The college was founded by J. Frank Norris in 1939 as Fundamental Baptist Bible Institute. The university started with sixteen students and held classes at the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth. The college's first graduates became pastors or missionaries through the World Fundamental Baptist Fellowship. In 1945, the university was renamed the Bible Baptist Seminary. Norris stepped down as the college's president, and George Beauchamp Vick became the new president. Shortly thereafter, Norris worried that Vick had been given too much power, so Norris regained control over the school and removed Vick as president. Vick's removal angered many pastors who had reportedly grown tired of Norris' ways and who began to pull away from him, the college, and the World Baptist Fellowship. By 1950 these pastors had established the Baptist Bible Fellowship International and Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, with George Vick as president. After Norris died in 1952, the college no longer met at his church, and therefore moved to temporary facilities in downtown Fort Worth. Earl K. Oldham became the college's president in 1953. During Oldham's tenure, the college's name was changed to Arlington Baptist College, and it was moved to its present location in 1955. In 1980, Wayne Martin was appointed president, who led the college to full accreditation. Martin was succeeded in 1992 by Dr. Wendell Hiers until the appointment of David Bryant in 1993. The current president of the college, Dr. Danny L. Moody, was appointed in 2009. On June 1, 2017, the institution's name changed from Arlington Baptist College to Arlington Baptist University. In conjunction with the name change the bachelor's and master's programs were divided into schools rather than divisions.
Accreditation
The university has been accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education since 1981. The college is also approved by the Texas State Board for Educator Certification and by the Texas Veterans Commission as an approved institution to receive veteran's educational benefits.
Arlington Baptist University is the educational institution for the World Baptist Fellowship, which maintains its headquarters on the campus. An 8-foot bronze sculpture of J. Frank Norris, founder of both the university and the Fellowship, is displayed on the campus. The campus is the site of the former Top O' Hill Terrace casino, which has been recognized with a Texas state historical marker. Historic features from the casino still present on the campus include a sandstone guardhouse, an iron gate, an open-air tea garden, and escape tunnels; the public is allowed to tour the facilities by appointment during normal business hours.
