1903

A.B. Barret and Charles Roberson were riding in a buggy near Barret's home in Denison, Texas, on their way to a gospel meeting when Barret first said to Roberson, "Let's build a school in West Texas."

1905

That was in 1903. In 1905, Barret, a teacher at Southwestern Christian College in Denton, was finally able to begin looking at the possibility of a college in West Texas. Barret visited three West Texas towns served by the railroad -- Abilene, San Angelo and Ballinger, finally settling on Abilene as the best location for a school. The Church of Christ in Abilene was growing solidly, and after Barret preached there in December 1905, members agreed to help support the project. Barret soon moved west and traveled by buggy with his wife and friends to raise more support.

1906

Col. J.W. Childers, a leader in the Abilene church, agreed to sell Barret some land he owned west of town and deducted about $3,000 from the price of the land on the condition that the school would be named in his honor.  The deed was executed Feb. 12, 1906, and Childers Classical Institute opened its doors in the Sept. 10, 1906 with 25 students enrolled for classes.

The five acres occupied by the institute included the old Childers mansion, which was a two-story frame house used as the president's home, and an eight-room administration building that was constructed on the site for $8,000.The administration building, or as early students called it, "The Abilene Chicken Coop," was not quite finished when classes began but had three usable classrooms and an auditorium filled with 150 opera chairs and space for 50 or so folding chairs. The opening Chapel took place Tuesday morning, Sept. 11, at 10 a.m. W.H. Free led "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name."

Only the 11 primary and secondary grades were offered that first semester. College courses were not accredited for eight years. By the end of the first school year 85 students were enrolled.

Childers' first years were difficult for everyone, particularly the students. Cold classrooms, crowded living conditions and a water shortage necessitated hard work and ingenuity on the part of everyone. The students in 1906 and following years were crucial to the survival of the school. Because the administration building was not ready to be connected to city water, members of the student body formed a bucket brigade each morning to relay buckets of water from a well about two blocks from the campus.

To complicate matters, Col. Childers hired an attorney to collect on a note he had retained on the land and mansion. The school had to borrow money at 15 percent interest to pay the debt, making it difficult to meet operating expenses.

1907

Enrollment reached 130 during the second year. Barret announced mid-year his resignation as president in order to take the presidency at a Christian college in Denton. Several faculty members left with him.

Henry Calhoun (H.C.) Darden, a teacher and administrator who had never attended college himself, left his position as superintendent of schools in Clyde to take on the role of president at Childers Classical Institute. During his tenure as president, he raised money to retire the school's debt (with the help of Robertson L. Whiteside), enhanced the school's relationship with Abilene and saw the first four students graduate from Childers.

The school went through four presidents during those early years: Barret, Darden, R.L. Whiteside, and James F. Cox, who served another term as president from 1931-1940.

1909

While the college's official name was Childers Classical Institute, its unofficial, and more commonly used, names included Abilene Christian College and the Christian College in Abilene. In 1909, H. C. Darden printed a handout with the following headline, which includes no mention of Childers:

"The Abilene Christian College Needs..."