Brief timeline of presidents and schools

1841		Chartered in Perry County, Alabama Named in honor of John Howard, English advocate of prison reform
1842		Opened in Marion, Alabama Samuel Sterling Sherman was sole instructor and first president
1848		First graduation class consisted of seven men
1853		Henry Talbird, President, 1853-1863
1863		Buildings used as Confederate military hospital
1865		Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry, President, 1865-1868
1868		Edward Quinn Thornton, President, 1868-1869
1869		Samuel R. Freeman, President, 1869-1871
1871		James T. Murfee, President, 1871-1887
1887		College moved from Marion to East Lake section of the rapidly growing industrial city of Birmingham
1888		Benjamin Franklin Riley, President, 1888-1893
1893		Arthur Watkins McGaha, President, 1893-1896
1896		A.D. Smith, President, 1896-1897
1897		Frank M. Roof, President, 1897-1902
1902		Andrew Phillip Montague, President, 1902-1912
1912		James Madison Shelburne, President, 1912-1918
1913		Military curriculum abandoned Women admitted as regular students
1914		Teacher Education Division established
1919		Charles B. Williams, President, 1919-1921
1921		John C. Dawson, President, 1921-1931
1926		Mrs. Charles J. Sharp becomes the first female member of the Board of Trustees
1927		Department of Pharmacy established
1932		Thomas V. Neal, President, 1932-1939
1939		Harwell G. Davis, President, 1939-1958
1946		Margaret Ann Miller Peterson becomes the first female president of the SGA
1957		College moved from East Lake to Homewood
1958		Leslie Stephan Wright, President, 1958-1983
1961		Cumberland School of Law acquired
1965		Elevated to University status Renamed Samford University in honor of Frank Park Samford
1967		Integration Samford admits their first African-American student, Audrey Gaston, in Cumberland School of Law
1969		Elizabeth Sloan becomes the first African-American to live on campus
1973		Acquired Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing
1983		Thomas Edward Corts, President, 1983-2006
1984		Martha Ann Cox becomes the first female Vice President
1984		London Center purchased
1988		Beeson School of Divinity established
2006		Andrew Westmoreland inaugurated as president
2013		Office of Diversity and Intercultural Initiatives established
2013		College of Health Sciences established
2014		The Samford Black Alumni Association formed
2014		Largest single expansion of the campus, including 28 acres, is completed with the purchase of Southern Progress Corporation property
2015		Tim Vines, the first Person of Color appointed Chair of the Board of Trustees

Samford University consists of the Howard College of Arts and Sciences, Schools of the Arts, Brock School of Business, Beeson Divinity School, Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education and Professional Studies, College of Health Sciences,
Cumberland School of Law.