In 1900, the Russell Creek Association of Baptists purchased 10 acres of land to fulfill the dream of a school, which they named the Russell Creek Academy. In 1906, construction began on two buildings–an administration building and the J. S. Stapp Hall as a residence facility. Elementary and high school classes began in 1907, and so did normal school training for teachers.

In 1906, the Kentucky General Assembly had mandated that every county establish a high school. Beginning in 1911, Taylor County leased space and co-located its public high school in the Academy. However, this led to the closure of the Academy’s own high school in 1913 and threatened to engulf the rest of the Academy. Facing a difficult financial decision, the Association chose to preserve the Academy as a religious school and reopened the Academy high school in 1914.

In 1924, the Academy transformed into Campbellsville Junior College, but continued to educate elementary and high school students. By 1930, hard economic times led many faculty members to resign. A heroic few others continued to work, despite no guarantee of pay. Another devastating setback occurred in 1939 when the original administration building burned.  Through great sacrifice, the campus community opened the new administration building in January 1940.

Campbellsville College became a four-year institution in 1959. The next 30 years witnessed significant growth in academics, facilities and campus life, such as the addition of athletics and respected music programs.

In 1996, the college became Campbellsville University and began to offer graduate programs. As a capstone to its first century of service, the university dedicated the beautiful Ransdell Chapel in 2007. In 2009, U.S. News & World Report magazine named Campbellsville University 22nd among the “South’s Best Baccalaureate Colleges.”

Throughout its history, Campbellsville University has remained true to the vision of the Russell Creek Baptist Association of upholding Christian values while providing high-quality education.

[Adapted from Burch, John R., Jr., and Timothy Q. Hooper. Campbellsville University. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2007.]