Emmaus Bible College - A Tradition of Christian Education
Emmaus Bible College was founded by E. R. Harlow, John Smart and C. Ernest Tatham. Following a stint in the Belgian Congo in 1938, Harlow returned home to his native Toronto with a mission in mind: to establish a school devoted to teaching the principles and messages of the New Testament. With the help of his two friends, classes were officially opened to the public at Central Hall in Toronto in 1941 with Harlow as President.
Although the first classes at Emmaus were largely evening courses, the school expanded in 1945 to include resident daytime education. The following year, with the need for more space becoming paramount due to increased enrollment, Emmaus arranged for the purchase of an additional building at 81 Harcourt Avenue in Toronto. Nevertheless, even the acquisition of this new building was unable to provide the institution with sufficient space for its day-to-day operations. Thus, in 1947, the college established an additional campus in Chicago to meet the needs of its rapidly growing student body.
Six years later, by 1953, it became apparent that maintaining two separate campuses was an inefficient endeavor. In order to become more centralized, the Toronto and Chicago campuses were merged into a single facility located at 156 North, Oak Park, Illinois, in a building that was previously used by the Y.M.C.A.
After more than a decade of continued success at its new location, the school elected co-founder John Smart president in 1965. During his administration, the college witnessed extended growth with the construction of a new administration building and a record level of 180 resident enrollments in 1968.
In 1976, Dr. Daniel M. Smith assumed the presidency of Emmaus Bible College. During Dr. Smith's tenure in office, the institution acquired the former Aquinas Institute of Theology in Dubuque, Iowa in 1983. Next, the College's facilities were relocated to Dubuque, where classes were officially launched. Another important accomplishment during the Smith administration was the procurement of full accreditation from the Accreditation Association of Bible Colleges (AABC) in 1986.
During the 1990's, President Smith continued to augment and enhance the capabilities of Emmaus Bible College. In 1994, following the construction of the Pollard Field House, Emmaus was approved by the Accreditation Association of Bible College to offer degrees in Elementary Teacher Education. Three years later, in 1997, the State of Iowa Department of Education certified Emmaus' Elementary Education for teacher licensure. The following year, three new double-major programs were added to the college's curriculum. With the permission of the Board of Trustees, the college increased its offerings to include majors in Biblical Studies and Intercultural Studies, Biblical Studies and Youth Ministries, and Biblical Studies and Computer Systems Management.
With the onset of the 21st Century, Dr. Smith stepped down from his post as president to become the first chancellor of Emmaus Bible College. In his place, Mr. Ken Daughters was elected to preside over the institution for the start of the 2000 academic school year. In October of that year, construction was completed on Smith Hall, a new building designed to house the college's business offices, computer classrooms and labs, maintenance shops and three dormitory floors. Emmaus gained further acclaim in 2006 when the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association voted to give Emmaus full regional accreditation and membership in the association.
Currently, Emmaus Bible College offers more than 20 majors and minors in its selection of Core, Ministry, and Professional Studies programs. In addition, Emmaus also supplies a wide array of distance education courses online, allowing students from all over the globe to study and work toward earning their degrees. In order to learn more about Emmaus Bible College, please visit us on campus or on the Web (www.emmaus.edu). We would be happy to share more about our school and welcome you to our family!