Then and Now — CCU Milestones
Denver Bible Institute Founded
Denver Bible Institute was founded in September 1914 by Clifton Fowler. Two male students began classes and were soon joined by two female students. The one-year school term focused on Bible teaching and Christian ministry. The two women finished the program in 1915.
Program Expanded
Denver Bible Institute moved into a large home, using various rooms and floors for school activities and dorms. The horse stable was converted into a chapel and the basement into a print shop. The program was expanded to multi-year Bible and ministry work.
First Permanent Home
Denver Bible Institute, having grown immensely, moved into a "permanent" home, a building purchased in trust by Denver businessmen. Several more homes were leased for dormitory space. A Workers' Group helped Clifton Fowler run the school. These people were key leaders, often recent graduates, who did everything from teach classes to cook food.
Move to Jefferson County
Denver Bible Institute purchased a large tract of land in Jefferson County, which is now at Colfax and Sims, to build an entire campus. Staff and students themselves put up buildings and renovated older farm buildings on the property. Funds were slow to come in after the Depression started, so building slowed. In the early 1930s, tuition was suspended but the school continued to graduate strong students.
Difficult Times
Denver Bible Institute endured some difficult times. Clifton and Angie Fowler divorced, a difficult event in this very conservative community. Funding the school was difficult, and by 1940 Fowler retired and moved to Florida.
Relocate to Glenarm in Denver
Denver Bible Institute hired a new president, W.S. Hottel, one who had not been through the DBI program, who tried to make changes in staffing and facilities. He moved the Institute back to the Denver building on Glenarm Place.
A Time of Growth
Denver Bible Institute gained Sam Bradford, the pastor of the very large Beth Eden Baptist Church, as president. He took the school from its financial precarious position to a large body, with the help of the GI Bill®(GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) ) and his leadership skills. He also moved the school toward the liberal arts, first as Denver Bible College (1945), then as Rockmont College (1949). Athletics began in 1946 with the hiring of the first coach for basketball.
Western Bible Institute Founded
Western Bible Institute was started by DBI alum Carl Harwood, with the help of many others, including alumni Archie Yetter and Clarence Harwood, and friends such as Elsie Fick. WBI was located in Denver, near the South Platte River.
Rockmont Moves to Longmont
After a struggle to gain support for Rockmont as a liberal arts and Bible college, the board desperately sought a new facility. Rockmont was invited by Longmont to find a less expensive home there, and it grew there until 1967 when it moved to Lakewood on our present site. Presidents Archie Yetter and Dr. David Beckman led the school in Longmont.
Harwood Family Donates Morrison Land
The Clarence and Stan Harwood families contributed a large tract of land near Morrison, a tract CCU still owned in 2014, for Western Bible Institute's campus. Plans were underway to move WBI to this acreage using surplus government buildings from the Lowry Air Force Base.
A New Home: Lakewood
Rockmont moved to Lakewood, under the guiding hand of Dr. David Beckman. Rockmont's choir pictured above.
Colorado Baptist Junior College Founded
Huitt Barfoot, a public school administrator, started a small junior college, Colorado Baptist Junior College, using the Southern Baptist Church, Westminster, for a home base. CBJC ran an evening program for professionals who wanted a Christian college education.
Christian Radio
KWBI, a radio ministry of Western Bible Institute, was on the air.
Rockmont Evening School
Evening school programs under titles such as the School of Innovative Studies and the School of Professional Studies began at Rockmont (but the evening school tradition goes back to 1914 in DBI, then WBI and CBJC who also had evening programs for credit).
Colorado Christian College Formed from WBC and Rockmont
Western Bible Institute had become a Bible college in the 1970s and was renamed Western Bible College. Rockmont closed its doors for financial reasons briefly in 1984, but re-emerged with the support of faculty, staff, and friends. Rockmont and WBC merged in 1985 and decided to use the Lakewood campus temporarily until a better campus could be built at the Morrison site. The school was renamed Colorado Christian College.
Colorado Baptist University
Colorado Baptist also received a boost when Southwest Baptist University, Missouri, decided to take CBC under its wing as an extension campus. Their agreement lasted until 1989, and it was renamed Colorado Baptist University in 1985. CBU moved to the Denver University Women's College campus.
CCC and CBU Merge to Form Colorado Christian University
CCC merged with Colorado Baptist University, which lost its agreement with SBU in Missouri. The Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling program (Larry Crabb) also came to CCC, and CCC was renamed Colorado Christian University.
RMAC Division II
CCU joined RMAC (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) as a Division II school.
K-LOVE
The University sold KWBI, its Christian radio station, to K-LOVE.
College of Adult and Graduate Studies Locations
The College of Adult and Graduate Studies (CAGS) restructures to include campuses in Colorado Springs, Denver Tech Center, Grand Junction, Lakewood, Loveland, Sterling, and online education.
Bill Armstrong Named CCU President
Former U.S. Senator Bill Armstrong is named president of Colorado Christian University by the Board of Trustees, succeeding President Larry Donnithorne.
Centennial Institute
CCU announces the formation of public policy think tank, the Centennial Institute, to enhance public understanding of the most important issues relating to "faith, family, and freedom."
100 Year Anniversary
Colorado Christian University celebrates 100 years of God's faithfulness and opens Leprino Hall, a new academic building.
Yetter Hall Opens
CCU opens Yetter Hall, the first of two new residence halls in the Lakewood campus redevelopment campaign. Yetter Hall, which will houses up to 300 students on the main campus, is named for former President Archie Yetter.
Dr. Donald W. Sweeting Named CCU President
Dr. Donald W. Sweeting is appointed CCU president. The former president of Reformed Theological Seminary - Orlando and a long-time University trustee succeeds former President Bill Armstrong.
Anschutz Student Center Opens
The Anschutz Student Center stands at the center of CCU's campus and provides 60,000 square feet of dining, hangout, fitness, and office space.
First Doctoral Program at CCU
CCU's School of Nursing and Health Professions offers a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Visionary Leadership.
Rockmont Hall Opens
CCU opens Rockmont Hall, the second new residence hall associated with the Lakewood campus redevelopment. The four-story residence hall houses up to 330 students.
Lee Strobel Center for Evangelism and Applied Apologetics at CCU
CCU and Lee Strobel announce the formation of the Lee Strobel Center to promote training in evangelism and apologetics in order to bring spiritual renewal to the church in America.
CCU Academy
CCU launches CCU Academy, a new academic division for high school students, expanding on long-time dual credit partnerships to include online dual enrollment courses and an associate degree program.
Continuing Education Programs
CCU launches its first continuing education programs, including online, self-paced courses in evangelism and apologetics as well as non-credit certificates for teachers and educators.
Dr. Donald W. Sweeting Named University Chancellor
Dr. Sweeting becomes the University's first chancellor, following the legacy of Dr. David Beckman who was named chancellor of one of CCU's heritage institutions, Colorado Christian College, in 1985.
Construction Began on the Armstrong Center
The 60,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility will be home to the School of Music, an expanded library, a 500-seat performance theater, and the University's first dedicated chapel.
Eric Hogue Named President of CCU
CCU's Board of Trustees named Eric Hogue as the next president of the University. Hogue assumed the presidency on June 1, 2023.