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Elon University history
Elon University company history timeline
Founded in 1889 by the Christian Church (now United Church of Christ), it is the third largest of North Carolina’s 36 private colleges and universities.
With the 25 major buildings, valued at $25 million, and the 6,000 students all around campus, it would have been difficult to imagine in 1889.
In 1889, Elon College opened its doors to 76 students and the first president was William S. Long.
In 1889 several Alamance County mill owners and farmers gave or sold parcels of land for the site of a new educational institution named Elon to take the place of the nearby Graham College.
In 1889 the establishment relocated an old school known as “Graham Normal College” to a heavily wooded area full of large oak trees.
The college opened in 1890 with one completed brick building and 76 students.
In 1891, the first graduating class was made up of Nathaniel G. Newman, C.C. Peel and Herbert Scholz.
In 1893, the area around the college was established as an Alamance County town known as Elon College.
The choice came from the 1923 fire - the university's trustees began planning to make Elon "rise from the ashes". The Phoenix symbolizes this "rise from the ashes" because it is a mythical creature that rose from the ashes of its predecessors.
Even though Elon College had started its rise as an important academic institution in Piedmont North Carolina, a fire in 1923 almost destroyed the entire school.
1923Fire destroys Main Building, including school records, classrooms, library and chapel; trustees immediately vote to rebuild; Alamance Building opens in Fall 1923
A library, auditorium, and three classrooms were built in 1924.
After the fire, the board of trustees voted to repair Elon and five new buildings (a library, auditorium, and three classroom and office buildings) were constructed in 1924.
1942"Elon College All or Nothing" campaign reaches goal; West Dormitory Annex destroyed by fire
After World War II, Elon experienced upward growth and in 1946, returning servicemen and women enrolled and the student body grew to 700 students.
In 1953, a night school was opened, separate from the adult school already in operation.
In 1956, Virginia Hall, a dormitory for women, was constructed on the site of the old West Dormitory Annex, and Carolina Hall, a dormitory for men, was constructed on the eastern side of campus.
In fall 1984, the university began offering a Master of Business Administration degree through the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business.
College Coffee is also a tradition at Elon University that started in 1984.
Starting in 1999, President Leo M. Lambert is the current president of the University.
In 2000, enrollment exceeded 4,000 students for the first time.
The Belk Library soon followed, opening in 2000.
William S. Long was the founder and first president of the Christian Church founded school, with 76 students enrolled. The school became Elon University on June 1, 2001.
Business Center was opened in 2006, with the business and communications schools receiving high accreditations in their fields.
The Master of Arts in Interactive Media program was established in fall 2009.
In April 2011, the Elon University Board of Trustees established the School of Health Sciences.
The school is housed in the Gerald L. Francis Center, a renovated space that opened in December 2011 and includes classrooms, lab facilities, meeting and office space.
The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program began in January 2013.
Book became Elon's first female President on March 1, 2018.
Master of science program in accounting begins in summer 2018.
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Elon University competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davidson College | 1837 | $21.0M | 1,547 | 58 |
| High Point University | 1924 | $207.3M | 979 | 53 |
| Appalachian State University | 1899 | $3.8M | 2 | 429 |
| Chowan University | 1848 | $31.7M | 184 | - |
| Presbyterian College | 1880 | $52.7M | 507 | 3 |
| Coastal Carolina University | 1954 | $147.3M | 2,571 | 35 |
| Furman University | 1826 | $9.3M | 272 | 21 |
| Western Carolina University | 1933 | $110.0M | 2,940 | 153 |
| Lenoir-Rhyne University | 1891 | $30.0M | 719 | 8 |
| College of Charleston | 1770 | $230.6M | 1,000 | 51 |
Elon University history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Elon University, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Elon University. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Elon University. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Elon University. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Elon University and its employees or that of Zippia.
Elon University may also be known as or be related to Elon College (1889–2001) and Elon University.