Ambassador College - Big Sandy, TX Campus (1964-1977, 1981-1997)

Big Sandy, TX Campus (1964-1977, 1981-1997)

The history of the Big Sandy campus can be divided into six periods: 1) its use by the Radio Church of God as a festival center for the Feast of Tabernacles, local church congregation site, and Imperial Schools campus (1952–1974), 2) the initial period that the campus was open as a four year college, 1964–1977, 3) the period in which the college was closed but continued to be used as a church meeting site, 1977–1981, 4) reopened as a two year junior college, 1981–1989, 5) four year consolidated campus, 1989–1997, 6) following the closure in 1997, remained vacant until the sale to the International Alert Academy, 1997–present.

The Big Sandy campus opened in the fall of 1964. Since the early 1950s, the campus had been used as a location for the annual Feast of Tabernacles. The campus closed in the fall of 1977, with students and faculty transferred to the Pasadena campus.

During the period from 1977 to 1981, the campus was used as a feast site and was used by the local congregation of the Worldwide Church of God. After several near sales of the property, the decision was made to reopen in the fall of 1981.

When the campus reopened, it initially served as a two year junior college, with students having the opportunity to apply to transfer to Pasadena after two years. In the fall of 1989, the campus returned to a four year format.

In the fall of 1990, students and staff from Pasadena were transferred, as plans were underway to seek accreditation. Numerous buildings were constructed almost overnight, including five dormitories, an administration building, a music building and lecture hall, and an office building. Accreditation was achieved in the summer of 1994. However, doctrinal division began to occur a year later in December 1995, ultimately leading to the closure of the campus in 1997.

The campus is now the site of the International Alert Academy (Air Land Emergency Resource Team), and was used to accommodate refugees from Hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005. The campus golf course, renamed Embassy Hills Golf Course, is now open to the public.