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2022 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 184
Commending Liberty University.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 7, 2022
Agreed to by the Senate, February 10, 2022

 

WHEREAS, Liberty University, an institution of higher education in Lynchburg that has provided academic and spiritual guidance to thousands of young people, celebrated its 50th anniversary starting in fall 2021; and

WHEREAS, Liberty University’s founder, Jerry Falwell, Sr., shared his plans for Lynchburg Baptist College, which would become Liberty University, with his congregation at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg in 1971; and

WHEREAS, a year later, a Bible institute was established at Lynchburg Baptist College under the direction of Dr. Harold Willmington, while a parcel of Liberty Mountain in Lynchburg was purchased to be used as the future site of Liberty University; and

WHEREAS, Liberty University held its first commencement on May 22, 1974, and its enrollment exceeded 1,000 students for the first time the same year; by 2020, the school had more than 100,000 students enrolled both residentially and online; and

WHEREAS, Lynchburg Baptist College was renamed Liberty Baptist College in 1975 and later Liberty University in 1985, reflecting the institution’s transformation into a diverse and global academic community; and

WHEREAS, Liberty University’s campus on Liberty Mountain opened in 1978 and the school received full accreditation as a liberal arts college from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges two years later; and

WHEREAS, Liberty University has expanded its academic offerings over the years by incorporating various new disciplines and programs of study while establishing schools for law, business, osteopathic medicine, divinity, education, engineering, and more; and

WHEREAS, the Liberty University Flames’ athletics program began with a men’s basketball team in 1972 and has grown substantially over the years to now include 18 different sports teams competing at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I level; and

WHEREAS, the year-long anniversary celebration that began in fall 2021 offers the Liberty University community an opportunity to reflect on the school’s legacy and to envision its future; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Liberty University on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Jerry Prevo, president of Liberty University, as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the institution’s contributions to the Commonwealth.