Correcting the Cumberland record

An Aug. 16 letter suggested that Cumberland College, now University of the Cumberlands, became a four-year institution when Jim Taylor was president. In fact, Taylor has written about this period in the college’s history in “A Bright Shining City Set on a Hill.”

The transition actually began in 1957, when the college presented a petition to the Kentucky Baptist Convention to grant it four-year status, and the Convention approved the petition.

Before 1957, the administration and board of trustees devoted a great amount of thought and effort to deciding to move Cumberland College from a well-regarded junior college to senior status, and subsequent major challenges came with this undertaking.

The four-year program was in place and accredited by the early 1960s. Taylor enrolled as a student in 1964 and, of course, went on to become president in 1980.

This story was originally published September 1, 2016 at 6:54 PM with the headline "Correcting the Cumberland record."