Published on September 2, 2020 by Sean Flynt  
John Howard
A statue in Brooks Hall commemorates the life and work of John Howard

Samford University’s Howard College of Arts and Sciences named the 2020-21 Howard Scholars on the Sept. 2 birthday of John Howard, the 18th century humanitarian for whom the college and program are named. The students represent a variety of disciplines and are among the finest students in the college, working to promote research and interdisciplinary engagement both within the group and throughout the college.

Born in 1726, John Howard led an unremarkable life as a country squire in Bedfordshire until he was elected as the county sheriff. He was outraged to learn that some prison inmates were held captive even after they were found innocent because they could not afford the jailer’s fee. He then made it his life’s work to survey the jails of Europe in an attempt to bring public attention to the shameful treatment of prisoners. He died in Ukraine during a 1790 inspection of the prisons and military hospitals of Eastern Europe.

Howard’s life became a model of Christian compassion for society’s outcasts, and a half-century after his death a group of Alabama Baptists gave his name to their new college. Howard College of Arts and Sciences remains the academic heart of Samford University, and the Howard Scholars program continues to honor the college’s namesake.

This year, in addition to ongoing involvement by college dean Tim Hall and associate dean Emily Hynds, college academic advisor John David Corwin will serve as director of the program. “The Howard Scholars' interdisciplinary engagement between faculty and students on intellectual questions both perennial and pressing for our current time is emblematic of the mission of Howard College,” Corwin said. “I am thrilled to contribute to that engagement and the College as the Scholars' new director.”

The 2020-2021 Howard Scholars include:
MarKayla Bell
Sydney Bottcher
Ansley Burnette
Merritt Cahoon
McKenzie Glaze
Madeline Guy
Chots Holifield
Paul Hoppers
Heather Krebel
Matthew Lad
Max Lattermann
Jessie Majors
Harrison Pike
Olivia Pride
Payton Rackley
Aubrie Strange
Sarah Thomas
Natalie Tidwell
Harper Whaley
Anna Wood
Rachel Woodruff
Peer Mentors:
Brice Boyer
Bailey Deavers
Hannah Thompson

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.