John Brown University

John Brown University (JBU) was established in 1919 and is a leading Christian higher education institution, offering undergraduate and master’s programs to more than 2,000 students in the small town of Siloam Springs in northwest Arkansas.

The university is named after its founder, the itinerant Methodist evangelist John E. Brown, who established the institution to provide an interdenominational, Christian education so that children from poor backgrounds had the opportunity to advance their education.

Although it began as a vocational college, today the university has more than 40 diverse areas of study including education, engineering, nursing and graphic design.

The 200-acre main campus and is home to the Cathedral of the Ozarks, perhaps the most recognisable building on campus.

The university has renovated a large proportion of the campus in recent years as well as adding more buildings to accommodate the growing student population. There are several accommodation options for students and the university has a strict policy on lifestyle choices – students sign a covenant stating they will not indulge in alcohol and tobacco use, pornography, harassment, extramarital sexual activity, profanity, and gambling.

The JBU sports teams are part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and are known as the Golden Eagles. One of their greatest triumphs is the men’s basketball team’s championship title in 2005, when they beat Azusa Pacific 65-55 in Missouri.

Among the former graduates of JBU are the former First Lady of Arkansas, Janet Huckabee, the founder of Houston’s Lakewood Church, John Osteen, news anchor Shannon Ogden, and former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Winn.