Published on October 2, 2017  

Each of them, plus the populations of the neighboring “suburbs” in my county would be a fair approximation of the turnout on the Quad for Family Day festivities this past weekend.  I am grateful to the many members of our faculty and staff—and our students—for the efforts that led to a successful weekend.  As Jeanna and I stood on Saturday near the tree at the midpoint between the University Center and Buchanan Hall, we had a five-minute conversation with one of our Samford families.  The daughter will graduate next May.  Her mother and father each recounted the ways in which their daughter had grown during her time here and the student, with tears bursting from her eyes, said, “Coming to Samford is the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.”  In the shade of that tree, I was reminded of the burden that each of us shoulder as we seek to offer a unique, meaningful educational experience to our students, bolstered by the grace and truth that we find in Christ.   

The world is better because of Samford’s unique and beautiful mission.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.