Lenoir–Rhyne University 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 recorded ...

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

university in

Hickory, North Carolina Hickory is a city in western North Carolina primarily located in Catawba County, North Carolina, Catawba County. The List of municipalities in North Carolina, 25th most populous city in the state, it is located approximately northwest of Charlot ...

. It was founded in 1891 and is affiliated with the North Carolina Synod of the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. As of December 31, 2023, it ...

(ELCA).

Academics

The university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is a regional educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. As of 2022, the organization oversees ap ...

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 Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...

Athletics

Lenoir–Rhyne fields 20 intercollegiate teams and competes in

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

Division II (NCAA Division II) as a member of the

South Atlantic Conference The South Atlantic Conference (SAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the southeastern United States. The SAC was founded in 1975 as ...

. 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. The men's and women's track & field and women's lacrosse teams compete as NCAA Division II Independents. MoretzSportsAthleticComplex

Prior to competing in the NCAA, the university was a member of the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for higher education, colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic schola ...

(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.

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. 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.

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 * Rick Barnes, men's

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

head coach *

Cherie Berry Nora Cherie Killian Berry (born December 21, 1946) is an American politician who served as the North Carolina Commissioner of Labor from 2001 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, she was the first woman to hold the office. Early life No ...

, former North Carolina Commissioner of Labor *

James B. Black James Boyce Black (born March 25, 1935) is a member of the North Carolina Democratic Party, and a former member of the North Carolina General Assembly, who represented the state's 100th House district, including constituents in Mecklenburg Count ...

, former speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives * Lindsay Deal, baseball player * Claude DeBruhl,

North Carolina House of Representatives The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, Speaker of the House, who holds powers si ...

* Elizabeth K. Dillon, judge * Kyle Dugger, football player * Perry Fewell, football coach * Gary Glenn, political activist * David Hoyle, politician * W. Stine Isenhower, politician *

Burgess Jenkins Burgess Jenkins (born October 24, 1973) is an American actor and director who has had a steady career in television and film for more than two decades. He is best known for his role as Bobby Irons on '' One Tree Hill,'' Ray Budds in the film '' ...

, actor * Harold Johnson, sports commentator * Craig Keith, football player * Donnie Kirkpatrick, football coach * John Milem, football player * Don Padgett, baseball player * Elwood L. Perry, fisherman * Buz Phillips, baseball player * Mike Pope, football player *

Tom Segura Thomas Weston Segura (born April 16, 1979) is an American stand-up comedian, writer, author, actor, and podcaster. Segura co-hosts the '' Your Mom's House'' podcast with his wife, fellow comedian Christina Pazsitzky. Segura also co-hosts the p ...

, stand-up comedian * Dick Smith, baseball player * Herm Starrette, baseball playerHerm Starrette Stats
''Baseball-Reference''. Retrieved Aug 15, 2020. * Terence Steward, football player * Aaron Wheeler, soccer player

References

External links

*
Athletics website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lenoir-Rhyne University Universities and colleges established in 1891 1891 establishments in North Carolina Hickory, North Carolina Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Private universities and colleges in North Carolina