The Magical Run of the College Team That Lost Its School
Date Published: 11-17-2026
Publisher: Mission Point Press
Excerpt
The rise and ultimate fall of Birmingham-Southern College, a small
liberal arts school on a hilltop in Birmingham, has a history that mirrors the
fortunes and struggles of the United States since the mid-nineteenth century.
In 1859, Alabama Southern University opened its doors in Greensboro but nearly
closed them two years later when most of its all-male student body left to
fight in the Civil War. By 1866, the student body had dwindled to
twenty-eight. The school quickly rebounded, however, and in 1889, the
graduating class numbered 289 students, including the first woman graduate.
In 1898, another Methodist school, Birmingham College, was established less than a hundred miles away. The new college was perched on a hill near the western edge of the rapidly growing city of Birmingham. After the Civil War, the two cities were a study in contrasts. While Greensboro was still largely dependent on cotton, Birmingham had made the smart move to steel, and its booming economy led to its nickname: “The Magic City.” By 1918, it was clear that two Methodist colleges this close together would be unsustainable. The answer: merge the two and call the new school Birmingham-Southern College.
The merger solved an immediate problem, and BSC thrived—for a while—but faced a devastating enrollment drop during World War I. The college hung on during the Great Depression but lost most of its male students and faculty during World War II. Two decades later, the Civil Rights Era brought new challenges. BSC became an early supporter of the movement, enrolling its first Black students in 1965, and continued to embrace diversity as a core part of its mission.
About the Author
Brian Nelson is a lifelong baseball fan, former player, and dedicated coach whose love for the game spans generations. A pitcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara in the 1980s, he later coached his three sons and their teammates through Little League, high school, and college. Drawing inspiration from a deeply literary family—especially his grandfather and mother—Nelson brings an analyst's brain, a storyteller’s heart, and impressive baseball knowledge to his writing. After a multi-decade career in finance, he has returned to his earliest passion to tell this story. This is his first book.
https://mybook.to/NotDoneYetMagicalRun
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