Throughout the 2023-24 academic year, Lancaster Bible College | Capital Seminary & Graduate School will celebrate our 90th anniversary! Here, we introduce our community to “90 Faces of LBC” each week. Keep up with all the news and events of our 90th year, read stories and more at lbc.edu/90.
President William J. Randolph (’50)
William J. Randolph’s life was filled with moments of redirection. The purpose in the reroutings was unforeseen to William, but God used each event to prepare him for the perpetual impact he would have as the second president of Lancaster School of the Bible.
William was born in Harlan, Ky., on Aug. 7, 1922. His father was killed while on duty as a sheriff when William was just 10 years old. This tragedy, though sad, brought William to the place where his understanding of the Bible grew, and he accepted God as the Savior of his life.
After his father’s death, William lived with his uncle, who was a preacher. After a year of hearing his uncle’s weekly Bible preaching, William began to feel sure of God. At the age of 11, William chose to put his full faith in the God his uncle taught him about—the God of the Bible.
From there, William’s life unfolded into a variety of positions. At 16, William moved with his mother to Louisville, where he helped run a restaurant. It was here William met his wife, Leatha.
After they were married, the Randolphs moved to Mobile, Ala., where William dedicated his life to ministry for the Lord. Little did William know, this moment of dedication would lead him to war, college, teaching, pastoring and, eventually, a college presidency.
When World War II began, William joined the U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marines, and his participation brought another life-change as he left his wife and daughter in Kentucky with his mother. The Marines seemed like a redirection in William’s life, but it was actually the very thing God used to strengthen William’s abilities and faith for what was to come.
On March 8, 1945, William was honorably discharged from the Merchant Marines, and soon after the end of the war, William looked for his next redirection in life. He found it at a small Bible college in Central Pennsylvania. Lancaster School of the Bible was searching for a dorm supervisor and dietitian, and with William’s desire to work in ministry and his restaurant experience, he was a good fit for the job.
William enrolled as a full-time student at LSB, and his family moved into an apartment on campus. His plate was full of responsibilities as a father, husband, student and employee, but William’s heart was also full as he continued to fulfill the commitment he made to God years before to be in ministry.
In his final two years of college, William was asked to teach two different classes: Spiritual Life and Greek Grammar. God used these courses to direct William to teaching others about the Bible.
After his 1950 graduation from LSB, William pastored at Lancaster Gospel Center for four years until he stepped into the role where his work would perpetually impact generations. In 1954, William J. Randolph was welcomed as the second president of Lancaster School of the Bible. His work and impact are still evident today:
- He led the design of a new college seal, which is still used to this day.
- He pioneered the college’s Bible curriculum that required each student to take three years of Bible classes in order to obtain their diploma. This is still prioritized at LBC today, as students continue to major in Bible alongside their major of choice.
- He participated in the plans for a new campus at 901 Eden Road.
- He was honored as the LBC Alumnus of the Year in 1988.
William J. Randolph passed away June 13, 2007, at his Manheim, Pa., home. He and Leatha were married 67 years and had a daughter, Peggy, a son, W. Dennis, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Every aspect of William’s life—even those that appeared to be disruptive redirections—were actually repurposed by God, and William’s impact continues to be witnessed decades later as Lancaster Bible College | Capital Seminary & Graduate School celebrates 90 years.
Special thanks to the late Dr. Thomas O. Figart, who wrote the “Godly Heritage” section of “Stones of Remembrance,” a historical account of Lancaster Bible College written in 2008 to celebrate the college’s 75th anniversary. Read the entire publication at lbc.edu/90.