Biographical Sketch

Mrs. Ruth Jean Towns

Ruth Towns has been married to Dr. Elmer Towns for 55 years and she has stood by her husband in church planting a multi-ethnic church in Dallas, Texas, as a Bible College president’s wife in Canada, as the leader of seminary wives while her husband was Professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. 

            In 1971, Jerry Falwell phoned her home to talk to her husband but Elmer was out of town so Jerry said, “I’ve never talked to a wife about her husband coming to work for me, but let me tell you about the college I want to start.”  So she caught the vision of what a great university could do for God.  She began praying about the university and for her husband to phone home to learn about the university. 

            In the providence of God, Elmer phoned Jerry and for an hour they made preliminary plans for Liberty University.  Ruth was on her knees praying the whole time. 

            As co-founder of Liberty University her husband set the academic standards while Jerry raised the money, recruited students and set the spiritual standard.  Today Liberty has 11,000 students on campus and over 28,000 students studying in Distance Learning Education.  Today Liberty University is the largest Evangelical University in the world. 

            Ruth raised three children, two girls who live in Lynchburg, and her son, Dr. Sam Towns is in glory.  She has 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. 

            Ruth teaches the introductory class in Liberty’s Women’s Ministry program called The Disciplines of the Christian Woman.  She’s pouring into young ladies the lessons God has taught her. 

            Ruth is co-author with her husband of three published books: Women Gifted for Ministry (her college textbook); Joined Together: How to Build a Lasting Marriage, and Christmas Traditions, a storybook of how Christians can celebrate Christmas.