III 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 538 

Commending Blue Mountain Christian University for 150 years of service 

to the State of Mississippi and the United States. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 31, 2024 

Mrs. HYDE-SMITH (for herself and Mr. WICKER) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Commending Blue Mountain Christian University for 150 

years of service to the State of Mississippi and the 

United States. 

Whereas Blue Mountain Christian University began its first 

session as a women’s institution on September 12, 1873, 

with a four-member faculty offering a liberal arts curriculum to 50 students; 

Whereas Blue Mountain Christian University was chartered 

as a college in 1877 and managed by the Lowrey family 

until 1920 when the Mississippi Baptist Convention assumed ownership; 

Whereas, in 1956, the Mississippi Baptist Convention voted 

to add a coordinated academic program for men preparing for church-related vocations; 


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•SRES 538 ATS 

Whereas, in 2005, the Board of Trustees voted to make Blue 

Mountain Christian University a fully coeducational institution; 

Whereas, on October 7, 2022, the Board of Trustees approved changing the name of the institution from Blue 

Mountain College to Blue Mountain Christian University; 

Whereas Blue Mountain Christian University has grown from 

50 students to host more than 600 students participating 

in nine programs of study, including establishing graduate programs in education in 2006, business administration in 2019, and kinesiology in 2023, as well as a School 

of Nursing in 2022; 

Whereas Blue Mountain Christian University has played a 

significant role in meeting the needs of its constituents 

for 150 years by educating women in the 1870s following 

a devastating war, by educating ministers in the mid1950s when bi-vocational pastors were unable to travel to 

pursue higher education, by converting to coeducational 

status in 2005 when the education of both men and 

women became expedient to enhance community advancement and service, and by establishing a nursing program 

in the 2020s to address a critical shortage of trained personnel in the medical field; 

Whereas the inaugural Southern Literary Festival was established at Blue Mountain Christian University in 1937 to 

foster creative writing and to provide exposure to successful authors; 

Whereas Blue Mountain Christian University is renowned for 

academic excellence in education and ministry, producing 

both excellent ‘‘teachers and preachers’’ in particular and 

outstanding graduates broadly who are all academically 


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and spiritually prepared to assume places of leadership in 

their professions and in the faith community; 

Whereas Blue Mountain Christian University was a pioneer 

in women’s college athletics on the state and national levels, first by joining the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women and later the National Association of 

Intercollegiate Athletics; 

Whereas the athletic program of the Blue Mountain Christian 

University Toppers is now composed of 18 men’s and 

women’s intercollegiate varsity athletic teams that represent Blue Mountain Christian University in the Southern States Athletic Conference; 

Whereas Blue Mountain Christian University is dedicated to 

supporting the academic success of student athletes while 

striving for on-field success; and 

Whereas hundreds of students of all races, creeds, backgrounds, and beliefs receive a world-class, Christ-centered 

education at Blue Mountain Christian University: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) commends Blue Mountain Christian Univer3 sity for its 150 years of service to the State of Mis4 sissippi and the United States; 

5 (2) recognizes Blue Mountain Christian Univer6 sity for its academic, faith-based, and athletic excel7 lence; and 

8 (3) respectfully requests that the Secretary of 

9 the Senate transmit an enrolled copy of this resolu10 tion to— 


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1 (A) the President of Blue Mountain Chris2 tian University, Dr. Barbara Childers McMillin; 

3 (B) the Provost and Vice President for 

4 Academic Affairs of Blue Mountain Christian 

5 University, Dr. Sharon Ball Enzor; and 

6 (C) the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics 

7 of Blue Mountain Christian University, Mr. 

8 Will Lowrey. 

Æ 


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