Faced with the welcomed challenges of growing enrollment and program expansion, East Texas Baptist University found a new home for the ETBU School of Nursing at the historic Marshall Grand after the building stood in a profoundly blighted condition for more than 25 years.

“It has been a remarkable journey to transform a building that initially opened in 1929 into the modern training facility that it is today,” ETBU President J. Blair Blackburn said. “None of it would be possible without the provision of God’s hand stirring the spirits of His generous people.”

Through a creative and collaborative effort, the University enlivened this historic hotel into a space for healthcare excellence. Marshall native and businessman Jerry Cargill and his wife, Judy Cargill, along with former Texas State Senator and former Harrison County Judge Richard Anderson and his wife, Christina Anderson, donated the 1929 building to ETBU in 2013.

ETBU continued their renovation of the five out of eight floors of the historic Marshall Grand, formerly known as the Hotel Marshall, three of which are being utilized by the School of Nursing. ETBU raised over $3 million to renovate the Marshall Grand, with significant contributions from the Andersen Foundation, Moody Foundation, Meadows Foundation, and J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation. The School of Nursing Campaign also garnered support from foundations across the state including the Rosa May Griffin Foundation, the T. J. and LaVerne Plunkett Foundation, and the Wece and Martha Johnson Foundation. As the design came to life, the University remained committed to honoring the decade of the building through various interior design elements such as the fonts used for plaques and signs, the style of furnishings, light fixtures, and the refinishing and preservation of the original brick.

The Dr. Charles and Jo Ann Whiteside family, Dr. D.M. Edwards, the Marshall Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO), and the City of Marshall made significant contributions to the innovative technologies available in the Nell Whiteside Starling Center for Nursing Education, which houses vocational training equipment for the nursing skills and simulation laboratories. The simulation equipment includes mannequins, headboards, hospital and medical treatment beds, gurneys, cameras, and computer simulation technology. Additionally, the first floor of the building is home to an art gallery inspired by the parable of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10:25-37.