Lenoir-Rhyne College [1]
Lenoir-Rhyne College
[5]Lenoir-Rhyne College opened in Hickory as Highland College (successor to Highland Academy) in 1891. Its founders were four Lutheran pastors and educators-Andrew L. Crouse, Robert A. Yoder, William P. Cline, and Jason C. Moser-who had dreamed of establishing a Christian college in the town. The school stood on 56 acres originally owned by Wilkes County [6] lawyer Walter Waightstill Lenoir, who donated the land in his will for the purpose of establishing a school. The school opened as Highland College, but changed its name four months later to Lenoir College in memory of its benefactor. In 1895 the school established a sponsorship with the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America [7] that remains in place. The institution's name was changed to Lenoir-Rhyne College in 1923 in recognition of textile manufacturer, banker, and philanthropist Daniel Efird Rhyne, who made a generous donation to the college in 1922.
Founded on a dedication to a "liberal culture upon Christian principles," Lenoir-Rhyne enrolled more than 1,400 students by the early 2000s. The college's liberal arts core curriculum features 60 majors in the liberal arts, the sciences, and preprofessional programs. Lenoir-Rhyne created an Institute for Multi-cultural Education and Training in 1989 and a center for women's studies in 1991.
References:
Jeff L. Norris and Ellis G. Boatman, Fair Star: A Centennial History of Lenoir-Rhyne College (1990).
Charles J. Preslar Jr., ed., A History of Catawba County (1954).
John E. Trainer Jr., Celebrating a Century of Excellence in Education (1990).
Image Credit:
Lenoir Rhyne Campus. Image courtesy of Flickr user Laura Heller. Available from http://www.flickr.com/photos/blueathena7/493894427/ [5] (accessed June 7, 2012).
1 January 2006 | Williams, Wiley J.
