Dallas Baptist University mulls return to Decatur

Published Thursday, April 24, 2008

By Brandon Evans

The president of Dallas Baptist University said his institution is considering a return "to our heritage."

Dr. Gary Cook, president of Dallas Baptist University, gave a short speech last Saturday at the Decatur Baptist College Spring Reunion. The reunion was held at the Wise County Heritage Museum in Decatur and honored the 50th anniversary of the class of 1958. But the reunion had sparks of a rebirth.

"I told them we hope to come back to Decatur, to our heritage," Cook said. "But there is no plan set or date set. We haven't looked at land or location."

From 1891 until 1898 the school was known as the Northwest Texas Baptist College. In the fall of 1898, the school officially became Decatur Baptist College.

It held the distinction of being the "world's oldest junior college." It was started thanks to a land grant from D. C. Cates and the citizens of Decatur pledging $15,000 to help run the institution, according to an article by Sue Jean Cocanougher in "A History of Wise County."

But the school moved to Dallas in 1965 and became Dallas Baptist College. In 1968, it became a four-year institution and eventually a university in 1985. It now offers a range of masters and doctoral degrees.

Dallas Baptist University continues to expand, and it might expand back to its origin in Decatur. It has already opened branch campuses in Frisco and Colleyville. Cook said they are looking at placing additional branches in Decatur and Mansfield.

"We would be offering evening classes for adult workers," Cook said.

He said it would provide an opportunity to help people complete their four-year degree or even take some graduate-level courses.

He said it would not interfere with Weatherford College's plan to build a branch campus between Bridgeport and Decatur.

"We would like to work with Weatherford College," Cook said. "We would offer courses towards four-year degrees and graduate courses."

Weatherford College offers two-year degrees.

"It would be an opportunity for students to take advantage of higher level and graduate courses," said Decatur Mayor Joe Lambert, a 1959 graduate of Decatur Baptist College.

But Cook said no definite plans have been made regarding a branch in Decatur. Also, the new campus would probably not resemble the former college, a three-story limestone building situated on a hill overlooking Wise County.

It probably wouldn't be as strict either. Cocanougher's article features an example of the stern discipline at Decatur Baptist College. Former president J. L. Ward once whipped three boys with horse reins because they missed class to gather pecans by a creek.

It also won't feature the star basketball squads once fielded by Decatur Baptist. In 1907, the men's basketball team beat the University of Texas in Austin and Baylor University to become state basketball champs. In 1909, the major Texas universities said they would no longer play Decatur Baptist because of "undue roughness."