Fifth President of Johnson University, Dedicated Community Servant, President Emeritus of Johnson University
Inducting Institution: Johnson University
Dr. David Eubanks served as president of Johnson University for 38 years, one of the longest tenures of any college or university president in the country. Dr. Eubanks enrolled at Johnson in 1953 and never left. After earning his master’s degree, he joined the faculty in 1958. In 1968, at the age of 34, Dr. Eubanks was named Johnson’s fifth president - one of the youngest college or university presidents in the country. Until he retired, Dr. Eubanks and his wife, Margaret, lived on campus their entire adult lives, including 51 years of their marriage.
During his tenure, Dr. Eubanks transformed Johnson University from a small, rural Bible college into a regionally accredited institution with four times the number of undergraduate students and seven times the number of faculty and staff. He led the construction process for a number of new buildings, including both men’s and women’s dormitories, the Phillips-Welshimer multipurpose building, the Eubanks Activities Center, the Global Education Technology Center, and the Gally Dining Hall. He also achieved approval for the elementary teacher education program by the Tennessee State Board of Education. Under Dr. Eubanks’ leadership, the total student body grew from 235 in 1969 to 876 in 2006. This included record enrollments in 15 of those years.
Dr. Eubanks led the school through eight highly successful capital campaigns during his presidency and built a significant endowment that focused on the establishment of permanent scholarship funds. When Johnson acquired Florida Christian College (FCC) in 2014, Dr. Eubanks moved his family to Kissimmee, Florida for two years, where he served as Chief Operations Officer to help lead the transition and to build relationships with the FCC faculty and staff, local church leaders, and donors.
He continues to serve as President Emeritus at Johnson University and remains active in fundraising and public relations.
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