Retrospect

Who would have thought, back in 1961 when Mobile College was founded, that software development was something the world needed? Or that you could use a degree in graphic design to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, or that studying kinesiology would open doors for sharing the Good News to the world of professional athletics? As University of Mobile has added academic programs – now offering over 90 areas of study – it is bringing the world closer to the Lord through every graduate fulfilling his or her professional calling for a Great Commission purpose.

“During the fall of 1963, Mobile College began its first academic year. This was a giant step into the realm of higher education and it made a new way of life available for many students. This first year at Mobile College shall always be hallmarked as the light that opened the world to these people, as well as to the ones who shall follow in the years to come.”

– Preface to Rampage yearbook, 1964

“At 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 4, 1968, President William K. Weaver Jr. called from Atlanta, Georgia, and informed the students and faculty via a telephone – public address speaker in the auditorium that Mobile College has been fully accredited and accepted into the membership of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. This joyful news was greeted by thunderous applause from the audience.”

– Mobile College Bulletin, December 1968

“The college began its second decade with an enrollment of 656, of which 107 were preparing for the preaching ministry and 43 were studying for other types of full-time Christian service. After just 10 years, 10 percent of the pastors serving churches in the Mobile Association were Mobile College graduates.”

– The Alabama Baptist Historian, July 1995

“At a press conference on May 17, 1978, Mobile College officials announced the inauguration of a new, significant step in the continuing development of the school’s academic program … (the B.S.N. program) was ‘a dream come true’ in the efforts of those connected with the school to offer programs that are needed and that can extend the effectiveness and ministry of the college.”

– Mobile College TorchLight, June 1978

“Any business student who is not prepared to meet the needs of computer knowledge in the business world will find it hard to be competitive in the job market. That is why computer science is now a major emphasis in the curriculum of students … (we are) striving to meet the needs of students, industry and community. The objective is to take major steps in producing the finest, most qualified product that we can.”

– Rampage yearbook, 1985

About the Author

Kathy Dean

Kathy is an award-winning media relations director and former journalist whose expertise has enabled the University of Mobile to gain national and regional attention. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Auburn University and worked as a journalist for 12 years, including 10 years at the Mobile Press-Register, earning regional and national awards for coverage of education, deadline reporting and feature writing. She joined the University of Mobile staff in 1993, earning awards for writing and public relations including the Baptist Communicators Association grand prize for feature writing in 2015 and 2012. She is a charter member of Providence United Methodist Church, serves on the board of the John Will Scholarship Foundation, and is a member of the Public Relations Council of Alabama, Baptist Communicators Association, and Society of Professional Journalists. Kathy lives in Daphne with her husband, Chuck, who earned his M.B.A. from the University of Mobile. They have two children and two grandchildren.