Administration Building in 1905, the newly opened Bible Training School for the Spring Term in Fort Wayne, Indiana
By Stephanie (Cox) Demorest g93, Director
Over the past few months, your Fort Wayne Alumni Center team has been working intensively to prepare an application for an Indiana State Historical Marker for the former campus. If awarded, this marker would commemorate our 105-year history of Biblical higher education that flourished at this site on Rudisill Boulevard in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The process of drafting this 12-page application document involved hours of research in our archives, with other digital resources, and at the Allen County Public Library to set the campus history within its overall background in the city of Fort Wayne. The photographs included here are but a few of the historical resources encountered during our research. Some resources are available to you via our website at fwalumnicenter.org and by clicking on the Archive banner to access the search bar on the site.
Our application included 12 statements of significance relative to the history of the institution and proposes to commemorate in 2023 the last 135 years of our history that continues through our alumni association today. The “seed” planting of the college occurred in 1888 in Bluffton, Ohio, with the establishment of Bethany Home. To this home that was set up for spiritual rest and regeneration was added Bethany Bible Institute in 1895, with additional opportunities for spiritual and Biblical instruction. In February 1905, Bethany Bible Institute began its first term in Fort Wayne, opening as the Bible Training School and then becoming Fort Wayne Bible Institute. From its location on the north side of West Rudisill Boulevard, the school developed and grew, expanding to property on the south side of Rudisill and becoming Fort Wayne Bible College for the majority of its history. In 1989 the school operated as Summit Christian College for three years until acquired by Taylor University in 1992. In May 2009, Taylor University closed its Fort Wayne campus. Following the closure, its alumni association persisted as an extension of Taylor University and opened the Alumni & Friends Resource Center, which now operates as the Fort Wayne Alumni Center.
Applications were due to the State of Indiana Historical Bureau on July 14, 2022, and the Indiana Library and Historical Board will vote on these applications on September 16, 2022. We are thankful for your continued support that has made it possible to apply for this marker. And we eagerly anticipate sharing with you the results of our application in the near future.
Bible Institute Building Specifications from 1903
Fruit from the Vine 