History
DTS was founded as Evangelical Theological College in 1924 by Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, who taught the first class of 13 students, and William Henry Griffith Thomas, who was to have been the school's first theology professor but died before the first classes began. Their vision was a school where expository Bible preaching was taught simply, and under Chafer's leadership, DTS pioneered one of the first four-year degrees in theology, the Master of Theology (Th.M.). The present location of the school was purchased in 1926 and Doctor of Theology (Th.D.) programs were started in 1927. Chafer remained president until his death in 1952.
DTS has continually published a quarterly entitled Bibliotheca Sacra since 1934. In 1983, a complete collection of "Bib Sac" articles was published as a book commemorating fifty years of the journal.
Dr. John F. Walvoord, himself a graduate, took over as president in 1953 after Chafer's death in 1952. In 1974, DTS added a two-year Master of Arts (MA) program in biblical studies, and in 1982, a two-year program in Christian Education was begun. In addition to these, a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program was opened in 1980. Walvoord retired as DTS president in 1986.
From 1986 to 1994, Dr. Donald K. Campbell served as president of DTS. During his tenure, DTS opened a three-year MA program in Biblical Counseling and a two-year MA program in Biblical exegesis and linguistics.
DTS graduate Dr. Chuck Swindoll was then president of the school from 1994 to 2001, and now serves as the school's Chancellor. Since 2001, Dr. Mark Bailey has served as president. Under Bailey's tenure, the seminary added a two-year MA program in media and communication, a two-year MA in Christian leadership, a Spanish D.Min. program, and a multi-lingual online education program.
As of Fall 2011, DTS has nearly 14,000 alumni serving in various ministerial capacities in 97 countries worldwide.
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—Mary McCarthy (1912–1989)