Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies

Historical State Timelines
Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
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1920s

1928-1966 Norwood (“Red”) Hicks II served as department head
1928 Religion courses first offered

Norwood (“Red”) Hicks II taught the first courses in religion. Although the courses were listed in the 1927-1928 college catalog, they were not taught before Hicks became an assistant professor in 1928.

1930s

1939 Department of Ethics renamed

The Department of Ethics was renamed the Department of Ethics and Religion.

1940s

1949 Department of Ethics and Religion renamed

The department began teaching courses in philosophy in 1949. As a result, the Department of Ethics and Religion was renamed the Department of Philosophy and Religion.

1960s

1966-1989 Robert S. Bryan served as department head

1970s

1978 New degree program established

The department established a BA degree program in philosophy with a concentration in religious studies.

1980s

1984 New degree program established

The department established a BA degree program in philosophy with a concentration in philosophy of law.

1989 New minors offered

The department first offered minors in philosophy and religious studies.

1989–1995 Edwin A. Martin served as department head

1990s

1995–1999 Tom Regan served as department head

Tom Regan, who specialized in ethics, was recognized internationally for his work on animal rights.

1999–2003 Harold D. Levin served as interim department head

2000s

Fall 2003 Douglas M. Jesseph served as interim department head
2004 Logic and Cognitive Science Initiative established

The Logic and Cognitive Science Initiative was established to foster growth and development in cognitive science, formal logic, and related fields of cognitive philosophy, including philosophy of science, philosophy of language, theory of knowledge, and analytical metaphysics.

2004-2024 Michael Pendlebury served as head of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
2006-2009 Several new degree programs established

Between 2006 and 2009, the department introduced a BS in philosophy with a concentration in logic, representation and reasoning (2006); a graduate minor in cognitive science (2007); a BA in philosophy with a concentration in ethics (2007); an undergraduate minor in ethics (2008); and an undergraduate minor in logic and methodology (2009).

2009 Department of Philosophy and Religion renamed

The Department of Philosophy and Religion was renamed the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies.

2020s

2024 Stephen Puryear became head of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies