In 1891, 在20英亩的荒地上, 丘陵, 在当时的坎贝尔县登陆, William Waugh Smith built the foundation for his vision—a dream that was years in the making. 早在1883年和1885年, the then-president of Randolph-Macon College (R-MC) in Ashland, 维吉尼亚州, W.W. 班尼特, with the support of faculty (which included William Waugh Smith) approached the college’s 校董会 in an attempt to open some educational opportunities there to women. 两次努力都失败了. Years later, when Smith himself was president, he once again set out to convince the board. While the board members remained steadfast against opening R-MC to women, they did agree to the idea of a separate college for women.
Smith set out to find a place in 维吉尼亚州 open to such a novel concept—providing a rigorous academic program to women. 乔治·米. 琼斯, 里弗蒙特土地公司的股东, 建议林奇堡, 一个富有的, 蓝岭山脉附近的新兴城市. 热情而坚定, 史密斯说服公司捐赠了20英亩的土地, 还有40美元,000美元和60美元,000股, 只要史密斯能筹到100美元,90天内的捐赠. 他在短短34天内就筹到了10.6万美元.
9月. 14, 1893, 还有其他11位教职员工在他身边, Smith opened the doors of the partially finished building (eventually called Smith Hall and later Main Hall) to the first class of 36 pioneering women.
在威廉·沃·史密斯的领导下, Randolph-Macon Woman’s College quickly became known nationally for its academic rigor and began to attract women from across the nation. Smith tirelessly championed the school until his death in 1912. In 1902, R-MWC was the first women’s college to be admitted to the Association of Colleges and Preparatory Schools of the Southern States. In 1911, 学院的第一位艺术教授, 路易丝·乔丹·史密斯, 创立了当代艺术年度展览, 在1914年, the College’s collection of art began with the acquisition of a piece from the Fourth Annual Exhibition. 除了, R-MWC was the first college in the south to have a psychology laboratory, 在1916年, R-MWC was also the first women’s college south of the Potomac to receive a Phi Beta Kappa charter. 珍珠年代. Buck, a member of the Class of 1914, is the College’s most well-known graduate. 作者 大地，赛珍珠获得了普利策奖和诺贝尔奖.
The early and middle 1900s brought expansion and building to the campus as facilities and programs were added. In 1953, R-MWC officially separated from the Randolph-Macon 校董会, 并于3月27日举行了首次会议. The College benefited from the Cold War when the National Gallery asked to build a secret storage facility on campus for the nation’s masterpieces in the case of nuclear war. 当时被称为艺术画廊, the facility served as a gallery for the College’s art collection beginning in 1953. (In 1983, the Art Gallery was renamed the Maier Museum of Art.)
In 1961, R-MWC became the first college in Lynchburg to allow students of all races to enroll. 在此期间, the College also established its flagship study abroad program in Reading, 英格兰, 其他几座建筑也完工了.
Randolph’s innovative American Culture Program was launched in the 1990s. The early 2000s brought the creation of the popular 夏天的研究 program, the reinstatement of the biennial Greek Play tradition (originally produced in 1909), 还有新的环境研究项目.
In 2004, the College’s 校董会 began a multi-year strategic planning process. 维吉尼亚州 Hill Worden ’69 stepped in as interim president after the retirement of Kathleen Gill Bowman. 经过多年的争论, 研究, 和审议, the College’s 校董会 addressed enrollment issues by making the decision in September 2006 to adopt coeducation and change the College name. R-MWC officially became Randolph College on July 1, 2007, and John E. 克莱因于当年8月开始担任总统, just days before the College welcomed its first fully coed class. 经过几年的转型, the College began to see significant improvement in all areas, 包括校友参与. 在克莱因领导期间, alumnae financial support allowed Randolph to make significant improvements to campus. The $6 million Student Center renovation and Michels Plaza were completed in 2013. Also, in that year, the 校董会 announced the appointment of Bradley W. 贝特曼担任总统. He began his tenure in July 2013 after the retirement of Klein. During Bateman’s tenure, the College continued its forward momentum.
近年来也增加了新的研究生课程. 除了教学艺术硕士, Randolph now offers a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and a Master of Arts in Coaching and Sport 领导. The College will begin its new TAKE2 curriculum model in the fall of 2021. 这种独特的, 创新项目, 学生每七周上两节课, 星期三没有课, 是为了更好地满足当今学生的需求而设计的吗.
Improvements to campus have continued with the addition of the Grosvenor Apartments and renovations to Cheatham Dining Hall and Wright Hall. A major infrastructure project was completed in recent years, along with various other improvements to other areas of campus, 包括大堂及大堂, 贝尔大厅, 网球场, 野猫球场草皮, 和更多的. In 2021, the College completed its multi-year major renovation of and addition to the athletic center, 更名为米歇尔运动中心(MAC). The enhanced facility features a renovated gymnasium and pool, new weight room, team rooms, 和更多的. Plans and fundraising also continue for renovation and expansion of the Martin Science Building.
今天, 校园恢复了活力, 学生们都很投入, and faculty members remain devoted to providing students an individualized, 文科教育. Building on a strong 128-year heritage of rigor and academic challenge in a close-knit community, 365亚洲版学院继续为学生准备 维塔abundantior，生活更丰富.
