Williams Baptist University is a private Baptist university in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. Founded in 1941, this institution began as a two-year school. It began granting bachelor's degrees in 1984 and master's degrees in 2017. The name of the school was changed in 1991 from Southern Baptist College to Williams Baptist College in honor of its founder and first president, H. E. Williams. In 2018, its name was changed to Williams Baptist University. Williams has been accredited since 1963 by the Higher Learning Commission. The university is owned and operated by the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. LGBT prohibition WBU has been granted a partial exemption to Title IX that allows it to discriminate against LGBT students for religious reasons. The school does not allow same-sex dating or any type of sex outside of a heterosexual marriage. Athletics The Williams Baptist athletic teams are called the Eagles. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the American Midwest Conference (AMC) since the 2001–02 academic year. The Eagles previously competed in the TranSouth Athletic Conference (TranSouth or TSAC) from 1995–96 to 2000–01, and in the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) from about 1990–91 to 1994–95. Williams Baptist competes in 18 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming, track & field, wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading. Notable alumni Jack Ladyman, mechanical engineer from Jonesboro and Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for a portion of Craighead County References External links Official website Official athletics website Universities and colleges affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention Private universities and colleges in Arkansas Baptist Christianity in Arkansas Council for Christian Colleges and Universities Educational institutions established in 1941 Buildings and structures in Lawrence County, Arkansas Education in Lawrence County, Arkansas 1941 establishments in Arkansas