Lenoir–Rhyne University
{{Short description|Lutheran university in Hickory, North Carolina, US}}
{{Infobox university
| name = Lenoir–Rhyne University
| image = Lenoir rhyne univ seal.png
| image_size = 150
| former_name = Highland Academy (1891)
Lenoir College (1891–1928)
Lenoir–Rhyne College (1928–2008){{cite web |title=History & Traditions |url=https://www.lr.edu/about/history-traditions#a12676 |website=lr.edu |publisher=Lenoir-Rhyne University |access-date=26 November 2022}}
| motto = ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐλευθερώσει ὑμᾶς (Greek)
| mottoeng = The truth shall set you free
| type = Private university
| established = 1891
| endowment = $116 million
| undergrad = 1,579
| postgrad = 826
| city = Hickory, North Carolina
| country = United States
| campus_type = Multiple campuses
| campus_size = {{Convert|107|acre}}
| sporting_affiliations = NCAA Division II – SAC
|academic_affiliations = CONAHEC
| colors = {{color sample|#9d2235}}{{color sample|#000000}} Red & Black
| sports_nickname = Bears
| mascot = Joe Bear
| website = {{url|https://www.lr.edu/|lr.edu/}}
| religious_affiliation = Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
| enrollment = 2,405 (fall 2021){{Cite web | url=https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?s=NC&pg=6&id=198835 | title=College Navigator - Lenoir-Rhyne University }}
| logo = Lenoir-Rhyne University logo.png
| logo_size = 200
}}
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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lr.edu/academics|title=Undergraduate & Graduate Programs in North Carolina {{!}} Lenoir-Rhyne|website=www.lr.edu|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-15}}
Athletics
{{Main|Lenoir–Rhyne Bears}}
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.{{cite web|last=Staff|work=LaxPower.com Lacrosse News|url=http://www.laxpower.com/laxnews/news.php?story=21637|title=Lenoir–Rhyne Lacrosse Set for Inaugural Season in 2011|date=January 28, 2011|access-date=February 6, 2011}} The men's and women's track & field and women's lacrosse teams compete as NCAA Division II Independents.
File:MoretzSportsAthleticComplex.jpg
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|date=June 2023}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
class="wikitable" style="margin-right:16pt;margin-top:2pt;float:center;" |
colspan=2|Men's and Women's Athletic Programs |
---|
Men's
!Women's |
style="text-align:center;"| Baseball
|style="text-align:center;"| Softball |
style="text-align:center;"| Basketball
|style="text-align:center;"| Basketball |
style="text-align:center;"| Cross Country
|style="text-align:center;"| Cross Country |
style="text-align:center;"| Football
|style="text-align:center;"| Volleyball |
style="text-align:center;"| Golf
|style="text-align:center;"| Golf |
style="text-align:center;"| Lacrosse
|style="text-align:center;"| Lacrosse |
style="text-align:center;"| Soccer
|style="text-align:center;"| Soccer |
style="text-align:center;"| Spirit Team
|style="text-align:center;"| Spirit Team |
style="text-align:center;"| Swimming
|style="text-align:center;"| Swimming |
style="text-align:center;"| Tennis
|style="text-align:center;"| Tennis |
style="text-align:center;"| Track & Field
(Indoor & Outdoor) |style="text-align:center;"| Track & Field (Indoor & Outdoor) |
{{Col-end}}
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.{{cite web |last1=Lenoir-Rhyne University |title=Student Life |url=https://catalog.lr.edu/content.php?catoid=3&navoid=57 |access-date=21 April 2021}} 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.lr.edu/student-life/upperclass-housing |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827233541/http://www.lr.edu/student-life/upperclass-housing |archive-date=2016-08-27 |title=Living-Learning Center - TEMPLATE: New Client Site (Custom)}}
= Fraternities and sororities =
There are several fraternities and sororities on campus.
Notable alumni
- Virginia Dare Aderholdt, cryptanalyst and Japanese translator
- Frank Barger, high school football coach [https://www.nchsaa.org/news/2019-7-8/frank-ray-barger-sr Frank Ray Barger, Sr.]. NCHSAA. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- 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, baseball player[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dealli01.shtml Lindsay Deal Stats]. Baseball-Reference. Retrieved Aug 15, 2020.
- Claude DeBruhl, North Carolina House of Representatives
- Elizabeth K. Dillon, judge[https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/16665347 Elizabeth K. Dillon, Judge]. Bloomberg. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- Kyle Dugger, football player
- Perry Fewell, football coach
- Gary Glenn, political activistDayberry, John. (Jan 26, 2015). [https://hickoryrecord.com/news/names-and-faces-hickory-native-takes-office/article_0c6a82fa-a3ff-11e4-b4b9-5be2e7996137.html Names and Faces: Hickory native takes office]. Hickory Daily Record. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- David Hoyle, politician
- W. Stine Isenhower, politician
- Burgess Jenkins, actor
- Harold Johnson, sports commentator
- Craig Keith, football player
- Donnie Kirkpatrick, football coach
- John Milem, football player
- Don Padgett, baseball player[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/padgedo01.shtml Don Padgett Stats]. Baseball-Reference.
- Elwood L. Perry, fisherman[https://lrbears.com/honors/hall-of-fame/elwood-buck-perry/62 Elwood "Buck" Perry]. lrbears.com. Retrieved Aug 15, 2020.
- Buz Phillips, baseball player[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/phillbu01.shtml Buz Phillips Stats]. Baseball-Reference. Retrieved Aug 15, 2020.
- Mike Pope, football player
- Tom Segura, stand-up comedian
- Dick Smith, baseball player[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smithdi03.shtml Dick Smith Stats]. Baseball-Reference. Retrieved Aug 15, 2020.
- Herm Starrette, baseball player[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/starrhe01.shtml Herm Starrette Stats]. Baseball-Reference. Retrieved Aug 15, 2020.
- Terence Steward, football player
- Aaron Wheeler, soccer player
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{ccat}}
- {{oweb}}
- [https://lrbears.com/ Athletics website]
{{Spoken Wikipedia|En-Lenoir–Rhyne University-article.ogg|date=2020-05-08}}
{{Private colleges and universities in North Carolina}}
{{South Atlantic Conference navbox}}
{{Elcacolleges}}
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{{Coord|35.7402349|-81.3255013|display=title}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lenoir-Rhyne University}}
Category:Universities and colleges established in 1891
Category:1891 establishments in North Carolina
Category:Hickory, North Carolina
Category:Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Category:Private universities and colleges in North Carolina