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Ouachita Baptist University

Former name	Ouachita Baptist College (1886–1965)
Motto	Vision. Integrity. Service.
Type	Private university
Established	1886
Religious affiliation	Arkansas Baptist State Convention
Academic affiliations	Space-grant
Endowment	$65.4 million
President	Ben Sells
Academic staff	109 full-time and 51 part-time (fall 2022)
Students	1,784 (fall 2022)
Undergraduates	1,730
Postgraduates	54
Location	Arkadelphia, Arkansas, United States 34°7′30″N 93°3′10″W / 34.12500°N 93.05278°W / 34.12500; -93.05278
Campus	Rural, 160 acres (65 ha)
Colors	Purple and Gold
Nickname	Tigers
Mascot	Tiger
Website	www.obu.edu

Ouachita Baptist University (OBU) is a private Baptist university in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. The university's name is taken from the Ouachita (pronounced WAH-shi-tah) River, which forms the eastern campus boundary. It is affiliated with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, a state convention affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.

History

Ouachita Baptist University was founded as Ouachita Baptist College on September 6, 1886, and has operated continually since that date. It was originally located on the campus of Ouachita Baptist High School. Its current location is on the former campus of the Arkansas School for the Blind, which relocated to Little Rock.

The first president was J. W. Conger, who was elected to the post on June 22, 1886. The OBU Board of Trustees unanimously elected Dr. Ben Sells, former vice president for university advancement at Taylor University, as the sixteenth president of Ouachita Baptist University on April 7, 2016. Those who have served as president include J. W. Conger (1886–1907), Henry Simms Hartzog (1907–1911), R. G. Bowers (1911–1913), Samuel Young Jameson (1913–1916), Charles Ernest Dicken (1916–1926), Arthur B. Hill (1926–1929), Charles D. Johnson (1929–1933), James R. Grant (1933–1949), Seaford Eubanks (1949–1951), Harold A. Haswell (1952–1953), Ralph Arloe Phelps Jr. (1953–1969), Daniel R. Grant (1970–1988), Ben M. Elrod (1988–1998), Andrew Westmoreland (1998–2006) and Rex Horne (2006–2015).

In 1965 the college changed its name to Ouachita Baptist University.

Academics

The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission with specific programs accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), National Association for Schools of Music, the Commission on the Accreditation of Athletic Training Education Programs (CAATE), and the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of the American Dietetic Association.

The university was ranked 178 of 185 in the 2024 National Liberal Arts Colleges rankings by U.S. News & World Report.

Athletics

OBU fields intercollegiate men's teams in baseball, basketball, football, soccer, swimming, tennis, cross country, and wrestling. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball. The school mascot is the Tiger, and colors are purple and gold. As of fall 2011, Ouachita began competition in the Great American Conference. The Tigers football team were the conference champions of the inaugural 2011 season and the 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2019 seasons. In wrestling, a sport not sponsored by the GAC, OBU competes as a single-sport member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

In 2010, Ouachita Baptist was the first university in Arkansas to offer an NCAA wrestling program. Dallas Smith, a four-time All-American, earned the program's first national title at the NCAA Division II National Championships in 2015.

Notable alumni

See also

• Southern Baptist Convention
• Arkansas Baptist State Convention
• List of Southern Baptist Convention affiliated people

References

1. As of June 30, 2009."U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2009 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2008 to FY 2009" (PDF). 2009 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 14, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2010.
2. ^ "College Navigator - Ouachita Baptist University".
3. ^ Lyon College 1872-2002: the Perseverance and Promise of an Arkansas College (c). University of Arkansas Press. 2003. pp. 392–. ISBN 978-1-61075-255-8.
4. "A Brief History of Ouachita". Ouachita Baptist University. Ouachita Baptist University.
5. "2024-2025 National Liberal Arts Colleges Rankings". U.S. News & World Report. September 23, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
6. "2024 Liberal Arts Colleges Rankings". Washington Monthly. August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
7. Ouachita Baptist University: Accreditations and Memberships, Retrieved 2012-08-05
8. "Ouachita Baptist University". U.S. News & World Report Best College Rankings. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
9. GAC Press Release, Retrieved 2012-02-28
10. "GLVC Wrestling Admits Ouachita Baptist as Associate Member" (Press release). Great Lakes Valley Conference. August 2, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
11. "First time for everything | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved April 22, 2019.

External links

• Official website
• Athletics website

v t e Sports teams based in Arkansas
Baseball	TL: Arkansas Travelers Northwest Arkansas Naturals
Basketball	ABA: Texarkana Panthers
Football	TAL: Hot Springs Wiseguys
Roller derby	WFTDA: Northwest Arkansas Roller Derby
Soccer	USLC: Ozark United FC (2026) USL2: Little Rock Rangers NPSL: Arkansas Wolves FC
College athletics	NCAA Division I Arkansas Arkansas State Arkansas–Pine Bluff Central Arkansas Little Rock NCAA Division II Arkansas Tech Arkansas–Fort Smith Arkansas–Monticello Harding Henderson State Ouachita Baptist Southern Arkansas NCAA Division III Hendrix Lyon Ozarks NAIA Arkansas Baptist Central Baptist Crowley's Ridge John Brown Philander Smith Williams Baptist NJCAA Mid-South North Arkansas NCCAA Central Baptist Crowley's Ridge Ecclesia
High school athletics	Arkansas Activities Association Class 7A Class 6A Class 5A Class 4A Class 3A Class 2A Class 1A
Arkansas portal Sports portal

v t e Great American Conference
Full members	Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys and Golden Suns Arkansas–Monticello Boll Weevils and Cotton Blossoms East Central Tigers Harding Bisons Henderson State Reddies Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers Oklahoma Baptist Bison Ouachita Baptist Tigers Southeastern Oklahoma State Savage Storm Southern Arkansas Muleriders Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs
Men's soccer affiliates	Fort Hays State Tigers Newman Jets Northeastern State RiverHawks Rogers State Hillcats

v t e Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
Full members	Arkansas–Fort Smith Lions Central Missouri Mules & Jennies Central Oklahoma Bronchos Emporia State Hornets Fort Hays State Tigers Missouri Southern Lions Missouri Western Griffons Nebraska–Kearney Lopers Newman Jets Northeastern State RiverHawks Northwest Missouri Bearcats Pittsburg State Gorillas Rogers State Hillcats Washburn Ichabods
Men's tennis associates	Augustana Vikings Harding Bisons Ouachita Baptist Tigers Southeastern Oklahoma Savage Storm Southern Arkansas Muleriders
Men's wrestling associate	Ouachita Baptist Tigers

• Ouachita Baptist University
• Baptist Christianity in Arkansas
• Buildings and structures in Arkadelphia, Arkansas
• 1886 establishments in Arkansas
• Universities and colleges established in 1886
• Universities and colleges accredited by the Higher Learning Commission
• Council for Christian Colleges and Universities