On June 20, 1889, Howard Payne College was founded at Indian Creek by members of the Pecan Valley Baptist Association.

[4] A faculty prayer meeting was held upon his return to Brownwood, writes Mangrum, and it was decided that HPC would continue to operate with no deficits through the receipts and endowment interests.

[4] Taylor retired as the university's longest-serving president (26 years) after leading it through the Great Depression and helping the campus expand.

[4] The school supports an active athletic program for both men's and women's competition in the NCAA Division III.

Howard Payne University teams achieved national championship status in 1957 and 1964 in NAIA Cross country, and in 2008 with NCAA Division III Women's Basketball.

[9] In 2015 the university was granted an exception to Title IX allowing it to discriminate against LGBT students for religious reasons.

In 2016 the organization Campus Pride ranked the college among the worst schools in Texas for LGBT students.