The East Texas Educational Society was formed in the spring of 1899 to establish and maintain a Baptist college in East Texas that would provide academic and cultural training with a religious influence. Jacksonville was chosen because three railroad lines and good roads offered convenient transportation. Property on this site was purchased in July 1899, work began promptly on the first building, and when it was finished the structure was the tallest building in Jacksonville. The college opened in temporary quarters in the fall of 1899 with 34 students, moved into its newly completed facility in November, and by the end of the first session enrollment had reached 85. Its first president was the Rev. J.V. Vermillion, former president of East Texas Baptist College in Rusk. Among the students in the first graduating class was future Jacksonville College president B.J. Albritton. The school offered a Bachelor of Arts degree with strong emphasis on Greek, Latin, math, and biblical and Christian studies. The East Texas Educational Society proposed transferring control of the college to the Baptist Missionary Association in 1904, and the transfer was accepted in 1908. The school grew steadily throughout the 20th century. The original 1899 structure, long called Old Main, was razed in 1968, and new modern buildings were erected as needed. In 1998, Jacksonville College continued to thrive, following the program of religious and academic study envisioned by its founders.