Lenoir-Rhyne University was founded in 1891 by four Lutheran pastors—Andrew L. Crouse, Robert A. Yoder, William P. Cline, and Jason C. Moser—to provide students with an education grounded in Christian faith and values. The institution began as Highland Academy, a one-room schoolhouse with twelve students during its first year. The school was located in Hickory, North Carolina, on a fifty-six–acre estate donated by Walter W. Lenoir, a lawyer from Watauga County.
Lenoir’s will stipulated that the land be used for a church-sponsored college, transforming Highland Academy into Highland College. Only four months after its founding, the institution was chartered as Lenoir College in honor of Lenoir’s contribution.
In the early 1920s, Daniel Rhyne, a successful businessman in the cotton industry, made substantial financial gifts to the college. In recognition of his generosity, the school was renamed Lenoir-Rhyne College in 1923.
In January 1927, a fire destroyed the college’s administration building, and insurance could not cover the loss. The Hickory Daily Record issued a public appeal for donations, resulting in contributions totaling 8,715 books and $900. In 1928, brothers Jacob and Andrew Mauney and their families of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, funded the construction of the college’s first women’s dormitory. The institution’s continued growth was made possible through generous community support.
By 1947, enrollment had risen to 843 students and continued to increase following World War II. During the 1960s and 1970s, new academic programs were introduced, including a science curriculum and a program to make higher education accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
In 2008, the college achieved university status and became Lenoir-Rhyne University. Expansion continued with the establishment of the School of Computer Science and Mathematics, supported by a gift from Donald and Helen Schort.
As of fall 2024, there are 2,255 students enrolled as undergraduate or graduate students. Summer McGee was named the university’s president in 2025. She was formerly the president of Salem College where she significantly increased the incoming class size. McGee is the first woman to be president at Lenoir-Rhyne University.