Lynchburg College is a private college in Lynchburg, Virginia, USA, related by covenant to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) with approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. The Princeton Review lists it as one of the 368 best colleges in the nation.
In February 2017, the university announced that it will be changing its name to the University of Lynchburg starting with the 2018-2019 academic year.
History
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Lynchburg College was founded in 1903 by Dr. Josephus Hopwood as Virginia Christian College, a selective, independent, coeducational, and residential institution, which is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
Hopwood was president of Milligan College in Tennessee when a group of ministers and businessmen approached him about establishing a college in Lynchburg. He agreed to serve as president, after which the group purchased the failed Westover Hotel resort for $13,500, securing Lynchburg's current campus. Hopwood worked with his wife Sarah Eleanor LaRue Hopwood to establish the college based on their shared vision.
Lynchburg College was the first institution in the United States to train nuclear physicists and engineers for the NS Savannah project under order of President Eisenhower, to aid in the development and operation of the world's first nuclear-powered ship.
The institution officially changed its name to Lynchburg College in 1919, citing a constituency that had expanded beyond Virginia.
The college has maintained its original commitment to a liberal arts education. Beginning with 11 faculty and 55 students, the college has grown to 159 full-time faculty and 2,800 undergraduate and graduate students. The college offers 39 majors, 49 minors, two dual-degree programs, the Westover Honors Program, and offers graduate degrees in Masters of Arts, Masters of Business Administration, Masters of Education, and Masters of Science in Nursing as well as Doctorate programs in Physical Therapy and Educational Leadership. As of December 2016, the college is awaiting accreditation approval for a Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) degree program for practicing physician assistants.
The Lynchburg College hymn was written by alumnus Paul E. Waters. Its melody is derived from J. S. Bach's "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden" Op. 135a, No. 21. The college fight song includes the phrase, "Hornet Born and Hornet Bred and when I die I'll be Hornet dead."
In fall 1994, a few months after Intel introduced its Pentium microprocessor, Thomas R. Nicely, from Lynchburg College, was performing computations related to the distribution of prime numbers and discovered the Pentium FDIV bug. Nicely left Lynchburg College in 2000.
In February 2017, the university announced that it will be changing its name to the University of Lynchburg starting with the 2018-2019 academic year.
Lynchburg college is also a partner on the data aggregator website USAFacts.org.
Campus and campus life
Lynchburg College is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, about 180 miles southwest of Washington D.C., in the Central Virginia foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It occupies 250 acres (1.0Â km2) in Lynchburg and has a separate environmental research center on 470 acres (1.9Â km2), the Claytor Nature Study Center, located about 40 minutes from campus. Most students live on campus and in nearby college-owned houses.
Student organizations
Lynchburg College has over 40 clubs and organizations for students to participate in. Examples of organization types are Greek life, student government, spiritual life, volunteer organizations, leadership programs, and publications.
Greek life
Fraternity life began on the Lynchburg College campus in 1962, with the arrival of Sigma Mu Sigma, whose Sigma Chapter was active until disbanded in the mid 1980s. Fraternities and sororities appeared on campus again in 1992. All official Greek houses are located on Vernon Street, and are currently owned by the college. LC is 17% Greek. Listed below are the chapters of the social fraternities and sororities that comprise Greek life at LC.
Fraternities
Sororities
National Pan-Hellenic Council Fraternities and Sororities
Athletics
The Lynchburg College Hornets participate in NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC). The Hornets program offers 19 intercollegiate athletics programs: 17 which compete in Division III, IHSA equestrian, and competitive cheerleading programs. Since joining the ODAC, the Hornets have recorded 181 conference titles.
In recent years, Lynchburg athletics has competed for three team national championships. The women's soccer program won Lynchburg's first-ever team national championship in 2014, defeating Williams College in penalty kicks to take the crown. In 2010, the Hornets men's soccer program reached the Division III national championship match, where they fell in overtime to Messiah College. In 2015, the men's lacrosse team made its own run to the national title game, losing to Tufts University in the championship game, 19â€"11.
Multiple men's cross country, indoor, and outdoor track & field athletes have captured NCAA Division III titles over the years as well. In 2009, Ricky Flynn won the Division III men's cross country championship.
Administration
Lynchburg College has both a president and a board of trustees, which currently consists of 37 individuals. The board's role in administration is the "fundamental oversight of the College."
Kenneth R. Garren began his tenure as the tenth president of Lynchburg College in 2001. A former vice president and dean of Roanoke College, Garren led Lynchburg College through its 2003 centennial celebration and initiatives such as a strategic plan, campus facilities master planning, building projects (including Elliot & Rosel Schewel Hall), and restoration work on College Lake. The college finished multimillion-dollar renovations of Shellenberger Field and Drysdale Student Center.
Notable alumni
Kathrine Switzer was the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon. She attended for two years.
References
External links
- Official website
- Official athletics website
