No Ordinary University: The History of a City Set on a Hill

'All of this great host of the past-and you of the present-have been and are like the originals: people of great faith, determination, and hope. Ladies and gentlemen, this is no ordinary university.' -Don Morris, Seventh President of ACU

Don Morris' words ring as true today as they did more than a quarter-century ago. ACU offers an exceptional, world-class education in a distinctive Christian environment at an affordable price. That's extraordinary.

Just three years after Morris spoke his now-famous words, Abilene Christian College became a university. In the 1990s, ACU began to be recognized as a national leader in Christian higher education.

Because this is no ordinary university, we needed an extraordinary writer to explain what makes ACU unique. Dr. John Stevens, former president and chancellor emeritus of ACU and a wonderful historian, has brought to life the many stories that make this university special. Dr. Stevens brings a unique perspective to the ACU story. When he arrived on campus as a small-town teen in the rumble seat of this family's car, the campus had little grass, few trees, and the Administration Building-in Steven's words, 'the most magnificent structure [I] had ever seen.'

With God's blessings, ACU has changed dramatically since that time, but we have never forgotten that our mission is to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world. Students attend ACU from all 50 states and more than 60 countries because they find something different here.

Dr. Stevens has watched thousands of ACU graduates become leaders in their companies and their communities. He has seen them seek ways to serve others - and in doing so, touch and transform people's lives. Abilene Christian University celebrated its centennial in 2006, and its next 100 years of preparing visionary leaders of integrity to meet the global challenges that face us today.

This is no ordinary university. - Dr. Royce Money, President, Abilene Christian University