About Union

Presidents at Union University

From 1823 - 1874 several "principals," "faculty chairmen" and "presidents" served the three institutions, Jackson Academy, West Tennessee College and Union University - Murfreesboro. These schools formed the various streams that shaped Southwest Baptist University, as the institution was named at the formation of the Tennessee Baptist Convention (1874/75).

The university was founded in 1823 and chartered in 1825. The institution was re-chartered in 1875 as Southwest Baptist University with the establishment of the institution's new relationship with the TBC. The name of the institution was changed again to the current Union University in 1907.

Samuel W. Oliver

2014-Present
Courage and Conviction: Celebrating the first 5 years of the Oliver administration (Spring 2019 Unionite article)

David S. Dockery

1996-2014
Dockery reflects on Union presidency (Winter 2014 Unionite article)

Hyran E. Barefoot

1986-1996
The Teacher President (Spring 2022 Unionite article)

Robert E. Craig

1967-1986
A Brilliant Visionary (Spring 2018 Unionite article)

Francis E. Wright

1963-1967

Warren F. Jones

1945-1963

John J. Hurt

1932-1945
A Moses Figure in Union's Wilderness Wandering (Spring 2022 Unionite article)

Henry E. Watters

1918-1931

George M. Savage

1915-18
A Heritage of Biblical Scholarship (Summer 2011 Unionite article)

Richard M. Inlow

1913

Robert A. Kimbrough

1911-1913

John W. Conger

1907-1909

Philip T. Hale

1904-1906

George M. Savage

1890-1904
A Heritage of Biblical Scholarship (Summer 2011 Unionite article)

George W. Jarman

1876-1890

William Shelton

1875-1876