A Legacy of Vision, Innovation, and Excellence
In 1891, on 20 acres of rugged, hilly land in what was then Campbell County, William Waugh Smith laid the foundation for a bold vision—a dream years in the making. As early as 1883 and 1885, the then-president of Randolph-Macon College (R-MC) in Ashland, Virginia, W.W. Bennett, with support from faculty including Smith, had approached the college’s Board of Trustees to open educational opportunities to women. Both efforts failed. Years later, as president himself, Smith renewed the effort. While the board remained opposed to admitting women to R-MC, they agreed to establish a separate college for women.
Smith sought a location in Virginia for this innovative idea: a rigorous academic program for women. George M. Jones, a stockholder of the Rivermont Land Company, suggested Lynchburg, a thriving city near the Blue Ridge Mountains. Driven and determined, Smith persuaded the company to donate 20 acres of land, $40,000 in cash, and $60,000 in stock—on the condition he raise $100,000 for an endowment in 90 days. Remarkably, he secured $106,000 in just 34 days.
On September 14, 1893, with 11 faculty members by his side, Smith opened the partially completed building (later called Main Hall) to the first class of 36 pioneering women. Under his leadership, Randolph-Macon Woman’s College quickly earned national recognition for academic excellence and attracted students from across the country. Smith championed the College until his death in 1912.
Early milestones included becoming the first women’s college admitted to the Association of Colleges and Preparatory Schools of the Southern States (1902), establishing the Annual Exhibition of Contemporary Art (1911), creating a psychology laboratory—the first in the South at a women’s college—and receiving a Phi Beta Kappa charter (1916). Notable alumna Pearl S. Buck, Class of 1914, went on to win both a Pulitzer and a Nobel Prize.
Through the 20th century, the College expanded its facilities and programs. In 1953, it officially separated from the Randolph-Macon Board of Trustees. During the Cold War, the National Gallery built a secret storage facility for national masterpieces on campus, which later became the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College. And in 1960, the College established its flagship study abroad program in Reading, England.
In 1961, R-MWC became the first college in Lynchburg to allow students of all races to enroll. While this was the beginning of desegregation for the College, it was not the first time women of color were enrolled. Since the 1900s, the College has benefited from a robust connection with educational organizations in Asia. Sieu-tsung Lok, a member of the Class of 1911, was the first Asian student from China. And Masako Chitose Numata ’55 was the first student from Japan to enroll and graduate.
Notable programs over the decades include the American Culture Program, the Summer Research program, the reinstatement of the biennial Greek Play tradition, and the environmental studies program.
In 2004, the College’s Board of Trustees began a multi-year strategic planning process. Virginia Hill Worden ’69 stepped in as interim president after the retirement of Kathleen Gill Bowman. After years of debate, research, and deliberation, the College’s Board of Trustees addressed enrollment issues by deciding in September 2006 to adopt coeducation and change the College’s name. R-MWC officially became Randolph College on July 1, 2007, and John E. Klein began his presidency in August of that year, just days before the College welcomed its first fully coed class. After several years of transition, the College saw significant improvement in all areas, including alumnae engagement. During Klein’s leadership, alumnae financial support allowed Randolph to make major improvements to campus. The $6 million Student Center renovation and Michels Plaza were completed in 2013. Also, in that year, the Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Bradley W. Bateman as president. He began his tenure in July 2013 after Klein’s retirement. During Bateman’s tenure, the College continued its forward momentum. After Bateman’s retirement, Sue Ott Rowlands was announced as the 11th president in 2022. Under her leadership, the College saw significant enrollment growth, recording the largest first-year class two years in a row (2024 and 2025) and the largest-ever total enrollment in 2025.
In addition to nine new academic majors, recent initiatives include several new graduate programs, including the Master of Arts in Teaching and the online Master of Education. Randolph also offers a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre, and a Master of Arts in Coaching and Sport Leadership. In 2026, the College is scheduled to launch its new Master of Fine Arts in Arts Administration. Another major initiative is the College’s innovative TAKE2 curriculum model, which allows students to focus on two courses every seven weeks. And new athletic programs—women’s and men’s wrestling, men’s volleyball, and STUNT—reflect Randolph’s commitment to student opportunity.
Campus improvements have continued with Grosvenor Apartments, renovations to Cheatham Dining Hall, Wright Hall, Main Hall Lobby, Bell Hall, the tennis courts, WildCat Stadium, and the Michels Athletic Center, among others. A new wrestling facility opened near campus in 2024, and the Martin Science Building completed a major renovation in fall 2025.
Today, Randolph College thrives with a revitalized campus, an engaged student body, and faculty committed to individualized, liberal arts education. Building on nearly 135 years of academic rigor in a close-knit community, Randolph College continues to prepare students for Vita abundantior—the life more abundant.
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