Our History

building kivett hall

Our History

We are a school built on a firm foundation, seeking to serve and to lead, wherever this road may take us.

J.A Campbell

J.A. Campbell

On Jan. 5, 1887, James Archibald Campbell, a 26-year-old Baptist minister, welcomed 16 students to a small church in Buies Creek, N.C., for the first day of classes for the school he founded: Buies Creek Academy. By the end of the first term, there were 92 students.

Since then, Buies Creek Academy has evolved to become Campbell Junior College (1926), Campbell College (1961), and Campbell University (1979). Throughout these transformations, the university has remained true to its founding principles to address the most pressing needs of North Carolina and to educate men and women for Christian service around the world.

Since our founding in 1887, all of our programs, initiatives and ambitions have grown out of our persistent commitment and our intentional pursuit to serve others for the sake of our community, nation and world.

Our history of firsts

1887 Opened as Buies Creek Academy when there were no other schools in the area
1967 Started the first trust and wealth management program in the U.S.
1976 Opened the first law school in North Carolina in 35 years
1986 Opened the first pharmacy school in the U.S. in 40 years
2013 Started North Carolina’s first bachelor's degree in homeland security
2013 Opened the first medical school in North Carolina in 35 years