University of Mount Olive

The university's roots and educational philosophy can be traced as early as 1897 when Free Will Baptists in Pitt County, North Carolina, citing a growing need for education in the community, led a discourse on education within the church. These efforts ultimately resulted in the founding of the Free Will Baptist Theological Seminary and its successor institution, Eureka College, both in Ayden, North Carolina, to educate ministers and provide a liberal arts education to the local constituency. After a catastrophic fire destroyed the administration building in 1931, Eureka College ceased operations, and the Free Will Baptist church’s efforts to fulfill its educational vision were reinvested in the founding of what is today the University of Mount Olive.[5][6]

Cragmont Assembly, Black Mountain, North Carolina, location of the college's campus from 1952–53.

From its inception as a junior college, the University of Mount Olive has been sponsored by the Original Free Will Baptist Convention. The institution was chartered in 1951 and opened in 1952 at Cragmont Assembly, the Free Will Baptist summer retreat grounds near Black Mountain, North Carolina, under the direction of the Reverend Lloyd Vernon. The school was originally called Mount Allen Junior College, taking its name from the mountain near Cragmont.

In September 1953, the college moved to Mount Olive, North Carolina, nearer the center of denominational strength in the eastern region of the state. Under the leadership of the Reverend David W. Hansley, Chairman of the Board of Directors, plans were made to develop a junior college offering programs in arts and sciences and in business. The Reverend W. Burkette Raper was elected president in the summer of 1954, and in September the college began its first collegiate year with an enrollment of twenty-two students.

First campus building in Mount Olive, North Carolina.

In 1956, the name "Mount Allen Junior College" was changed to "Mount Olive Junior College". In that same year, plans were launched for an enlarged campus which today consists of 250 acres. In September 1970, the college's name was officially changed to Mount Olive College.

In 1977, the Original Free Will Baptist Convention requested that the Board of Trustees of Mount Olive College work aggressively toward making the college a four-year institution. The 1979 session of the convention endorsed the projected timetable set by the college's board of trustees to add the junior year in 1984 and the senior year in 1985.

In 1975, the college began an educational program in Goldsboro, North Carolina at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

In 1986, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges accredited Mount Olive College as a four-year institution to award associate and baccalaureate degrees.

Aerial view comparisons of the main campus (Top to Bottom: circa 1980, 2012)

In the fall of 1994, the transfer of all operations to the main campus was complete and the original downtown campus was sold. In addition to the satellite campuses at New Bern and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, the college expanded operations to reach non-traditional students at four other locations in North Carolina (Wilmington, Research Triangle Park, Washington, and Smithfield).

In January 1995, the board of trustees selected J. William Byrd as the third president. Dr. Byrd assumed the duties of office on January 31 and was inaugurated on September 30.

In July 2009, an additional location was opened in Jacksonville, North Carolina in 2009, and academic delivery of some of the college's programs became available online in 2012. The same month, Philip P. Kerstetter, Ph.D. was named the college's fourth president. He assumed the duties of office on July 1, 2009 and was inaugurated on March 19, 2010.

Mount Olive College officially changed its name to the University of Mount Olive as of January 1, 2014.

In July 2018, David L. Poole, Ed.D. was named as the university's fifth president. He assumed the duties of office on July 1, 2018 and was inaugurated on October 5, 2018.

In February 2020, H. Edward Croom, Ed.D. was named the university's interim president.[7]

The following is a list of the university's presidents:[8][9]

Fourth of July fireworks over University of Mount Olive Rodgers Chapel.

• Rodgers Chapel, located in the center of the campus, serves as the primary facility for the university's religious and cultural activities
• Alumni Cross Walk, completed in 2000, the cross walk was constructed using bricks from the original campus building in downtown Mount Olive. In the center of the cross walk is the Nido and Mariana Qubein Garden House. The garden house shelters the cornerstone and bell from the original campus
  

  Nido and Mariana Qubein Garden House.
• Henderson Hall, completed in 1965, is the oldest building on what is now the main campus. It is home to faculty offices and classrooms.
• Laughinghouse Hall, houses the Department of Fine Arts.
• J. William and Marvis E. "Marcy" Byrd Building, formerly Mount Olive High School until 1965. Houses the Department of Music, Hazel Waters Kornegay Historic Assembly Hall, and Byrd Apartments
• Moye Library, completed in 1968.
• W. Burkette and Rose M. Raper Hall (Raper Hall), completed in 2006, houses the Tillman School of Business, the Lois G. Britt Agribusiness Center, and the Department of Science and Mathematics. Included in this building are the Mount Olive Pickle Conference Center and Southern Bank Auditorium
• Holmes and Lois K. Murphy Center, houses the dining hall, meeting facilities, and Student Development
• Kornegay Arena, contains classrooms for physical education and athletics facilities for the campus and community
• Pope Wellness Center, is an expansion to the University's athletics and fitness facilities
• Donnie and Linda Lassiter Agricultural Campus
• Dr. H. Don Scott Outdoor Classroom
• The George R. Kornegay, Jr. Student Farm

• Communications Building, completed in 2006, is home to the information technology infrastructure and delivery systems that link all of the university's locations together.
• Poole Administration Building, houses the offices of the President, Admissions and Financial Aid, and Bookstore.
• Waylin Centre, houses Online Admissions, Human Resources, Recreation and Leisure Studies, and the Registrar's Office.
• Goodson and Wells Building, houses facilities maintenance and agricultural mechanics shop
• Academic Affairs Building

Juniors and seniors can choose to live off campus or in the residence halls designated for upperclassmen, but all freshman and sophomores in the University's traditional program must live in campus housing for their first two years at the university. The university's residence facilities can accommodate up to 650 students.

J. William and Marvis E. "Marcy" Byrd Apartment Complex

• Annie Mae Whitfield Hall and Everett Edwin Herring Hall, completed in 2009, the complex provides apartment accommodations for mostly upperclassmen.
• College Apartments, housing provided to upperclassmen who meet specified criteria, accommodates 56 residents.
• King-Hart-Griffin Residence Halls Complex, the women's freshman residence halls complex, houses 130 students.
• Grantham Hall, the men's freshman residence hall, houses 126 students.
• The Inn Residence Hall houses 137 residents and offers housing for males and females.
• J. William and Marvis E. "Marcy" Byrd Apartment Complex, provides accommodations to students in both one- and two-bedroom apartments. Originally built in 1925, the facility is listed under the National Register of Historic Places.
• The Kerstetter Commons (formerly Station Street Commons) was started in 2015 and completed in the Fall of 2018. Kerstetter Commons features apartment style housing with full kitchen amenities, and is housed in 3 buildings: A, B, and C.

• Two additional residence halls in the Station Street Commons complex were constructed to provide residence for additional students.

• The expansion of Rodgers Chapel, now 6,000 square feet, forms a pivotal campus landmark. New construction added classrooms, faculty and staff offices for the Department of Religion, including the Barrow Chair and the Campus Chaplain, and the Office of Church Relations. A prayer garden in the center of the new space provides a place for mediation and reflection.

• Ray McDonald, Sr. Complex (Track and Field, Lacrosse, Field Hockey)
• Numerous athletic practice fields
• Nancy Chapman Cassell Field (Softball) and Softball Fieldhouse
• Scarborough Field (Baseball) and Moore-Williams Fieldhouse
• Ray and Chris Amon Field (Soccer)
• John Neal Walker Tennis Center
• Bundy Fieldhouse (Soccer and Tennis)
• Big Rock Tournament Field House (Men's and Women's Lacrosse)
• Kornegay Arena (Basketball, Volleyball, Wrestling)

The University of Mount Olive's status shifted from a regional baccalaureate college to a regional university in 2019, causing a drop in ranking across the board. The university rankings table reflects the most recent rankings while the tabular shows historical rankings.

The University of Mount Olive offers a wide variety of student organizations, including arts and culture organizations, performance groups, sports groups, and religious organizations.

The Campus Activity Board is responsible for planning activity events on the campus. This student led group is advised by the Director of Student Activities and works hard to provide weekly programs for the campus. On-campus events have included hypnotist, comedians, concerts, bingo, trivia night, carnivals, and sponsored trips that have visited: Orlando, New York City, Costa Rica, Great Britain, France, and Italy.

A single governing body represents students at Mount Olive:

• Student Government Association (SGA)

While the University of Mount Olive is affiliated with the Original Free Will Baptist Church, it welcomes students of other faiths and denominations. The university was principally founded on providing an education that allowed students to explore their faith through a liberal arts education.

The alma mater, written by Daniel W. Fagg, Jr., former academic dean and professor of social sciences, and set to music by Eugene S. Mauney, professor of music, was first published in the college's annual yearbook Olive Leaves in 1958.[18]

Nido R. Qubein

• Nido Qubein '66 – Motivational speaker and President of High Point University

• Kenney Moore '83 - Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries[19]
• Robert L. Tillman '62 - Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Lowe's Companies, Inc.[20][21][22][23]

• Carter Capps '11 – Professional baseball player
• Tom Layne '07 – Professional baseball player
• Steve Mintz '90 - Professional baseball player
• Bruce Zimmermann '17 - Professional baseball player
• Kodi Whitley - Professional baseball player