Editing Samford University (section)

===20th century===
[[File:Samford University2.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Bird's-eye view of Samford University campus]]
[[File:Cumberland School of Law Main Hall and Courtyard.jpg|thumb|225px|right|[[Cumberland School of Law]] in 2006]]
In 1913, the college became fully and permanently coeducational. Howard College added its School of Music in 1914 and School of Education and Journalism the following year. The college introduced its Department of Pharmacy in 1927. At the time, it was the only program of its kind in the [[Southeastern United States]].<ref name="pharmacy">{{cite web |url=http://pharmacy.samford.edu/msop_aboutus.aspx?id=2147486685|title=History of the McWhorter School of Pharmacy|access-date=December 31, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231180158/http://pharmacy.samford.edu/msop_aboutus.aspx?id=2147486685 |archive-date=December 31, 2014}}</ref> During [[World War II]], Howard College hosted a [[V-12 Navy College Training Program]], allowing enlisted sailors to earn college degrees while receiving military training.<ref name=eofa/><ref name="library">{{cite web |url=http://library.samford.edu/archon/?p=digitallibrary/digitalcontent&id=14|title=Howard College Navy V-12 Program cadets at Berry Field|access-date=December 31, 2014}}</ref> 

After the war, the number of veterans attending the college under the [[GI Bill]] boosted enrollment beyond capacity. The college moved to the Shades Valley in [[Homewood, Alabama]]. Construction on the new campus began in 1955. It opened in 1957.<ref name="samford3">{{cite web|url=http://www.samford.edu/universityhistory/then-and-now.aspx|title=Then and Now|access-date=December 31, 2014}}</ref> In 1961, the college acquired [[Cumberland School of Law]], one of the nation's oldest law schools.<ref name="al2">{{cite web|url=http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/04/cumberland_school_of_law_celeb.html|title=Cumberland School of Law celebrates 50 years at Samford University |date=April 8, 2012|author=Eric Velasco|access-date=December 31, 2014}}</ref> 

In addition to the law school, Howard College added a new school of business and reorganized to achieve university status in 1965.<ref name=eofa/> Since the name "Howard University" was already in use by a [[Howard_University | school in Washington, D.C.]], Howard College was renamed as "Samford University" in honor of Frank Park Samford, a longtime trustee of the school.<ref name=eofa/> In 1973, the university acquired Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing.<ref name="samfordnursing">{{cite web |url=https://www.samford.edu/nursing/history/|title=History|access-date=December 31, 2014}}</ref> Samford University established a study center in 1984 for students to study abroad in [[Kensington|Kensington, England]].<ref name="studycenter">{{cite web |url=http://www.samford.edu/pubs/belltower/May2005/timeline.html|title=Timeline of Major Accomplishments During the Presidency of Thomas E. Corts|date=May 2005|access-date=December 31, 2014|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231175414/http://www.samford.edu/pubs/belltower/May2005/timeline.html|archive-date=December 31, 2014}}</ref>  On September 21, 1989, a Samford University professor, William Lee Slagle, fatally stabbed one of his debating team students and escaped. Slagle was finally captured six months later.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/7164deb617cba8105d2dd57723675acb|title=University Debate Coach Sentenced in Death of His Top Student|website=[[Associated Press]] }}</ref>

In 1994, Samford's board of trustees voted to allow the board to elect its own members. This gave the university formal independence from the Alabama Baptist State Convention, but until 2017 convention leaders retained ex officio seats on the board, were consulted on trustee selection, and the new trustees were presented to the convention for affirmation. Convention leaders are still invited to the board's meetings.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Flynt|first=Sean|date=July 7, 2008|title=Samford University|url=http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1590|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-01-14|website=Encyclopedia of Alabama|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=November 28, 2017|title=Ala. Baptists spotlight CP, Samford relationship|url=https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/ala-baptists-spotlight-cp-samford-relationship/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-01-14|website=Baptist Press|language=en-US}}</ref> The university's corporate expression of faith commitment remains ''[[Baptist Faith and Message|The Statement of the Baptist Faith and Message of 1963]]'', without amendment.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Samford University Undergraduate Catalog: 2023-2024 Academic Year |date=August 7, 2023 |publisher=Samford University |location=Birmingham, Alabama |pages=9}}</ref>