Organization:Lenoir–Rhyne University
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Former name | Highland Academy (1891) Lenoir College (1891–1928) Lenoir–Rhyne College (1928–2008)[1] |
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| Motto | ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐλευθερώσει ὑμᾶς (Greek) |
Motto in English | The truth shall set you free |
| Type | Private university |
| Established | 1891 |
Religious affiliation | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |
Academic affiliations | CONAHEC |
| Endowment | $116 million |
| Students | 2,405 (fall 2021)[2] |
| Undergraduates | 1,579 |
| Postgraduates | 826 |
| Location | Hickory, North Carolina , United States |
| |u}}rs | Red & black |
| Nickname | Bears |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division II – SAC |
| Mascot | Joe Bear |
| Website | www.lr.edu/ |
Lenoir–Rhyne University is a private Lutheran university in Hickory, North Carolina. It was founded in 1891 and is affiliated with the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
Academics
The university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's and master's degrees. Overall, Lenoir–Rhyne University has over 50 undergraduate majors and nearly 30 graduate programs. The university has campuses in Hickory, Asheville, and Columbia, South Carolina.[3]
Athletics
Lenoir–Rhyne fields 20 intercollegiate teams and competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II (NCAA Division II) as a member of the South Atlantic Conference. The school nickname is the Bears; its mascots are Joe and Josie Bear.
The school's swimming programs compete in the Bluegrass Mountain Swimming Conference and the men's lacrosse program was a member of the Deep South Lacrosse Conference until the conference dissolved in 2013.[4] The men's and women's track & field and women's lacrosse teams compete as NCAA Division II Independents.
Prior to competing in the NCAA, the university was a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The LRU football team won the NAIA National Championship in 1960 and made three trips to the title game in four years. In 2013 the Lenoir–Rhyne football team made it to the 2013 NCAA Division II Football Championship game. In 1980, the Bears' women's basketball team reached the NAIA Final Four while the men's basketball squad made it to the NAIA Elite Eight in 1992.
Recently, the Lenoir–Rhyne softball team has seen six straight trips to the NCAA Division II Playoffs, and reached the Southeast Region Finals in 2010 and 2011. Also, the Bears' women's soccer team advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 2010 after the program's most successful season to date. The LRU men's and women's basketball teams have both reached Division II NCAA postseason play several times in the 2000s, with the Bear women hosting the Southeast Region Tournament in 2009. In 2023, the LR Men’s Lacrosse team won the Division II National Championship. They defeated Mercyhurst University by a score of 20-5. This is the first NCAA team championship win in the school's 125 years.[citation needed]
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Student life
There are over 60 student clubs and organization on campus.
Undergraduate students are required to live on campus for their first three years.[5] The university designates Morgan Hall, Isenhour Hall, and half of Fritz-Conrad Hall exclusively for freshman students. Upperclassmen housing includes Hickory House, Price Village, and Fourth Street apartments. In 2007 Lenoir-Rhyne built the Living Learning Center which provides upscale living and classroom space. Students who are part of the Lenoir-Rhyne Honors Academy or Greek Life may choose to live in designated on campus houses.[6]
Fraternities and sororities
| Fraternity & Sorority Life | |
|---|---|
| Iota Phi Theta | Interest Group |
| Kappa Alpha Psi | Mu Upsilon colony |
| Omega Psi Phi | Alpha Delta Psi chapter |
| Pi Kappa Phi | Epsilon Rho chapter |
| Theta Xi | Kappa Omicron chapter |
| Delta Zeta | Zeta Xi chapter |
| Kappa Delta | Gamma Chi chapter |
| Zeta Phi Beta | Theta Tau chapter[7] |
| Zeta Tau Alpha | Delta Omicron chapter |
Notable alumni
- Virginia Dare Aderholdt, an Arlington Hall cryptanalyst and Japanese translator, who decrypted the intercepted Japanese surrender message, August 14, 1945
- Frank Barger, high school football coach at Hickory High School; inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1993[8]
- Rick Barnes, men's college basketball head coach
- Cherie Berry, former North Carolina Commissioner of Labor
- James B. Black, former Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives
- Lindsay Deal, MLB player[9]
- Elizabeth K. Dillon, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia[10]
- Kyle Dugger, NFL safety for the New England Patriots
- Perry Fewell, former NFL football coach; currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Officiating Administration for the NFL's officiating department
- Gary Glenn, political activist and former member of the Michigan House of Representatives[11]
- David Hoyle, North Carolina politician who served as a member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's forty-third Senate district
- W. Stine Isenhower, served in the North Carolina House of Representatives
- Burgess Jenkins, actor
- Harold Johnson, former sports commentator for WSOC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina
- Craig Keith, former NFL tight end
- Donnie Kirkpatrick, college football coach
- John Milem, former NFL defensive end
- Don Padgett, MLB catcher/outfielder[12]
- Elwood L. Perry, inventor of the form of fishing lure known as the spoonplug[13]
- Buz Phillips, MLB pitcher[14]
- Mike Pope, best known as NFL tight ends coach for the New York Giants, serving on all four of their Super Bowl Championship teams
- Tom Segura, stand-up comedian, actor and co-host of Your Mom's House podcast
- Dick Smith, MLB outfielder[15]
- Herm Starrette, former MLB pitcher and coach[16]
- Terence Steward, former NFL wide receiver
- Aaron Wheeler, former MLS forward for the Philadelphia Union
References
- ↑ "History & Traditions". Lenoir-Rhyne University. https://www.lr.edu/about/history-traditions#a12676.
- ↑ "College Navigator - Lenoir-Rhyne University". https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?s=NC&pg=6&id=198835.
- ↑ "Undergraduate & Graduate Programs in North Carolina | Lenoir-Rhyne" (in en-US). https://www.lr.edu/academics.
- ↑ Staff (January 28, 2011). "Lenoir–Rhyne Lacrosse Set for Inaugural Season in 2011". LaxPower.com Lacrosse News. http://www.laxpower.com/laxnews/news.php?story=21637.
- ↑ Lenoir-Rhyne University. "Student Life". https://catalog.lr.edu/content.php?catoid=3&navoid=57.
- ↑ "Living-Learning Center - TEMPLATE: New Client Site (Custom)". https://www.lr.edu/student-life/upperclass-housing.
- ↑ "Theta Tau". Theta Tau Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.. http://zphib-thetatau.weebly.com/theta-tau.html.
- ↑ Frank Ray Barger, Sr.. NCHSAA. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ↑ Lindsay Deal Stats. Baseball-Reference. Retrieved Aug 15, 2020.
- ↑ Elizabeth K. Dillon, Judge. Bloomberg. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ↑ Dayberry, John. (Jan 26, 2015). Names and Faces: Hickory native takes office. Hickory Daily Record. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ↑ Don Padgett Stats. Baseball-Reference.
- ↑ Elwood "Buck" Perry. lrbears.com. Retrieved Aug 15, 2020.
- ↑ Buz Phillips Stats. Baseball-Reference. Retrieved Aug 15, 2020.
- ↑ Dick Smith Stats. Baseball-Reference. Retrieved Aug 15, 2020.
- ↑ Herm Starrette Stats. Baseball-Reference. Retrieved Aug 15, 2020.
External links
[ ⚑ ] 35°44′25″N 81°19′32″W / 35.7402349°N 81.3255013°W
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