Asbury University is marked by a rich history, and the history of the presidents is no different. This year sees the inauguration of Dr. Kevin Brown as the university’s 18th president.
Amongst the university’s long line of leaders, some had especially notable terms.
Asbury’s first president was John Wesley Hughes. According to a biography on Hughes written by Asbury alumnus and archivist Matt Kinnell, Hughes founded the college after he “felt the Lord leading him to establish a distinctly religious college where students could receive a thorough college education under the direction of a faculty wholly consecrated to God.” He then assumed the presidency, where he would serve for fifteen years before being asked to step down for reasons that are still unclear today.
The next president to hold office for a significant amount of time was Henry Clay Morrison, who served two different terms — one spanned from 1910 to 1925, the other from 1933 to 1940. Morrison, who was known around the country for his work on the religious paper The Pentecostal Herald, was hired by the college while they were in a time of financial stress. In fact, both times Morrison assumed the presidency was because of the college’s financial situation. In Morrison’s biography, Kinnel wrote that “With the help of his Pentecostal Herald readers and his nationwide reputation as a great preacher, Morrison was able to pay off large debts owed by the college and increase its reputation and student body.”
Zachary T. Johnson succeeded Morrison’s second term. Johnson is the longest-tenured president in Asbury history to date. The college saw many improvements under Johnson, including the additions of an amphitheater, a nine-hole golf course, an athletic field with a quarter-mile track, a 370-acre farm, 21 duplexes, a triplex, an 18-unit apartment, eight faculty homes, five residence halls, a student center, the Kenyon Library, the McCreless Fine Arts Building, the Science Hall and the Z.T. Johnson Cafeteria. Also, student enrollment nearly doubled during this time.
Another impressive president is Cornelius R. Hager, who served three separate terms. Kinnell wrote that “Perhaps no one person has provided more diverse and timely service to Asbury College than Dr. C.R. Hager.” Hager served in various different roles at Asbury and was also very active in his church and community.
Dennis F. Kinlaw is another president who served multiple terms. Kinlaw was serving his first term during the historic 1970 revival, which was very impactful both on Asbury’s campus and around the nation. Kinnell described Kinlaw as “an accomplished pastor, professor, administrator, evangelist, teacher, and author.”
Since Kinlaw, Asbury has been led by a number of presidents who served fairly short terms. Sandra C. Gray, who was inaugurated in 2007, is the only woman to serve as president. Also, Gray was president when Asbury College was renamed to Asbury University, so technically one could say that Gray was Asbury University’s first president. Looking back through Asbury’s history makes it obvious that each of Asbury’s presidents has had their own journey and impact. As Brown joins this group and serves, we anticipate the changes that come with his presidency.
