SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2016 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 360
Commending Randolph College.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 4, 2016
Agreed to by the Senate, March 10, 2016

 

WHEREAS, for 125 years, Randolph College, a private liberal arts and sciences college in Lynchburg, has worked to provide students with a rigorous academic experience in a close-knit community; and

WHEREAS, founded in 1891 as Randolph-Macon Woman’s College by the former president of Randolph-Macon College, William Waugh Smith, Randolph College officially opened in 1893 with 36 boarding students and 12 faculty; and

WHEREAS, in its early years, Randolph College established many of its longstanding traditions, such as the class ivy planting, and it became the first college for women accredited by what is now the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; and

WHEREAS, Randolph College became the first women’s college south of the Potomac River to receive a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Society in 1916, and the college was soon after accredited by the Association of American Universities; the college established a study-abroad program and increased focus on the fine arts throughout the 1920s; and

WHEREAS, in the 1930s, Randolph-Macon Woman’s College alumna and respected humanitarian Pearl S. Buck received a Nobel Prize in Literature; Randolph College continues to honor her legacy through the presentation of the Pearl S. Buck Award to a woman who exemplifies her values, ideals, and commitment to human rights; and

WHEREAS, established in 1943, the Randolph College Nursery School program is one of the select few in the Commonwealth and the only program in Central Virginia to receive a five-star rating from the Virginia Star Quality Initiative; and

WHEREAS, Randolph College gained autonomy from Randolph-Macon College in the 1950s, and the college was at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, allowing students of all races to enroll in 1961; and

WHEREAS, in the 1970s, Randolph College graduated seven male students, most of whom were children of faculty members, and the college graduated the largest class of its history at the time in 1980; Linda Koch Lorimer became the first woman president of the college in 1987; and

WHEREAS, Randolph College worked to modernize its campus in the 1990s, installing its first computer network and purchasing computers for common area labs; major renovations to enhance student life continued into the 21st century; and

WHEREAS, after the college’s Board of Trustees voted to transition to a coeducational institution, Randolph-Macon Woman’s College officially changed its name to Randolph College in 2007; the college was fully reaccredited in 2011 and received a grant from the National Science Foundation to support its exceptional science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs in 2012; and

WHEREAS, Randolph College, which had previously been recognized by the Association for International Educators, earned further accolades for its longstanding international programs and dedication to the fine arts when it established a unique, ongoing partnership with the National Gallery, London in 2014; and

WHEREAS, since 2009, Randolph College has experienced consistent enrollment growth and demonstrated improvement in student life, academic achievement, and alumni engagement; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Randolph College on the occasion of its 125th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Randolph College as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the institution’s storied history and legacy of academic excellence.