In 1901 the North Carolina Christian Missionary Convention purchased Kinsey Seminary from the Wilson Education Association. In 1902 Barton College, under its former name of Atlantic Christian College, was incorporated by the State of North Carolina. The College opened with a capacity enrollment of 107 in September. Ada Tyson become the first graduate in the spring of 1903. In May 1922, the College was recognized as a standard A-grade institution by the North Carolina Board of Education. In 1923 the College adopted the words Habebunt Lumen Vitae - "They shall have the light of life" - as its official college motto. In 1955, the College was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. On September 6, 1990, the College changed its name to Barton College.
