Bob Jones Ups Minority Recruitment

Bob Jones University, the fundamentalist Christian school that banned interracial dating until two years ago, is recruiting minorities in hopes of shaking its racist image.

More than 40 minority students have applied for aid through two new funds that are sponsored by private donations, and nine have won scholarships so far, said Dan Hicks, a liaison between the university and the scholarships’ boards.

The university first admitted black students after the Internal Revenue Service moved to revoke its tax-exempt status in 1970, citing discrimination. The school said it has few blacks but no precise figures on its racial makeup.

School spokesman Jonathan Pait said the scholarships reflect a growing interest by blacks in the 4,200-student school.

“Another reason is that we’re so often pointed out as being so racist,” he said. “We wanted to take a stab, at least, to overcome that stereotype,” Pait said.

The school was thrust into the national spotlight when then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush stopped there during his presidential campaign two years ago. Bush was criticized for not addressing the school’s ban on interracial dating and statements by Jones that were perceived as anti-Catholic and anti-Mormon.