Randolph–Macon College is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

liberal arts college A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on undergraduate study in liberal arts and sciences. Such colleges aim to impart a broad general knowledge and develop general intellectual capac ...

Ashland, Virginia Ashland is a town in Hanover County, Virginia, United States, located north of Richmond along Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 7,225, up from 6,619 at the 2000 census. Ashland is named after the Lexi ...

. Founded in 1830, the college has an enrollment of more than 1,500 students. It is the second-oldest Methodist-run college in the country, and the oldest in continuous operation. The college currently offers

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

s, though the institution has announced plans to provide a Master of Science in physician's assistant studies with the first cohort of students entering in 2021–2022.

History

Randolph–Macon was founded in 1830 by

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

s Rev. Hekeziah G. Leigh, Rev. John Early and

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...

er Gabriel Poillon Disosway. It was originally located in Boydton, near the

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

border; but as the railroad link to Boydton was destroyed during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, the college's trustees decided to relocate the school to Ashland in 1868. The college takes its name from Virginia statesmen

John Randolph of Roanoke John Randolph (June 2, 1773May 24, 1833), commonly known as John Randolph of Roanoke,''Roanoke'' refers to Roanoke Plantation in Charlotte County, Virginia, not to the city of the same name. was an American planter, and a politician from Virg ...

and North Carolina statesman

Nathaniel Macon Nathaniel Macon (December 17, 1757June 29, 1837) was an American politician who represented North Carolina in both houses of Congress. He was the fifth speaker of the House, serving from 1801 to 1807. He was a member of the United States House of ...

. (The original site of Randolph–Macon features a historical marker and ruins of the classroom buildings). The original campus became the home of the

Boydton Academic and Bible Institute Boydton Academic and Bible Institute was a Christian school for African Americans from 1879 to 1935 in Boydton, Virginia. It was established on the site of the Boydton Race Course where the original campus of Randolph–Macon College was built and ...

, a Christian school for

African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

which operated from 1878 to 1935. In 1847, Randolph–Macon College established a relationship with

Hampden–Sydney College gr, Ye Shall Know the Truth , established = , type = Private liberal arts men's college , religious_affiliation = Presbyterian Church (USA) , endowment = $258 million (2021) , president = Larry Stimpert , city = Hampden Sydney, Virginia , cou ...

. The relationship led to the formation of the Randolph–Macon Medical School, which closed in 1851. Its president William A. Smith delivered a set of lectures advocating slavery in 1856 and 1857. The college has a historical relationship with

Randolph College Randolph College is a private liberal arts and sciences college in Lynchburg, Virginia. Founded in 1891 as Randolph-Macon Woman's College, it was renamed on July 1, 2007, when it became coeducational. The college offers 32 majors; 42 minors; � ...

(formerly known as Randolph–Macon Woman's College) in

Lynchburg, Virginia Lynchburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. First settled in 1757 by ferry owner John Lynch (1740–1820), John Lynch, the city's populati ...

. The former women's college was founded under Randolph–Macon's original charter in 1893 by the then-president William Waugh Smith; it was intended as a female counterpart to the then all-male Randolph–Macon. The two schools later separated to become distinct institutions governed by two separate boards. Randolph–Macon College became

co-education Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

al in 1971 with the enrollment of 50 women and the first full-time female faculty member. (Randolph College became co-educational in 2007.) In 1892, two preparatory schools — both called Randolph–Macon Academy — were founded. The only one that remains today is

Randolph–Macon Academy Randolph-Macon Academy (R-MA) is a coeducational private boarding school with an elite Air Force JROTC component. R-MA serves students in grades 6-12 and maintains 100% college acceptance rate every year with each class averaging over $14 million ...

Front Royal Front Royal is the only incorporated town in Warren County, Virginia, United States. The population was 15,011 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Warren County. History The entire Shenandoah Valley including the area to become ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. Randolph–Macon Academy is today the only co-educational military boarding school in the country affiliated with the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) is a subdivision of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC). JROTC is a junior military science elective class that is offered in many high schools across the United States. The cla ...

(AFJROTC). Currently, there are no formal relationships or agreements between Randolph-Macon Academy and Randolph–Macon College aside from the shared names, mascots, and school colors. Randolph–Macon College became the first college south of the

Mason–Dixon line The Mason–Dixon line, also called the Mason and Dixon line or Mason's and Dixon's line, is a demarcation line separating four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia (part of Virginia ...

to require physical education coursework for graduation. The old gym, built in 1887, was the first structure in the South to be constructed solely for instruction in physical education. Randolph–Macon is considered to be the first college in the

South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

to offer English as a full discipline and to develop biology as a distinct study. Its computer science department is one of the oldest in the country associated with a liberal arts school; in the 1960s when the program was established, many academics believed computer science to be more appropriate for a commercial trade or secretarial school than a traditional four-year institution. Since 1923, the college has been home to the Zeta of Virginia chapter of the

Phi Beta Kappa Society The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ar ...

, the nation's oldest academic honor society.

Chi Beta Phi Chi Beta Phi ( ) is a professional fraternity in the field of science. History Chi Beta Phi was founded in April, 1916 at Randolph–Macon College. It recognizes a sole founder in John Howard Greene. The fraternity's purpose was to promote inter ...

, the national science honorary society, was founded at Randolph–Macon in 1916.

Academics

As of 2021, Randolph–Macon offers two undergraduate degrees: the

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

and the

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

. All students must satisfy the general collegiate curriculum, which requires them to take courses in each of the college's "Areas of Knowledge:"

civilization A civilization (or civilisation) is any complex society characterized by the development of a state, social stratification, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyond natural spoken language (namely, a writing system). Ci ...

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

s and

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

natural Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are p ...

and

social science Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of soc ...

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

, foreign languages, and wellness. The student-faculty ratio is 12:1.

Calendar

Randolph–Macon operates on a 4-1-4 academic calendar. This allows for two four-month semesters (fall and spring) with a one-month term in January to split up the semesters. During the January Term (colloquially called "J-Term"), students are afforded the opportunity to take intensive study courses on the Randolph–Macon campus, travel the globe as part of a study-abroad course, or participate in professional internships in their field(s) of study and interest.

Four-year degree guarantee

In 2011, Randolph–Macon announced a four-year degree guarantee program. The college guarantees that entering freshmen will graduate in four calendar years and, if qualifying students are not able to meet that requirement, then Randolph–Macon College will waive tuition costs for the courses that the student needs to complete their degree.

Facilities

Randolph–Macon College has over 60 academic, administrative, athletic, and residential buildings on its campus of located in the heart of Ashland, Virginia. The oldest building is Washington-Franklin Hall, built in 1872, soon after the college moved to Ashland from Boydton. It was the first brick building in Ashland, and its construction was funded by the students. Renovated in 1987, Washington-Franklin Hall now houses the history department. Pace-Armistead Hall was built in 1876 (renovated 1997) and originally housed the chemistry department. Today, it is home to the studio art department, including the Flippo Art Gallery. The original Duncan Methodist Church was built in 1879 and was renovated to include classrooms and offices for the music and arts departments. All three buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and collectively they make up "Historic Campus." Copley Science Center is the largest academic building on campus. The biology, chemistry, physics/astrophysics, environmental studies, computer science, and mathematics departments are all located in Copley. Copley Science Center was built as an extension of Smithey Hall, which today houses the psychology department. Just north of Copley is Keeble Observatory, which includes a 12" Cassegrain reflector optical telescope, and two

radio telescope A radio telescope is a specialized antenna and radio receiver used to detect radio waves from astronomical radio sources in the sky. Radio telescopes are the main observing instrument used in radio astronomy, which studies the radio frequency ...

s. Randolph–Macon has one main library: McGraw-Page Library. Formerly, the library was located in Peele Hall, which is now the main administrative building on-campus and includes the Copy Center, Registrar's Office, Human Resources, provost, dean of students, and the president. There are 12 residence halls on campus. The seven halls on the north end of campus are collectively known as the Freshman Village. About 75% of the college's freshmen live in one of those halls. The four located near the center of campus house upperclassmen and the remaining freshmen. These include the two oldest residence halls – Thomas Branch Hall and Mary Branch Hall. The college also owns most of the fraternity and sorority houses, other houses devoted to special interest groups, and on-campus townhouses (usually reserved for seniors). Andrews Hall, named after former dean of students Rev. Ira Andrews, opened in fall 2011. The newest residence hall, Birdsong Hall, named for Constance and Thomas Birdsong '49, opened in fall 2014. Birdsong Hall provides housing for upperclassmen, including common areas, study rooms, and laundry facilities. The college announced a $100 million capital campaign in 2011. A large portion of the funds will go toward enhancing facilities, including two new residence halls, new football and baseball fields and stadiums, additions and renovations to the McGraw-Page Library and Copley Science Center, along with the destruction of the Brown Campus Center that was rebuilt into the Brock Commons in 2013. In 2021, ground was broken on Duke Hall, a new 45,000-square-foot facility which will house team locker rooms, coaches offices, a new press box, and a floor fully dedicated to the Physician Assistant graduate program, scheduled to begin accepting application in the spring of 2022. Projected opening of Duke Hall, located adjacent to the home side of Day Field, is in the autumn of 2022. The main north–south railroad line for the east coast runs through the campus. Most of the campus is located to the east of the railroad, but a handful of college offices, special interest houses, and athletic fields are located to the west of the tracks. The Ashland train station (not part of the R-MC campus) is directly across from the southern entrance to the campus.

Athletics

Randolph–Macon athletic teams are the Yellow Jackets (or more simply, as "The Jackets"). The college is a member of the

Division III In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...

level of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

(NCAA), primarily competing in the

Old Dominion Athletic Conference The Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) is an NCAA Division III athletic conference. Of its 15 member schools, all but one are located in Virginia; the other full member is in North Carolina. The conference also has an associate member in Nort ...

(ODAC) since the 1976–77 academic year. Randolph–Macon competes in 20 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis and volleyball (which was added in 2019); while women's sports include basketball, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball; and co-ed sports include dance/cheer and equestrian. The Hampden–Sydney vs. Randolph–Macon rivalry is a

sports rivalry A sports rivalry is intense competition between athletic teams or athletes, affecting participants, management, and supporters all to varying degrees. The intensity of the rivalry can range anywhere from a light hearted banter to serious violen ...

between the

Tigers The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on un ...

and the Randolph–Macon College

Yellow Jackets Yellowjacket or yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genera '' Vespula'' and '' Dolichovespula''. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries. Most of th ...

. The

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

rivalry between the NCAA Division III schools, often known simply as "The Game", dates to 1893 and has been called the oldest small-school rivalry in the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

. The rivalry now crosses all sports, with the men's basketball series in particular gaining national attention. On November 24, 2020, the 1984 football victory over Hampden–Sydney was voted the greatest football game in the history of Randolph–Macon dating back to 1891. In this game, Randolph–Macon's defense forced five turnovers which allowed the explosive and record breaking offense to score 31 points in a 31–10 victory. This allowed Randolph–Macon to advance to the NCAA playoffs for the first time in the school's history finishing the regular season ranked #5 in the NCAA and #1 in the NCAA South Region. During this historic season, Randolph Macon wide receiver Keith Gilliam had an NCAA record of nine consecutive receptions for touchdowns. On March 19, 2022, Randolph–Macon won its first national title in the school's history as the men's basketball team soundly defeated Elmhurst College, 75–45. The Yellow Jackets set a school record for wins and finished with a 33–1 record, including a 19–0 finish in ODAC conference play. The college maintains a Hall of Fame of former especially accomplished athletes based upon their past athletic records.

Notable alumni

* Benjamin Lee Arnold (1862),

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

and the second president of

Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering co ...

. *

Ted Bell Theodore Augustus Bell III (July 3, 1946 – January 20, 2023) was an American author of suspense novels such as ''Hawke'' and ''Assassin'', ''Pirate'', ''Spy'', ''Warlord'', ''Phantom'', and ''Overkill'', released in May 2018. He is best know ...

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

suspense Suspense is a state of mental uncertainty, anxiety, being undecided, or being doubtful. In a dramatic work, suspense is the anticipation of the outcome of a plot or of the solution to an uncertainty, puzzle, or mystery, particularly as it aff ...

novels such as ''Hawke'' and ''Assassin,'' ''Pirate,'' ''Spy,'' ''Warlord,'' ''Phantom'', and ''Overkill''. Before becoming a novelist, he was president and chief creative officer of the

Leo Burnett Company Leo Burnett Worldwide, Inc., also known as Leo Burnett Company, Inc., is an American advertising company, founded on August 5, 1935, in Chicago by Leo Burnett. In September 2002, the company was acquired by Publicis Groupe, the world's third ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

; later vice-chairman of the board and worldwide creative director of

Young & Rubicam VMLY&R is an American marketing and Marketing communications, communications company specializing in advertising, Digital media, digital and social media, sales promotion, direct marketing and brand identity consulting, formed from the merger of ...

, one of the world's largest advertising agencies * Michael Breed, host of ''The Golf Fix'' *

Marty Brennaman Franchester Martin Brennaman (born July 28, 1942) is an American retired sportscaster, best known for his long tenure as the play-by-play voice of Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds on the Cincinnati Reds Radio Network. Known for his opini ...

, broadcaster for the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

* Larry Preston Bryant, Jr. (1986), member of the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

who served as Secretary of Natural Resources under Governor

Tim Kaine Timothy Michael Kaine (; born February 26, 1958) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Virginia since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 38th lieutenant governor of Virgini ...

*Thomas H. Campbell (1841), served in both houses of the General Assembly of Virginia, and was president of the Southside Railroad Company * William Duval Cardwell,

politician. He represented

Hanover County Hanover County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 109,979. Its county seat is Hanover Courthouse. Hanover County is a part of the Greater Richmond Region. History Located in the wester ...

in the

, and served as that body's

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

from 1906 until 1908 * James Rives Childs (1912) was an American consular and diplomatic official for over 30 years, a writer, and an authority on

Giacomo Casanova Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (, ; 2 April 1725 – 4 June 1798) was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice. His autobiography, (''Story of My Life''), is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of information about the c ...

. *

Seth Clabough Seth Clabough (born 1975) is an American fiction writer and author of the novel '' All Things Await'', which was nominated for the 2017 Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction. Clabough was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1975, grew up on a ...

, American novelist, English professor * David Clopton (1840), U.S. Congressman from Alabama, and associate justice of the Alabama Supreme Court * John W. Craine Jr., president of

SUNY Maritime College State University of New York Maritime College (SUNY Maritime College) is a public maritime college in the Bronx, New York City. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Founded in 1874, the SUNY Maritime College was the fir ...

* Nathan Davis, head men's basketball coach at Bucknell University * Lemuel Whitley Diggs,

pathologist Pathology is the study of the causal, causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when us ...

who specialized in

sickle cell anemia Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of blood disorders typically inherited from a person's parents. The most common type is known as sickle cell anaemia. It results in an abnormality in the oxygen-carrying protein haemoglobin found in red blo ...

and

hematology Hematology ( always spelled haematology in British English) is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood. It involves treating diseases that affect the produc ...

. In 1938 he helped create in Memphis the first

blood bank A blood bank is a center where blood gathered as a result of blood donation is stored and preserved for later use in blood transfusion. The term "blood bank" typically refers to a department of a hospital usually within a Clinical Pathology laborat ...

in the South, only the fourth in the US. He helped

Danny Thomas Danny Thomas (born Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz; January 6, 1912 – February 6, 1991) was an American actor, singer, nightclub comedian, producer, and philanthropist. He created and starred in one of the most successful and long-running si ...

create the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, also in Memphis, in 1962. *

James Ferguson Dowdell James Ferguson Dowdell (November 26, 1818 – September 6, 1871) was the second President of the East Alabama College, now known as Auburn University, from 1868 to 1870, and a U.S. Representative from Alabama.

(1840), second president of the East Alabama College, now known as

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...

, from 1868 to 1870, and representative from Alabama to the United States Congress *

Patrick Henry Drewry Patrick Henry Drewry (May 24, 1875 – December 21, 1947) was a Virginia lawyer and Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician who served in the United States House of Representatives and state senate. Early life and education Bor ...

(1896),

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

and state legislator from

* Beth Dunkenberger (1988), head coach of the

Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...

women's basketball team *Brigadier General (retired) Malinda E. Dunn (1978), executive director of the American Inns of Court Foundation. United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, serving as the assistant Judge Advocate General for Military Law and Operations. Commanded the U.S. Army Legal Services Agency and served as chief judge of the Army Court of Criminal Appeals. First female staff judge advocate of the 82nd Airborne Division, first female chief of personnel for the Army JAG Corps, first female staff judge advocate of the 18th Airborne Corps, and first woman selected as a general officer in the active duty Army Judge Advocate General's Corps. *

Randy Forbes James Randy Forbes (born February 17, 1952) is an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U.S. representative for , serving from 2001 to 2017. Prior to joining the United States Congress, he was a member of the Virgin ...

(1974) U.S. Congressman from Virginia * John H. Gibbons (1949), American scientist and nuclear physicist, director of the White House

Office of Science and Technology Policy An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific dut ...

under President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

* William Conrad Gibbons (1949), American historian and foreign policy expert *

Meta Glass Meta (from the Greek μετά, '' meta'', meaning "after" or "beyond") is a prefix meaning "more comprehensive" or "transcending". In modern nomenclature, ''meta''- can also serve as a prefix meaning self-referential, as a field of study or ende ...

, president of Sweet Briar College *

Porter Hardy Jr. Porter Hardy Jr. (June 1, 1903 – April 19, 1995) was a farmer, businessman and Democrat politician who represented Virginia's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for more than two decades, including suppo ...

(1922),

from

. * Joseph Chappell Hutcheson, Sr. (1861),

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

politician and a Democratic member of the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abou ...

and the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

. * Edwin L. James (1909), journalist and war correspondent who covered World War I for ''The New York Times'' *

Thomas Jordan Jarvis Thomas Jordan Jarvis (January 18, 1836June 17, 1915) was the 44th governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1879 to 1885. Jarvis later served as a U.S. Senator from 1894 to 1895, and helped establish East Carolina Teachers Training Scho ...

(1861), 44th Governor of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

from 1879 to 1885. Jarvis later served as a

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from 1894 to 1895, and helped establish East Carolina Teachers Training School, now known as

East Carolina University East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university, public research university in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the fourth largest university in North Carolina. Founded on March 8, 1907, as a Normal school, teacher training school, East ...

, in 1907. *

Mitchell Johnson Mitchell Guy Johnson (born 2 November 1981) is a former Australian cricketer, who played all forms of the game for his national side. He is a left-arm fast bowler and left-handed batsman. He made his Test debut for Australia in November 2007 ...

(1986), American painter *Thomas C. Johnson (1842), member of Missouri State Legislature an
fourth President of Randolph-Macon College
* S. Chris Jones (1980), member of the

. In 2014, he was named chair of the House Appropriations Committee. *

George Preston Marshall George Preston Marshall (October 11, 1896 – August 9, 1969) was an American businessman best known for founding the Washington Commanders, an American football franchise belonging to the National Football League (NFL). He founded the team as ...

, founder and first owner of the NFL Washington Redskins *

Gregg Marshall Michael Gregg Marshall (born February 27, 1963) is an American college basketball coach whose most recent position was head coach at Wichita State University. Marshall has coached his teams to appearances in the NCAA Division I men's basketball ...

(1985), head men's basketball coach at

Wichita State Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in ...

David W. Marsden David W. Marsden (born April 5, 1948, in Alexandria, Virginia) is an American politician of the Democratic Party. He currently represents the 37th district in the Senate of Virginia, which is a portion of Fairfax County, since 2010. Between 200 ...

(1970), member of the

Virginia Senate The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Virg ...

from the 37th district *

William Alphonso Murrill William Alphonso Murrill (October 13, 1869 – December 25, 1957) was an American mycologist, known for his contributions to the knowledge of the Agaricales and Polyporaceae. In 1904, he became the assistant Curator at the New York Botanical Ga ...

(1889),

mycologist Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungus, fungi, including their genetics, genetic and biochemistry, biochemical properties, their Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy and ethnomycology, their use to humans, including as a so ...

, known for his contributions to the knowledge of the

Agaricales The fungal order Agaricales, also known as gilled mushrooms (for their distinctive gills) or euagarics, contains some of the most familiar types of mushrooms. The order has 33 extant families, 413 genera, and over 13,000 described species, alo ...

and

Polyporaceae The Polyporaceae are a family of poroid fungi belonging to the Basidiomycota. The flesh of their fruit bodies varies from soft (as in the case of the dryad's saddle illustrated) to very tough. Most members of this family have their hymeniu ...

Holland Nimmons McTyeire Holland Nimmons McTyeire (July 28, 1824 – February 15, 1889) was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, elected in 1866. He was a co-founder of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He was a supporter of slav ...

(1844), American

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of the

Methodist Episcopal Church, South The Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MEC, S; also Methodist Episcopal Church South) was the American Methodist denomination resulting from the 19th-century split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC). Disagreement ...

and a co-founder of

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

Walter Hines Page Walter Hines Page (August 15, 1855 – December 21, 1918) was an American journalist, publisher, and diplomat. He was the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom during World War I. He founded the ''State Chronicle'', a newspaper in Rale ...

, journalist, U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom * Brian Partlow, head coach of the

Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...

Austin Wranglers The Austin Wranglers were an arena football team based in Austin, Texas. They played four seasons in the Arena Football League from 2004 to 2007 and spent one season in af2, the AFL's developmental league, in 2008. They made playoff appearances i ...

*James L. Pierce (1840), president of Lagrange (Georgia) Female College * E. Barrett Prettyman (1910), United States Federal Judge after whom the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., is named. *

Thomas G. Pullen Thomas Granville Pullen Jr. (August 2, 1898 – November 11, 1979) was the fifth president of the University of Baltimore from 1964 to 1969. Prior to that, he acted as state superintendent of schools for Maryland from 1942 to 1964. Early life P ...

, fifth president of the University of Baltimore. * Margaret Bevans Ransone (1992),

American politician The politics of the United States function within a framework of a constitutional federal republic and presidential system, with three distinct branches that share powers. These are: the U.S. Congress which forms the legislative branch, a bic ...

elected to the

in 2011 *

James Williams Riddleberger James Williams Riddleberger (September 21, 1904 – October 17, 1982) was an American diplomat and career foreign service officer. During his career, he served three ambassadorships: in Austria, Yugoslavia and Greece. Biography Early life and ...

(1924) U.S. Ambassador to Greece * William McKendree Robbins (1850),

from

. * James I. Robertson Jr., author and scholar on the American Civil War and a professor at Virginia Tech *

Jim Sanborn Jim or JIM may refer to: * Jim (given name), a given name * Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James * Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy * OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism * ''Jim'' (comics), a series by Jim Woodring * ''Ji ...

(1968), American sculptor, created the unsolved sculpture ''

Kryptos ''Kryptos'' is a sculpture by the American artist Jim Sanborn located on the grounds of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Langley, Virginia. Since its dedication on November 3, 1990, there has been much speculation about the meaning of ...

'' in 1990 *

Hugh Scott Hugh Doggett Scott Jr. (November 11, 1900 – July 21, 1994) was an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he represented Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1947 to 1959 and in the U.S. Senate, from 195 ...

, Republican U.S. Congressman, U.S. Senator from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

* Matt Shaheen, Republican member of the

from Plano,

Andrew Sledd Andrew Warren Sledd (November 7, 1870 – March 16, 1939) was an American theologian, university professor and university president. A native of Virginia, he was the son of a prominent Methodist minister, and was himself ordained as a minis ...

, first president of the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

, noted New Testament scholar at the

Candler School of Theology Candler School of Theology is one of seven graduate schools at Emory University, located in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. A university-based school of theology, Candler educates ministers, scholars of religion and other leaders. It is also one ...

* Greg Smith, a

child prodigy A child prodigy is defined in psychology research literature as a person under the age of ten who produces meaningful output in some domain at the level of an adult expert. The term is also applied more broadly to young people who are extraor ...

who attended the college at age 10. *

Howard Stevens Howard Melvin Stevens Jr. (born February 9, 1950, in Harrisonburg, Virginia ) is a former NFL running back who played for the New Orleans Saints and the Baltimore Colts. He was one of the smallest players to play in the NFL and was the smallest ...

, professional football player *

Claude A. Swanson Claude Augustus Swanson (March 31, 1862July 7, 1939) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician from Virginia. He served as U.S. Representative (1893-1906), Governor of Virginia (1906-1910), and U.S. Senator from Virginia (1910-1933), befor ...

, U.S. Senator, Governor of Virginia, U.S. Secretary of the Navy under President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

Walter Leak Steele Walter Leak Steele (April 18, 1823 – October 16, 1891) was a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina between 1877 and 1881. Born near Rockingham in Richmond County, North Carolina, Steele attended common schools near his home and then Randol ...

, U.S. Congressman *

Nader Talebzadeh Nader Talebzadeh ( fa, نادر طالب‌زاده) also known as Nader Ordoubadi was an Iranian conservative journalist and filmmaker. Early life Talebzadeh was born in 1953 or 1954 in Tehran. His father Mansour Talebzadeh Ordoubadi, was a ...

, film director *

David W. Taylor David Watson Taylor (March 4, 1864 – July 28, 1940) was a U.S. naval architect and an engineer of the United States Navy. He served during World War I as Chief Constructor of the Navy, and Chief of the Bureau of Construction and Repair. Ta ...

(1881), rear admiral, U.S. Navy, and Chief Constructor of the Navy during World War I. *

Syd Thrift Sydnor W. Thrift Jr. (February 25, 1929 – September 18, 2006) was an American scout and executive in Major League Baseball who served as the general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1985 to 1988, and the ''de facto'' general manager of t ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player, scout, and general manager *Rev. Edward Wadsworth (1841), president of LaGrange University in Alabama from 1847 to 1852. President of the Southern University in Greensboro. In 1872, he was involved in obtaining the charter of the Methodist college that later became Vanderbilt University * Joshua Soule Zimmerman (1892), American lawyer, politician, and orchardist in the

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

. In the early years of the 20th century, Zimmerman served as the

Prosecuting Attorney A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal tria ...

for Hampshire County and as a Democratic member of the

West Virginia House of Delegates The West Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the West Virginia Legislature. Only three states—Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia—refer to their lower house as the House of Delegates. Organization Regular sessions begin with ...

Notable faculty

Dave Brat David Alan Brat (born July 27, 1964) is an American academic and politician who is the dean of the Liberty University School of Business. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 7th congressional di ...

: former Republican Congressman for

Virginia's 7th congressional district Virginia's 7th congressional district is a United States congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The district is currently represented by Democrat Abigail Spanberger, first elected in 2018. 2016 redistricting The Virginia L ...

U.S. House of Representatives seat. In 2014, he defeated House Majority Leader

Eric Cantor Eric Ivan Cantor (born June 6, 1963) is an American lawyer and former politician who represented Virginia's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2014. A Republican, Cantor served as House Minori ...

in the GOP primary and went on to defeat Democratic candidate Jack Trammell (also a member of the faculty) in the November general election. In 2018, he was defeated by Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger * William E. Dodd, American Ambassador to Germany 1933-1937"In The Garden of The Beasts" by Erik Larson * David Seth Doggett, a

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

in the 1860s and later a

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of the

* Theodore Henley Jack, president of Randolph-Macon College from 1933 through 1964 *

Nathaniel Thomas Lupton Nathaniel Thomas Lupton (December 30, 1830 – June 11, 1893) was an American chemist and university professor. He served as the President of the University of Alabama from 1871 to 1874. Additionally, he served as State Chemist of Alabama. Early ...

(1830–1893), a professor of chemistry in 1856 *

Debra Rodman Debra H. Rodman (born 1972) is a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates. She was first elected in 2017, and represented the 73rd district comprising parts of Henrico County. Rodman is a member of the Democratic Party. Personal life ...

, associate professor of anthropology and women's studies and director of Women's Studies and elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in November 2017 for District 73 * Jack Trammell, the 2014 Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in

, American novelist, English professor

References

External links

Official websiteOfficial athletics website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Randolph-Macon College Liberal arts colleges in Virginia Private universities and colleges in Virginia University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Hanover County, Virginia Educational institutions established in 1830 Education in Hanover County, Virginia Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Buildings and structures in Hanover County, Virginia Tourist attractions in Hanover County, Virginia Gothic Revival architecture in Virginia Italianate architecture in Virginia 1830 establishments in Virginia