Reverend L. G. Foster, Sr., an unassuming elevator operator at the Magnolia Building in downtown Dallas, recalled how, in 1927, “I was walking down Elm Street and I saw some white men who were there at Stone Place. They were preaching and I had never heard the Bible preached so profoundly. I waited and listened, because I wanted to know where they had gotten so much knowledge about the Bible.”
He continued, “They told me that they were from Evangelical Theological College [now known as Dallas Theological Seminary] and the book they kept referring to was written by a man named C. I. Scofield called, Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth. I knew that I couldn’t attend that school because I was colored, but I asked them if they would teach me. Finally, after many days of listening and much persistence, they told me that they were going to introduce me to a man who might be able to help me. And they took me to Mr. Edmond H. Ironside, who was also a student of the Evangelical Theological College and who also owned a bookstore.”
Rev. Foster and Rev. Ironside met, and the two became close friends. Rev. Foster was profoundly impacted by Rev. Ironside’s teaching and felt compelled to share it with others. Although some African American preachers criticized them for learning from a white man, God confirmed to them that Rev. Ironside carried a deep and faithful understanding of the Word. It was this divine connection and shared commitment to biblical truth that sparked the founding of the Dallas Colored Bible Institute.
After ten years of operation as the Dallas Colored Bible Institute, the name was changed to Southern Bible Training School in 1937. In 1941, Dr. Edmond Ironside, who had faithfully served the institute, was called home by the Lord.
In 1945, Dr. Henderson S. Fox was elected as President, a period during which enrollment grew significantly. In the summer of 1948 under the leadership of Dr. Fox land was purchased and a building was erected at 1415 Fleetwood Street. Although most students were men, there were several women who benefited from the first three decades of Southern Bible’s history. One woman in particular was Ms. Dessie Webster who attended the school along with her husband and graduated in 1938. She later earned her doctorate and in 1953 opened the Fellowship Bible Institute in San Francisco, California.
In June of 1971, Dr. Henderson S. Fox retired, and Dr. Gordon R. Mumford became President. Notable individuals who taught under Dr. Fox and Dr. Mumford included Dr. Martin Massinger, Dr. Aldon Gannett, Dr. Harold Hoehner, Dr. Erwin Lutzer, Dr. Stan Orth, Dr. Paul Fink, Dr. Kenneth F. McKinley, Dr. Alfred Martin, Dr. Tony Evans, and Prof. Ron Anderson.
In 1976, the institution’s name was updated to Southern Bible Institute, and the campus relocated twice—first to 830 South Buckner Boulevard, and then in 1993 to its current 12.5-acre campus at 7200 South Hampton Road.
In 2005, Dr. Martin E. Hawkins was elected as the Institute’s first African American President. Under his leadership, the Institute pursued accreditation for the first time in its history in February 2014, which culminated in a name change in 2017 to Southern Bible Institute & College (SBIC).
In 2021, Dr. Terrance A. Ford became the 5th President of SBIC. Two years later, in 2023, SBIC completed a nine-year journey and was granted initial accreditation by the Association of Biblical Higher Education. In 2024, SBIC was renamed Foster College, and a new vision was established to expand the college beyond the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the state of Texas.
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