University of Redlands

The University of Redlands is a private institution with its main campus located in Redlands, California. The main residential campus of the institution is located on 160 acres (65 hectares) close to downtown Redlands. Eight other regional sites in California mostly provide programmes for working individuals.

While the University of Redlands is today a secular college, its origins date back to the creation of two other American Baptist universities, California College in Oakland and Los Angeles University. After the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco harmed the finances of California College, a Baptist panel started investigating the liquidation of both institutions in order to establish a new university in Southern California. The Reverend Jasper Newton Field, a Baptist pastor in Redlands, convinced the Redlands Board of Trade to offer a grant of at least $100,000 and 40 acres (16 ha) of property provided by K.C. Wells for an interdenominational campus. The Commission voted in favour of the Redlands plan on June 27, 1907.

On April 9, 1909, construction began on the hill where the administrative building presently sits. On September 30, 1909, nine founding faculty members had their first day of lessons in the Redlands Baptist Church with 39 pupils in attendance.

College of Arts & Sciences (comprising the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies, School of Music, and Center for Spatial Studies), School of Business (comprising the School of Continuing Studies), School of Education, and Graduate School of Theology are the schools and centres where students at the university pursue their education.