A different type of Seminary President and Professor – L. R. Scarborough

Dan Nelson Yesterday at 11:46 AMLee Rutland Scarborough (1870-1945)

A different type of Seminary President and Professor

(A synopsis of a biography from “Baptist Biographies and Happenings in American History” by Dan Nelson. Contact him if you would like a copy). L. R. Scarborough was the second president of Southwest Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, but was different in his background and his experience. Scarborough was a native of Colfax Louisiana, with his family moved to Texas and he grew up on a ranch outside of Waco, Texas. He was a cowboy and ranch hand whose family were committed believers. They prayed that God would use him, and he came to a full assurance of his salvation at age 17.Scarborough left the ranch to study law at Baylor and began a life-long friendship with B.H. Carroll when he joined the First Baptist Church of Waco and was mentored by him. Scarborough’s father had him take notes of all of Carroll’s sermons and report back to him what Carroll had preached on and what he learned from the sermon. The result of being around Carroll caused him to answer the call to preach and change his major to theological education. He graduated from Baylor and received a degree from Yale afterward. On returning to Texas he began to pastor at First Baptist Church of Cameron, Texas. Later he was to pastor First Baptist Church of Abilene Texas. The church was very gracious in allowing Scarborough to preach in many evangelistic meetings all throughout Texas. He became a recognizable preacher who practiced and modeled evangelism.In 1910 his mentor B.H. Carroll asked him to come and be the professor of Evangelism at Southwestern. The position became a place of inspiration to many preacher boys throughout Texas who studied under him. He began to write on Evangelism. Two of his classic works were: “With Christ after the Lost” and “How Jesus Won Men.” The teaching position at the seminary became known as “The Chair of Fire” and is still recognized as such today with every professor who has occupied the chair because of the continual emphasis on evangelism that Scarborough initiated.When B.H. Carroll was on his death bed in 1914 he called Scarborough to be with him before he died. Before he died, Carroll entrusted the presidency to Scarborough and instructed him to lash the school to Christ’s redemptive work on the cross.The school expanded under Scarborough for the next 31 years he served as president. The depression caused the school to take a hit, but Scarborough continued leading the institution until his death. Scarborough’s legacy was one of stirring churches and pastors to win souls. This mindset of evangelism and action led to the expansion of the Baptist work in Texas and the evangelistic spirit of the school till this day.True to the vision of B.H. Carroll for Southwestern, the school continued its emphasis on conservative beliefs in contrast to the liberal tendencies and influence of many of the schools in the East, fulfilling it’s founder’s Carroll’s original vision for the school. Scarborough was instrumental in continuing that legacy.Unlike many other Seminary presidents, who spent most if not all their careers in academia, he came from a ranch in Texas as a cowboy. He was an evangelist pastor who preached in revivals throughout Texas when he was called to be a professor at Southwestern. He had an impact at the school of helping students to see that seminary education can serve as a catalyst for winning people to Christ and growing great churches. This has been an emphasis sadly lacking in many theological schools that L.R. Scarborough was strongly influential in doing.