In 2025, Samford University's Orlean Beeson School of Education celebrates 110 years of excellence, tracing its roots back to the establishment of teacher education programs at Howard College in 1915 when Nannie Merle Hidden became the first woman to lead an academic department and became dean of women and professor of education. Since then, the school has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to enriching communities and preparing graduates empowered to educate, lead and serve.

To commemorate more than a century of service, the school is partnering with alumni and friends to provide a minimum of 110 scholarships for students pursuing their calling within Samford’s School of Education.

Throughout its history, the school has achieved numerous milestones that underscore its dedication to academic excellence and innovation in the fields of human development and family science, education and leadership.

In 1978, a significant gift from Ralph and Orlean Bullard Beeson led to the naming of the school in her honor, highlighting her enduring legacy and impact on education.

The School of Education offers a diverse array of nationally recognized programs designed to equip future educators with the skills and knowledge necessary for success in various educational settings.

In 1983, the school expanded its undergraduate offerings with the establishment of the Department of Human Development and Family Science. The department’s commitment to enriching the lives of families through education, service and advocacy aligns with Samford's Christian mission to equip students as leaders and advocates. The curriculum focuses on interpersonal relationships and their impact on human development, with unique concentrations allowing students to tailor their education to specific career paths such as adoption services, counseling, community-based social services, family law, public policy, occupational and speech therapy and social work.

In recent years, the school's Department of Teacher Education has received national accolades for its quality in teacher preparation. In 2024, both undergraduate and graduate teacher preparation programs were recognized by the National Council on Teacher Quality as among the best in the nation.

Additionally, Samford was one of only two institutions in the United States to earn an A+ distinction for preparing teachers in the most effective methods for teaching reading. In 2025, the school received the Billy G. Dixon Distinguished Program in Teacher Education Award. Presented by the Association of Teacher Educators, the award recognizes exceptional teacher education programs committed to excellence in preparing future educators.

Furthermore, the school’s Department of Educational Leadership equips graduate-level leaders with practical skills and knowledge to pursue advanced careers in schools, government, nonprofits, business and more. Alumni of these programs hold prominent positions in the educational sector, including roles as superintendents, assistant superintendents, district leaders and principals. Their achievements reflect the department's commitment to excellence in leadership preparation, with many graduates holding esteemed status in the communities they serve.

For many school of education students, the cost of attending one of the country’s premier institutions in private Christian higher education contrasts with the salaries they can expect in service-oriented fields. The school seeks to address this challenge through its holistic giving initiative, Mission 8.16, ensuring that no student sacrifices educational quality due to cost.

Inspired by Luke 8:16, Mission 8.16 aims to enhance educational opportunities and resources for future educators and leaders, providing a strategic framework for the school’s transformative initiatives that are producing top-quality graduates in education and human development.

Since its launch in 2024, Mission 8.16 has rallied support from donors, alumni, students, faculty, staff and the community and has already begun making an impact.

Alumni

Gregory Moore, EdD ’21, has seen tremendous success as an educator, recently being named Alabama’s High School Principal of the Year. As a doctoral student, Moore was empowered to finish his degree after receiving the Maurice Persall Endowed Scholarship.

“The scholarship was a great blessing to me in the final semester of my doctoral studies, and I wanted to pay forward this same blessing to a future student through the Hope Scholarship,” Moore said. 

Moore recently established The Hope Scholarship to provide support for current students pursuing their Doctorate of Education at Samford. His gift is a way to expand opportunities and encourage fellow alumni to do the same.

Join Moore in expanding opportunity—support Samford’s Hope Scholarship.

Faculty & Staff

Orlean Beeson School of Education faculty and staff came together to establish the Luke 8:16 Scholarship. A collective effort of those within Orlean Bullard Beeson Hall, the scholarship serves as encouragement for students to shine brightly as they prepare to fulfill their calling as servant-hearted leaders.

“Our faculty and staff genuinely care and pray for every student in the school of education,” said Bill Cleveland, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership. “We are all prepared to put our money where our mouths are to ensure their success as we prepare the next generation of quality leaders.”

Come alongside faculty and staff in supporting Samford education students.

Students

On April 8, in recognition of Samford Giving Day, the School of Education will launch the Global Education Scholarship fund to increase student access to meaningful study abroad and international internship opportunities, aligning with the university’s goal to enrich the Samford experience and develop global citizens.

In collaboration with university partners, education students and faculty travel abroad to lead global professional development, learn from international programming and support children and families worldwide, often in areas of greatest need.

Recently, education students and faculty joined Samford’s Office of Community Engagement on a university-wide mission trip to Ecuador. Their trip included visiting local schools, providing requested professional development and supporting Ecuadorian youth and children.

Orlean Beeson School of Education Dean Anna McEwan joined students and faculty on the trip. 

“While access to resources and educational opportunity is a constant challenge for our graduates and students teaching in the United States, we often fail to realize how much greater the need is in other countries,” McEwan said. “With so many of our students interested in and exploring careers across the world in environments vastly different from the States, it is vital that we provide support and curriculum that prepares them for international education and ministry in the ways only a university like Samford can.”

Learn more about Samford Giving Day.