Friday, January 21, 2005

After 34 years as president of Bob Jones University, Bob Jones III announced yesterday that he will retire on May 7. He will be replaced by his son, Stephen Jones.

Jones, 65, will continue as Chairman of the Board and Chancellor. The Christian university was established by his grandfather, the evangelist Bob Jones Sr., in 1927. It has been the subject of much controversy because of its racial policies and anti-Catholicism.

When George W. Bush made a speech at the non-accredited college during his 2000 presidential campaign, many critics questioned his judgment, asking why he would support a college with an official ban on interracial dating. The ban was subsequently dropped.

Jones is an ardent supporter of Bush. In his letter congratulating the president on his reelection, Jones wrote, “Pull out all the stops and make a difference. If you have weaklings around you who do not share your biblical values, shed yourself of them.”