Samford University

Samford's mission and core values are an extension of the original mission of our forerunner, Howard College. Founded in 1841 in Marion, Alabama, Howard College provided education for young men living along the old southwestern frontier—an area filled with vice and violence, but a growing revivalist spirit. When classes began on January 3, 1842, the new college emphasized four guiding principles: Intellect (guided by the tenets of Scottish philosophy), Faith (rooted in Evangelical Christianity and the Second Great Awakening), Virtue (influenced by the British Enlightenment), and Benevolence (grounded in the moral reforms of the age). One of the founders of Howard College, the Reverend James H. DeVotie of New York, suggested that the trustees name the institution after John Howard—a noted British reformer of the 18th Century who served as a role model of the four guiding principles. The curriculum reflected these values with the goal of educating young men (and later women) to be enlightened, virtuous Christian citizens.The mission of Samford University is to nurture persons in their development of intellect, creativity, faith and personhood. As a Christian university, the community fosters academic, career and ethical competency while encouraging social and civic responsibility and service to others.