Roanoke College is a private liberal arts college in Salem, Virginia. It has approximately 2,000 students who represent approximately 40 states and 30 countries. The college offers 35 majors, 57 minors and concentrations, and pre-professional programs. Roanoke awards bachelor's degrees in arts, science, and business administration and is one of 280 colleges with a chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.
Roanoke is an NCAA Division III school competing in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. The college has fourteen men's and fourteen women's varsity sports. Roanoke's athletic nickname is Maroons and the mascot is Rooney, a maroon-tailed hawk.
History
Early years
A boys' preparatory school was founded by Lutheran pastors David F. Bittle and Christopher C. Baughmann. Originally located in Augusta County near Staunton, the school was named Virginia Institute until chartered on January 30, 1845, as Virginia Collegiate Institute. In 1847, the institute moved to Salem which was developing into a center of commerce and transportation in the region; the school moved all of its possessions in a single covered wagon. The Virginia General Assembly granted a college charter on March 14, 1853, and approved the name Roanoke College, chosen in honor of the Roanoke Valley."Legislature of Virginia". Richmond Enquirer (Richmond, Virginia). March 15, 1853. p. 4. Bittle then served as the college's first president.
Roanoke was one of the few Southern colleges that remained open throughout the American Civil War. The student body was organized into a corps of cadets and fought with Confederate forces near Salem in December 1863. The students were outmatched and quickly forced to surrender, but the Union commander paroled them and allowed them to return to their studies. The college company was formally mustered into the Confederate Army, Virginia Reserves, on September 1, 1864, but the students did not see combat before the war ended.
International students
Roanoke enrolled its first international students in the late 19th century; the first Mexican student in 1876 and the first Japanese student in 1888. The first Korean to graduate from an American college or university, Surh Beung Kiu, graduated in 1898.
Coeducation
Roanoke became coeducational in 1930. A small number of non-degree-seeking women, mostly from Elizabeth College in Salem, were previously enrolled. Originally named Roanoke Women's College, Elizabeth was a sister Lutheran women's college destroyed by fire in 1921 and closed; the female students finished the 1921–22 academic year at Roanoke.
Roanoke opened its first women's residence hall, Smith Hall, in 1941; it has a prominent position on the John R. Turbyfill Front Quad. The Roanoke Women's College campus is its Elizabeth Campus, located approximately two miles from the Roanoke main campus.
Roanoke adopted the alumnae of Marion College, a sister Lutheran women's college in Marion, Virginia, when it closed in 1967. Marion Hall, a residence hall constructed in 1968, honors the college and its alumnae.
National championships
Roanoke athletic teams have won two national championships: the 1972 NCAA College Division men's basketball championship and the 1978 Division II men's lacrosse championship. Roanoke's third national championship occurred in 2001 when student Casey Smith won an individual championship in the Division III women's 10,000m track and field event. In 2009, student Robin Yerkes secured Roanoke's fourth national championship when she won an individual championship in the Division III women's 400m track and field event. Mark Samuel won a D3 National Wrestling Championship in March 2025
Sesquicentennial
Roanoke experienced exceptional growth in the 1980s and 1990s. Two campaign plans, the 1992 Sesquicentennial Campaign and the 2002 Plan, also known as "The Difference", were successfully completed with over $150 million raised. The campaigns financed the renovation and construction of numerous facilities including the library, the student center, and the arts and performance center.
Roanoke's tenth president, and first female president, Sabine O'Hara, took office in 2004.
Leaders
Principals of Virginia Institute, 1842–1853 David F. Bittle, 1842–1845 Christopher C. Baughman, 1845–1853
Presidents of Roanoke College, 1853 – Present
David F. Bittle, 1853–1876 Thomas W. Dosh, 1877–1878 Julius D. Dreher, 1878–1903 John A. Morehead, 1903–1920 Charles J. Smith, 1920–1949 H. Sherman Oberly, 1949–1963 Perry F. Kendig, 1963–1975 Norman D. Fintel, 1975–1989 David M. Gring, 1989–2004 Sabine U. O'Hara, 2004–2007 Michael C. Maxey, 2007–2022 Frank Shushok Jr., 2022–present Lutheran heritage
Established in 1842, Roanoke is the second-oldest (Gettysburg College is the oldest) Lutheran-affiliated college in the United States and is associated with three synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: the Virginia Synod, the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod, and the West Virginia–Western Maryland Synod. The Virginia Synod is headquartered in Bittle Hall, the college's first library now occupied by the Bishop of the Virginia Synod.
Historically, the college has had a small Lutheran population. Roanoke's student body represents numerous religious denominations; Roman Catholicism is the most prevalent, and Lutherans total less than ten percent.
Academics Admissions U.S. News & World Report evaluates Roanoke admissions as "selective". For 2023, the middle range scores of enrolled students were 3.1 to 4.0 GPA, 1150–1270 SAT, and 22–28 ACT. In 2023, Roanoke awarded $36 million in merit-based scholarships, awarded financial aid for those completing the FAFSA in an average of $32,000 for each student, and awards scholarships in music, theater, art, as well as fellowships in areas of student interest.
Rankings
For 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked Roanoke tied for #130 out of 211 National Liberal Arts Colleges and #167 in Top Performers on Social Mobility.
Accreditation and courses of study Roanoke is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's degrees in arts, science, and business administration. In addition, the business administration program is accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs; the chemistry program is accredited by the American Chemical Society; the teacher licensure program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation; and the athletic training program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
Roanoke offers 35 majors with 57 minors and concentrations. The college also offers a dual degree engineering program that leads to a Roanoke liberal arts degree and an engineering degree from Virginia Tech.
Departments and programs Roanoke has 16 academic departments:
Biology Business Administration and Economics Cannabis Studies Chemistry Education English Environmental Studies Fine Arts Health and Human Performance History Math, Computer Science, and Physics Modern Languages Psychology Public Affairs Religion and Philosophy Sociology and Public Health Pre-Professional programs Roanoke has eight pre-professional programs:
Dentistry Engineering Law Medicine Ministry Pharmacy Veterinary Medicine
Honors program Each year, Roanoke accepts approximately 35 incoming freshmen and first-term sophomores to become members of the Honors Program. These students complete the Honors Curriculum in lieu of the Roanoke College Core Curriculum. Honors students are offered numerous special learning experiences including plays, lectures, concerts, and service projects.
Roanoke College Seal
The blue shield on the seal emblazoned with a gold cross represents the College's strong history and relationship with the Christian church. The white dogwood flower represents the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Lamp above symbolizes the lamp of knowledge. The motto, "Palmam Qui Meruit Ferat", means in English, "Let he who earns the palm bear it". The palm is symbolic of the honor-laden palm leaf given during antiquity in Greece.
Student body Roanoke has approximately 2,000 students who represent approximately 40 states and 30 countries. Approximately 50% of the student body is from Virginia; the majority of out-of-state students are from Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
Faculty Roanoke has a tenure-track faculty of 164 (95% hold the highest degrees in their fields) plus a variety of adjunct professors selected from the business, political, and other communities for their subject matter expertise. Notable faculty Adrian Blevins (born 1964), poet Walter Compton (1912-1959), broadcaster G. Samantha Rosenthal (born 1983), historian, activist, and author Henry S. Taylor (born 1942), poet Harry L. Wilson (born 1957), political scientist
Library Roanoke's Fintel Library, named after Norman Fintel, eighth president of the college, has a collection of over half a million items. Roanoke and nearby Hollins University have a reciprocal borrowing agreement, expanding the size of the library collection by another 300,000 items.
Student life Student organizations
Roanoke has over 100 student organizations that provide learning experiences outside the classroom. Students may choose from academic, cultural, religious, service, and social organizations including nine Greek organizations.
The Student Government Association at Roanoke exists to give students a voice in the administration. It is the highest level student organization. It is made up of an executive board (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Attorney General) and the Senate (41 members).
Student publications and media opportunities include the Brackety-Ack campus newspaper, a literary magazine titled On Concept's Edge, the Roanoke Review literary journal, and the student-operated radio station named WRKE-LP. Intramural sports are also offered.
Greek life
Roanoke has recognized chapters of nine social and two service Greek organizations. The Greek organizations operate in college-owned housing. Roanoke's original fraternity row has been converted into residence halls. Roanoke's Greek organizations have a prominent role on campus, but are not dominant; approximately 25% of the Roanoke student body participates in Greek life. Aside from the formal and official fraternities, undergrounds are also present.
Campus
Quadrangles
Roanoke's main campus is relatively self-contained with most academic buildings and residence halls built around three quadrangles: the John R. Turbyfill Front Quad, the Back Quad (central campus), and the Athletic Quad, which surrounds the college's newest athletic facilities and residence halls. The campus is lined with brick sidewalks and has been recognized for its landscaping and views of the surrounding mountains. The largest Rock Elm in the United States is located near the library. The only Alice Aycock sculpture in Virginia is on the Back Quad.
Architecture
The campus architecture is a blend of traditional collegiate and modern styles. The Administration Building, constructed in 1848 with bricks made on-site, and six other buildings, Miller Hall, Trout Hall, Bittle Hall, Monterey House, West Hall, and the Old Salem Post Office are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
National Register of Historic Places
Seven college buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The buildings, with year of construction, are: The Administration Building (1848) Miller Hall (1857) Trout Hall (1867) Bittle Hall (1879) Monterey House (1853) West Hall (former Roanoke County Courthouse) (1910) The Post Office (former Salem city post office) (1923)
Residence halls
Approximately 70% of the student body resides on campus.
President's House