University of Lynchburg
The University of Lynchburg is a private university associated with the Christian Church and located in Lynchburg, Virginia. It has approximately 2,800 undergraduate and graduate students. The University of Lynchburg spans 264 acres.
History
The University of Lynchburg 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.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.
The University of Lynchburg was the first institution in the United States to train nuclear physicists and engineers for the NS Savannah project under the 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 university 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 University 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 university is awaiting accreditation approval for a Doctor of Medical Science degree program for practicing physician assistants.
The University of Lynchburg 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 the University of Lynchburg, was performing computations related to the distribution of prime numbers and discovered the Pentium FDIV bug. Nicely left Lynchburg College in 2000.
In July 2018, the university changed its name from Lynchburg College to the University of Lynchburg.
The University of Lynchburg is also a partner on the data aggregator website USAFacts.org.
Presidents
Campus and campus life
The University of Lynchburg 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 in Lynchburg and has a separate environmental research center on, the Claytor Nature Study Center, located about 40 minutes from campus. Most students live on campus and in nearby university-owned houses.Student organizations
The University of Lynchburg 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 University of Lynchburg 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 university. UofL is 17% Greek. Listed below are the chapters of the social fraternities and sororities that comprise Greek life at UofL.Fraternities
| Organization | Symbol | Nickname | Chapter |
| Phi Kappa Tau | ΦΚΤ | Phi Tau | Zeta Epsilon |
| Sigma Nu | ΣΝ | Sig Nu | Mu Chi |
| Sigma Phi Epsilon | ΣΦΕ | Sig Ep | Virginia Omicron |
Sororities
| Organization | Symbol | Nickname | Chapter |
| Alpha Chi Omega | ΑΧΩ | A Chi O | Iota Omicron |
| Alpha Sigma Alpha | ΑΣΑ | ASA | Zeta Upsilon |
| Kappa Delta | ΚΔ | KD | Zeta Nu |
| Sigma Sigma Sigma | ΣΣΣ | Tri-Sigma | Eta Upsilon |
National Pan-Hellenic Council Fraternities and Sororities
| Organization | Symbol | Nickname | Chapter |
| Alpha Kappa Alpha | ΑΚΑ | AKA | Omicron Sigma |
| Alpha Phi Alpha | ΑΦΑ | Alphas | Sigma Pi |
| Delta Sigma Theta | ΔΣΘ | Deltas | Eta Upsilon |
Athletics
The University of Lynchburg Hornets participate in NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. 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, 19–11.
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.
Notable alumni
| Name | Known for | Relationship to Lynchburg College |
| Brad Babcock | College baseball coach and administrator | BA, 1963 |
| Buddy Bailey | Professional baseball manager, former major league coach | BA in Physical Education, 1979 |
| Ryan Cranston | Former Major League Lacrosse Player | Graduate |
| Bob Duff | Senator - State of Connecticut | BA, 1993, Sigma Phi Epsilon |
| Jerry Falwell | Founder of Liberty University | Journalism student before transferring to Bible Baptist College |
| Ted Gulick | Episcopal bishop | Graduate |
| William J. Hadden | Chaplain, US Army and US Navy, and Episcopal Church | BA, 1944 |
| Franklin P. Hall | Virginia House of Delegates | Graduate |
| Whit Haydn | Magician, entertainer | BA, 1972 |
| John Hobbs | Major League Baseball player | BA, 1978, |
| Howard Kester | Preacher, organizer, activist and author | BA 1924 |
| Robert A. McKee | Member, Maryland House of Delegates | B.A. in political science in 1971 Gary Phillips Class of 1971 Ph.D. Vanderbilt University, 1982 New Testament Studies and linguistics, Highest Distinction École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris, 1975–76 M.Div Vanderbilt Divinity School, 1974 Biblical Studies, Theology, Magna Cum Laude Best Professor at Wabash College |
| Deirdre Quinn | Actress | 1993 BA in Theatre |
| Jessamine Shumate | Artist and painter | Attended art classes during the 1940s |
| Setsuko Thurlow | Anti-nuclear weapons activist who accepted 2017 Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of ICAN | B.A. in Sociology in 1955 |
| Percy Wootton | American Medical Association president | Graduate |
Kathrine Switzer
was the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon.
She attended for two years.