Our History

In 1925, Dayton, TN played host to one of the most famous trials of the 20th century. The Scopes Trial set the ACLU against the Butler Law which had recently passed in Tennessee banning the teaching of Evolution in schools. William Jennings Bryan was the most famous prosecutor in the Scopes Trial. Just days after the Trial ended, Bryan died in Dayton.

Bryan College was founded in 1930 and named after this lawyer and statesman. In 1989, Dr. Kenneth Hanna, president of Bryan College from 1986 to 1993, proposed that an 'origins research center' located at Bryan College would be an historically appropriate distinctive for the College and a service to the region. The Center for Origins Research and Education began in 1989 under the direction of Dr. Kurt Wise. During his time at Bryan, Dr. Wise published more than 30 creationist articles. He also initiated the regular origins classes taught at Bryan College.

In the fall of 2000, Dr. Wise was joined by Dr. Todd Wood. In 2005, CORE launched its own monograph series, CORE Issues in Creation.

In 2006, Dr. Wise left Bryan College to become the director of the Center for Theology and Science at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Dr. Wood assumed leadership of CORE and was soon joined by Dr. Roger Sanders in the fall of 2006.