Lubbock Christian University

Lubbock Christian University (LCU) is a private Christian university linked to the Churches of Christ. It is located in Lubbock, Texas, in the United States. The school began in 1954 as part of a grade school called Lubbock Christian School. By 1957, it became a junior college named Lubbock Christian College.

In 1972, it grew into a senior college, and in fall 1987, it became a full university. LCU now offers 65 different undergraduate degrees. As of fall 2015, there were 1,958 students, including 462 graduate students. The university faced a big challenge when an F5 tornado struck on May 11th, 1970.

History

Lubbock Christian University started in 1954 in Texas as a private school for students from kindergarten through college. A junior college was added in 1957. In 1972, it became a senior college, and in 1987, it became a university. The school was led by several presidents over the years.

Housing

Lubbock Christian University has several places for students to live. Katie Rogers Hall is a home for women students, with space for 250 people. It was built in the 1960s and updated in 1999 and again in 2017. The Katie Rogers Courtyard is a smaller part of this building for 48 older women students, each with their own bedroom and shared bathrooms.

Johnson Hall is where men students live, and it can hold nearly 200 students. It was updated in the summer of 2018. Mabee Hall is another place for older students, with room for 48 people who have their own bedrooms and share bathrooms. There are also Rec Center apartments for up to 40 older students, each with private rooms and bathrooms. The newest place to live is Gullo Hall, which opened in spring 2024. It is the only building where both men and women can live together, and it has space for 171 students. The university also has apartments for older students, married students without children, and graduate students. These apartments are located on the west and east sides of the campus.

Campus information

The Mabee Student Union Building has a post office, student offices, a small store, and a snack bar. The Betty Hancock Campus Center was originally a cafeteria, and now there is a newer cafeteria called "the Caf" along with a parlor for special events.

The McDonald Moody Auditorium can seat 1,166 people and is used for daily chapel services. Nearby is the Allison Music Center, which has rehearsal spaces and practice rooms for music students. The Rhodes–Perrin Recreation Center includes courts for several sports and a rock wall for climbing, along with fitness studios and offices for the Exercise and Sport Sciences department.

The Mabee American Heritage Center holds offices for history, political science, and English, as well as lecture halls and administrative offices. The F. W. Mattox Administrative Building, the first permanent brick building on campus, contains business offices. The Dobbs Center for Business, formerly the Mabee Science Laboratory, now houses the College of Business. The Ling Science Center contains labs and equipment for science classes. The Associates Behavioral Science Building holds psychology and sociology departments. The Maddox-Pugh Educational Center includes education offices, classrooms, and a computer lab. The C.L. Kay Christian Development Center is home to biblical studies and the Honors College. The Diana Ling Center for Academic Achievement, completed in 2007, houses communications, fine arts, and radio facilities, along with a center for student success. The Mabee Social Work & Criminal Justice Building opened in 1994 and was recently renamed.

The Rip Griffin Center serves the university's athletic teams and can seat up to 1,925 people. The Cardwell Welcome Center, finished in 2010, earned a top rating for being environmentally friendly. The Talkington Center for Nursing Excellence includes the nursing department and a school of nursing, with an auditorium that seats around 500.

Student life

Lubbock Christian University has special groups for students to make friends and have fun together. Girls can join clubs like Christliche Damen, Kappa Phi Kappa, Lambda Omega Alpha, and Zeta Gamma. Boys can join clubs like Koinonia and Alpha Chi Delta. There is also a special group called Sub T-16 for boys, which started at this university and is also at other schools like Abilene Christian University and Harding University.

Students can also join groups that help them learn about jobs, like Reserve Officer Training Corps and Students in Free Enterprise. The school has a newspaper called the DusterToday. There is also a music group called Best Friends that sings without instruments and travels to perform. Some of them even work for a famous music company after they finish school.

Athletics

Main article: Lubbock Christian Chaparrals and Lady Chaps

The Lubbock Christian University's sports teams are called the Chaparrals and Lady Chaps. They compete in NCAA Division II and have been part of the Lone Star Conference since 2019–20.

The university offers many sports for men, women, and mixed teams. Men can play baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, and track & field. Women can play basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. Mixed teams include cheerleading and eSports.

In 2016, the Lady Chaps had a great season and won the NCAA Division II women's basketball championship by defeating the Seawolves of the University of Alaska-Anchorage in Indianapolis, Indiana. This was their first year eligible for the NCAA Division II championship after many years in another league.

Notable alumni

Lubbock Christian University has had many successful graduates. Some of them include:

• R. Gerald Turner, who became President of Southern Methodist University
• Larry Hays, a retired baseball coach for the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team
• Matt Martin, a baseball coach for the Detroit Tigers
• The Otwell Twins, singers who performed on The Lawrence Welk Show and business owners in Amarillo
• Britt Bonneau, a college baseball coach at Abilene Christian
• Randy Velarde, a retired player in Major League Baseball
• Rob Evans, a former basketball coach at the University of Mississippi and Arizona State University
• Brad Rogers, a football official in the National Football League
• Marvin Lee Aday, a musician and actor who briefly attended LCU in 1965 before moving to North Texas State College
• L. Timothy Perrin, an attorney and the sixth president of LCU
• Dr. John Delony, an author and radio host for The Ramsey Show and his own podcast, The Dr. John Delony Show