It is said the true test of quality and significance is time.
On Saturday, September 28th, Taylor University celebrates 178 years as the oldest nondenominational institution in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.
Always a trailblazer, Taylor remains a place where loving Jesus and serving the community go hand in hand with academic excellence and intellectual integrity.
Founded in 1846, not long after the Second Great Awakening (1790-1840) rekindled the country’s embrace of Christian teaching and as pioneer families moved west in search of better lives, time and again Taylor was one step ahead of where society ultimately needed to be to serve the common good. It was founded as Fort Wayne Female College—74 years before the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote in 1920.
It became coeducational in 1855 to meet the needs of veterans who returned home after the Mexican-American War ended in 1848 as there were few local, accessible, educational options for blue-collar, working-class families. It became Taylor University in 1890 after merging with Fort Wayne Medical College, bringing a commitment to professional preparation under the umbrella of a whole person faith education.
Now, nearly two centuries later, Taylor Day, September 28th, is an opportunity to honor how the University’s groundbreaking past informs its innovative future. With intensive preparation for professions in business, healthcare, STEM, education, ministry, and more, all deeply rooted in the liberal arts, the tip of the spear in innovative Christian higher education still resides in Upland, Indiana.
Students at Fort Wayne Female Bible College
Original Board Book, used 1846-1862
Original Fort Wayne Female College building
