Intermediate Exams at the Seminary

December 6th, 2011 • Jason Fowler

[This article by Steve Jones originally appeared in the Dec-Jan 2012 issue of Towers.]

Today, the months of December and January mark a period of rest from studies or a focused class for students at Southern Seminary. That wasn’t the case for students in the 19th century. For students at that time, these months marked a trying period of intermediate examinations.

These exams were notoriously difficult, each lasting a full day, and administered during the course of the entire month of January – with some spillover into December and February. Intermediate examinations were followed by three more months of study culminating in final examinations, which were delivered in a similar fashion, in May. The following intermediate examination for “Biblical Introduction” was administered by Basil Manly Jr., Jan. 2, 1891. Take a moment to see how you would have fared studying under Manly.

Of the 71 students enrolled in “Biblical Introduction” during that year, 48 graduated the course. Two first-year students from Tennessee and future professors at the seminary, William Owen Carver and William J. McGlothlin, were among the graduating students.

1891 Biblical Introduction Examination

To learn more about the history of instruction at the seminary or archival resources available to you at SBTS, please visit the archives on the second floor of the library.