SOUTHERN COLLEGE, Birmingham, the chief educational institution of the Metho dist Episcopal Church in the State of Alabama resulting from the union, in 1918, of the South ern University, situated at Greensboro, Ala., and Birmingham College, situated at Birming ham, Ala. Birmingham being the greater cen tre of population and possessing better trans portation facilities, the whole college interests, except the high school at Greensboro, were centred in the former place. The Southern University was opened in 1859; but it had a difficult time during the Civil War and the re construction period. The State of Alabama was divided into two conferences of the Methodist Church in 1883; but both sections still continued to support the university. How ever, in 1896, the North Alabama Confer ence decided to establish a college for men. The new institution was opened in Birming ham in 1897, upon which the northern con ference surrendered its interest in Southern University. On the union of Birmingham Col lege and Southern University in 1918, the name of Birmingham Southern College was adopted for the new institution. The college possesses a fine large administration building of brick containing a chapel, society halls, offices and recitation-rooms; three buildings for dor mitories; a gymnasium; a residence for the president of the college, and a large modern science hall which houses the library, labora tories, storage vault and possesses numerous classrooms. The scheme of the Birmingham
Southern College, as formed in 1918, contem plates ultimately erecting in all 23 buildings arranged according to a landscape scheme around a large campus on the highest eleva tion of the college grounds which consist of 63 acres, 40 of which are included in the cam pus. In addition to this Birmingham property the college also owns all the buildings and grounds of the defunct Southern University at Greensborough, together with the endow ments belonging to the latter institution. Birmingham Southern College is administered by a board of trustees consisting of 24 mem bers; and it has an annual endowment of $20, 000 from the two church conferences of the State; a productive endowment of $75,000 and a second endowment of $125,000. The college courses lead to two degrees, bachelor of arts and bachelor of science, and the M.A. degree is also conferred.