The most recent addition to the Shoffner campus is the Jane and Ken Meyer Wellness and Sports Center. It opened to students in January 2005.

St John's changed its name in 2012, making the name of the college Mercy College of Nursing and Health Sciences of SBU. Today, the College of Health Professions maintains a valuable partnership with Mercy Health Systems.