Judson College Sold To Monarch Property Management, LLC

The campus of Judson College, an historic private Christian college for women in Marion, Alabama that closed its doors to instruction and students in 2021, has officially been sold to Monarch Property Management, LLC. The announcement was made in an e-mail that was sent to all of the alumnae of Judson College by Daphne R. Robinson on behalf of The Judson College Foundation Board on Thursday evening. The e-mail stated that the property consisting of 150 to 151 acres located at 302 Bibb Street, "has been sold to Monarch Property Management, LLC. This is an incredible economic opportunity for the City of Marion and Black Belt Community." Said alleged economic opportunity has become a matter of debate in Perry County where the campus of the essentially defunct college is located.

In January of 2026, the Marion City council and the Perry County Commission approved tax abatements and an incentive package valued at over $10 million dollars for the company that bought the campus of Judson College as a result of their promise to bring 51 jobs to the area and a $24.5 million pharmaceutical logistics operation to the area. However, on March 18th, 2026 a suit was filed in the U.S. District court for the Northern District of Texas alleging that the same entities who have purchased the defunct college's campus defrauded a Texas medical device company by promising $25 million in financing that they could not deliver. This has presented some concern to residents of Perry County. For not only are the amounts for both events nearly identical, the allegations in the lawsuit also make it appear that the promised $24.5 million investment in Marion has been previously committed to the Texas medical device company without sufficient funds to cover both the Texas commitment and the commitment in Alabama.

If somehow the project on the old campus of Judson College ever does bear fruition, Monarch Property Management, LLC, has stated that campus will be used for "pharmaceutical logistics, including warehouse and distribution operations." Representatives of the company have stated that the pharmaceutical ingredients that will be involved in the development are all "APR-approved pharmaceutical ingredients. It's not THC. It's not marijuana. These are regulated pharmaceutical components." Initially, the project will focus on construction activity with long-term job creation to begin once the actual operations commence.

In an attempt to assuage the alumnae of Judson College, many of whom hoped for a miracle to save the remnants of the former institution of higher education, Robinson stated in the e-mail to the alumnae that some semblance of Judson College continues as it is still "an Alabama nonprofit organization" and they are "working on ways to continue the heritage of Judson College well into the future." Although, no specificities of such endeavors were delineated in the e-mail.

Judson College was originally founded by some of the members of Siloam Baptist Church in 1838. With members of Siloam Baptist also being involved in the founding of the Foreign Mission Board, which is now known as the International Mission Board. Judson College was affiliated with the Alabama Baptist Convention. It used "Lux Et Veritas", in other words, "Light and Truth", for its motto.

Luisa Reyes is a Tuscaloosa attorney, piano instructor, vocalist, poet, reporter, and columnist who writes on current affairs, politics, and the arts.