Williams Baptist University

Williams Baptist University is a private, coeducational university located in the Lawrence County, Arkansas community of Walnut Ridge. Founded in 1941, this institution began its life as a two-year school. It began granting bachelor's degrees in 1984 and master's degrees in 2017. The name of the school was changed in 1991 from Southern Baptist College to Williams Baptist College in honor of its founder and first president, Dr. H. E. Williams. In 2018, its name was changed to Williams Baptist University. The current president of the institution is Dr. Stan Norman, who took office in April 2018.

The university is owned and operated by the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.

Williams has been accredited since 1963 through the Higher Learning Commission.[1]

Previous presidents include Dr. H.E. Williams (1941–1973), Dr. D. Jack Nicholas (1973–1991), Dr. Jimmy Millikin (1991–1993), Dr. Gary Huckabay (1993–1995), Dr. Jerol B. Swaim (1995–2012), Dr. Thomas O. Jones (2012-2017), and Dr. R. Stanton Norman (2018-present).