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Dr. Johnson and “The Genius of the American Founding”
America is turning 250 this year, celebrating her semiquincentennial. The word itself is a mouthful, but the country is celebrating her liberty, alongside her birthday. Dr. Tim Johnson has taught history at Lipscomb for 35 years. To close out his final semester with Lipscomb, Johnson gave a speech at Beaman Library’s event honoring America’s 250th anniversary. The topic of his speech? How America’s Founders created something, with the Declaration of Independence, that was powerful, unique and creative, and deserves to be honored and studied to this day. “We tend to look at great events of the past as if they were inevitable,” Johnson explained. “It seems obvious that the colonists…
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2026 and then: 30 years ago, Candice Hunter (now McQueen) was crowned Miss Lipscomb
Decades before she became president of Lipscomb University, Candice Hunter (now McQueen) earned another campus honor: being selected by her peers as the female senior who most embodies the ideals of Lipscomb. The title, of course, is Miss Lipscomb. (The corresponding male recipient is named Bachelor of Ugliness; Brent High earned that award in 1996.) Being nominated by faculty, staff and administrators, and then voted on by students, marked an achievement in 1996, but its meaning would take years to unfold. What felt like recognition in the moment would later reveal itself as something deeper: the early shaping of a leader whose influence would extend far beyond a single title. “I…
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2026 and then: London program celebrates 25 years of transforming students into global citizens
This year marks the silver anniversary of Lipscomb’s Global Learning program in London, which has transformed over time since its beginnings in 2001 as an eight-week summer internship program. “Students learn to get over being a tourist and become truly global citizens,” said Matt Hearn, a professor who has been a faculty leader for six years. The program started small, offering only post-graduation summer trips focused on international internships. Over time, student interest in the program grew. In 2014, Lipscomb launched its first full fall semester in London. After experimenting with both fall and spring offerings for two years, the university made it a permanent fall program in 2016. The…
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2026 and then: Men’s basketball celebrates 40th anniversary of 1986 NAIA championship
Players of Lipscomb’s 1986 championship team were honored Feb. 7, 2026, during a Lipscomb men’s basketball game at Allen Arena, marking 40 years since the program’s only national title. The team from David Lipscomb College won the NAIA Men’s Basketball Championship on March 18, 1986, defeating Arkansas-Monticello 67-54 at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. Led by Coach Don Meyer, the Bisons finished with a 35-4 overall record. Senior John Kimbrell was named the tournament’s most valuable player, scoring a total of 22 points. The season was filled with milestones. The Bisons opened with 18 consecutive wins – a school record at the time – and became the program’s first…
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2026 and then: 35 years later, ‘Doug’ creator reflects on Lipscomb’s creative influence
The iconic cartoon “Doug”, created by Jim Jinkins, premiered on Nickelodeon 35 years ago. Jim Jinkins was a 1975 graduate of David Lipscomb College with a double major in speech and art.He was known on campus as “Bison Man” and even won the title of Bachelor of Ugliness his senior year. During his time at Lipscomb, Jinkins was a cartoonist for The Babbler, the student-run newspaper, and he was a member of the social club Sigma Chi Delta. He was named the Alumnus ofthe Year in 1999. Although David Lipscomb College didn’t offer an animation major when he attended, Jinkinswas still able to showcase his talent. He worked on an…
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Or Ashkenazi breaks ground as one of first in new pro-to-college pipeline
Or Ashkenazi finished his freshman year at Lipscomb, playing basketball, but it looked a little different than most. Ashkenazi broke the typical freshman athlete mold, starting college at 22 years old after playing three years of pro basketball overseas. Most athletes tend to go to college first, and then go pro, so someone doing it the other way around brings up two prevalent questions: first, why? And second, how? Coming to the United States from Eilat, Israel, Ashkenazi chose Lipscomb University, out of nearly 6,000 U.S. universities and colleges. Yet he came to the States after three years of professional basketball with Hapoel Eilat, a First Division Israeli pro…
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Curtains up: How Singarama keeps Lipscomb’s spirit center stage
The stage lights glow inside Collins Alumni Auditorium and, for a moment, the crowd falls quiet. Then the music hits. Voices rise, choreographed steps land in rhythm and sequined costumes flash under the lights. Backstage, performer Gracie Acht grips her teammate’s hands before rushing onstage. “It’s the one night where everything you’ve worked for all semester comes to life,” said Acht, a freshman exercise science major from Jacksonville, Florida. “You’re exhausted, you’re nervous, but nothing beats the excitement.” Since 1964, Singarama has brought students together through a Broadway-style competition filled with singing, dancing and storytelling. The annual event has grown into one of Lipscomb University’s most anticipated traditions, drawing students,…
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ASUN underdogs on their way to fight for the banner
When Lipscomb men’s basketball head coach Kevin Carroll took over the program, there were just a few days left with an open transfer portal. Most of Lipscomb’s basketball players had already graduated or transferred, and Carroll was left with just seven returning players. Of those seven, only three had started or seen major minutes. The other four had either redshirted, or not seen much court time. Carroll had just a few days to find transfers in the portal, and had to take his team up to a 15-man roster. When another of the seven left, he was set with the task of finding nine men before summer training. Despite the…
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Lipscomb Baseball anticipates exciting season with promising roster
Lipscomb baseball is kicking off its season on Valentine’s weekend this year, taking to Ken Dugan field for the team’s opening series against the Dayton Flyers. The Bisons’ roster is made up of 38 players, 17 of whom are new to the team. Herd Media spoke to two of the returning players, one transfer, one freshman and head coach Jeff Forehand about the upcoming season. Though all five had different takes on this year’s team, all were looking forward to the upcoming season and getting to see the team’s potential in play. “Talent wise, with this team, I think it is top notch. I think we’ll be able to compete…
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2026 and then: Ken Dugan Field commemorated 35 years ago
Former players stood in a long line along the third-base line in 1991 as Lipscomb formally named its new baseball field for Coach Ken Dugan, honoring the coach who shaped generations of Bison players. Dugan coached at Lipscomb from 1960 to 1996, winning more than 1,000 games and leading the Bisons to NAIA national championships in 1977 and 1979. The prior home for Lipscomb baseball had been Onion Dell, where the Ezell Center now stands. The 35th anniversary anniversary is a reminder of who Dugan was – a coach whose character, faith and compassion shaped Lipscomb baseball as much as his skills did as a coach. For the Dugan family,…
