thumb|left|The college library on a 1960s postcard The college was established on the property of the former O'Reilly General Hospital, which had been established during World War II by the U.S. Army. In its five-year history as an Army hospital, O'Reilly served more than 100,000 patients. The first day of classes at Evangel was September 1, 1955. There were 87 students.
