Recently, the original charter for Bob Jones College – thought to be lost to time – was discovered by Bob Jones University historical consultant, Dr. John Matzko. The charter was signed by Dr. Bob Jones Sr. and the original Board of Trustees on April 8, 1926, meaning that the document is officially 100 years old, and older than BJU itself.

“I found it by accident,” Matzko said.

He found it in one of several boxes of documents stored in the BJU Archives in the J.S. Mack Building.

While the BJC campus in Bay County, Florida, no longer exists, the home where the charter was signed is still there. The charter was signed in the home of Robert Lee McKenzie months before construction on the campus began in December 1926. McKenzie was a successful businessman, the first mayor of Panama City and a good friend of the Jones family. He encouraged Dr. Bob Sr. to consider opening a school in Florida. The Board of Trustees signed the charter in McKenzie’s home in Panama City, which is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

An interesting fact about the charter is that it quotes the Bob Jones University Creed, almost word for word. Written by Sam Small, a reporter and Jones family friend, the BJU Creed affirms the divine inspiration of the Bible, the creation of man by a direct act of God, as well as the divinity, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is cited in Article 2 of the charter as the school’s belief statement, which the signers added a clause to saying that it could not be altered or changed. As a testament to their efforts a century later, BJU’s belief statement today remains unchanged.

Dr. Matzko presented the charter to BJU President Bruce McCallister on April 6. The document will be added to the Mack Library records so that it will be easier to find in the future.

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John Matzko

The original charter for Bob Jones College signed on April 8, 1926.