The Special Collection Welcomes the William E. Hull Collection

Some of the boxes of the 475 linear feet of the Hull collection, neatly stacked and waiting to be transferred into proper storage.

Last week, the University Library Special Collection department received the final installment of the William E. Hull Collection. The collection consists of approximately 475 linear feet of records, including book manuscripts, articles, correspondence, sermons, and research notes. Samford’s Special Collection was honored to be selected back in 1995 by Dr. Hull himself as the archive to receive his materials.

Dr. William Hull as a Senior from the Entre Nous 1951.

William E. Hull enrolled at the University of Alabama in 1948 to study medicine. During his sophomore year he felt a calling to ministry and transferred to Samford University, then Howard College, for his junior year. After graduating from Howard College in 1951, he went on to earn a master of divinity and a Ph. D from Southern Seminary in Kentucky. In addition, he did advanced studies at Harvard University and the University of Gottingen in Germany.

Dr. William Hull speaking at Samford Commencement in 2008.

For 17 years, Dr. Hull was a professor of New Testament at Southern Seminary and served as dean and provost there before becoming the pastor at First Baptist Church in Shreveport, LA in 1975. He returned to teaching after taking the position of provost and professor here at Samford in 1987.

Dr. Hull was famous for saying the same benediction at many occasions, and this is one of the copies of it.

In addition, Hull, was a world-renowned scholar, writer, and theologian. He authored 21 books on Christian topics and theology and contributed to 24 additional works. Hull was a popular speaker both locally and worldwide preaching approximately 7,500 sermons between 1949 and 2008 with a ministry reaching beyond those years.

One drawer of the many filing cabinets storing Dr. Hull's clippings, research notes, and sermon drafts.

Dr. Hull passed away on December 10, 2013 from ALS. The University Library, Special Collection department is honored to be a part of preserving his legacy. 

Text and Photographs provided by Jennifer Taylor of the Special Collection.