Lees–McRae College

Lees–McRae College was founded in Banner Elk as an all-female high school in 1899 by Reverend Edgar Tufts, a Presbyterian minister. He named the school The Elizabeth McRae Institute after a well-respected educator in 1900. School benefactor Suzanna Lees' name was added in 1903 and the school's name became the Lees-McRae Institute when the school was chartered by the state in 1907.

An all-male branch was founded during 1907 in Plumtree, North Carolina. The Plumtree facility was destroyed in a 1927 fire, leading the two campuses to merge at the Banner Elk site. After the merge, the high school program was phased out and the institute was renamed in 1931 to Lees–McRae College, an accredited, coeducational junior college.

Lees-McRae began moving toward offering a four-year program in the late 1980s and the school's president made the recommendation to the board of trustees in 1987.[7] The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools granted Lees-McRae status as a four-year college in 1990. In 2005, Lees-McRae became the first expansion site for New Opportunity School for Women, a program that helps educate and employ women in Appalachia.[8]

Landmarks on campus include the historic Rock House, built in 1920 of native stone; Tufts Tower, a former water tower that houses the campus chimes; and the North Carolina Building, completed in 1922 and one of three permanent buildings planned by the college's founder. Also, there is Tate Residence Hall which was originally the town hospital. There are other campus images in the gallery below.

• 
  North Carolina Building
• 
  Banner Elk Presbyterian Church
• 
  Tufts Tower

The College's Bookstore, named The Exchange, accepted chickens, pigs, grain, other crops and livestock in exchange for education costs in the early years of the college's history.

In 2003, the college saw its first major construction in 20 years with the opening of the Arthur-Lauritsen-Sanders Track and Field Venue.[9] In 2008, the William Reynolds Gymnasium, originally built in 1938 with the aid of students, was renovated as part of the new Carol and Glenn Arthur Student Recreation Complex.

In 2020, a new, state-of-the-art, turf field was installed at Tate Field.

In 2021, The Summit, the campus dining hall, was completely renovated. The new space, with timber beam ceilings and stone accents, highlight the "in, of, and for the mountains" aesthetic of the campus grounds.

Beginning in early 2022, a comprehensive renovation of Historic Commons will begin. This includes a complete renovation of the Tennessee and Virginia residence halls, plus the repurposment of the North Carolina building to serve as a student hub. In addition, the Cannon Classrooms and North Carolina Annex will be replaced with new modern structures. The highlight of the project will be a complete restoration of the Pinnacle Room, the college's original dining room. Behind Historic Commons, a new recreation lawn and improved parking access will round out the project.

There are several residence halls at Lees–McRae College that provide multiple college living experiences; many of the housing options are even pet-friendly. Tennessee and Virginia halls were constructed from stones from those states.

• Avery
• Tate
• Tennessee
• Virginia
• Bentley
• Baldwin
• McMillan
• Cannon Cottage
• The Villages
• Bobcat Way Houses

The college has seven academic divisions: Business Administration, Creative and Fine Arts, Education, Humanities, Nursing and Allied Health, Science and Mathematics, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The college offers 15 majors. During its junior college days, the college awarded the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees. Beginning in 1990 the associate degree programs were abandoned and students began courses of study for Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. The college offers degree completion programs in birth-kindergarten education, elementary education, criminal justice, and nursing at three community college sites in Western North Carolina. The Theatre Arts Department also offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Intramural opportunities are available for several sports.

The newest to the athletic department is the competitive climbing team as a club sport.

Several programs are available to students interested in leadership, service and the outdoors. These programs range from the school's own Campus After The Class Hours (CATCH), KIBO Emerging Leaders, and Outdoor Programs to national programs like AmeriCorps Bonner Leaders.

Athletics

Official athletics logo.

The Lees-McRae Bobcats compete in NCAA Division II as a member of Conference Carolinas. All athletic teams are eligible for athletic scholarships. The College is also home to a cycling team which competes in Division I and holds national championships. The varsity sports teams are listed below.

Male Sports

• Basketball
• Cross County
• Cycling
• Lacrosse
• Soccer
• Tennis
• Track and Field
• Volleyball
• Cheerleading
• Swimming

Female Sports

• Basketball
• Cross County
• Cycling
• Lacrosse
• Soccer
• Softball
• Tennis
• Track and Field
• Volleyball
• Cheerleading
• . Swimming

• Brent Bookwalter, professional cyclist
• Troy Brown, professional football player
• Thomas Ferebee, bombardier aboard the Enola Gay
• Clark Gaines, professional football player (transferred to Wake Forest University)
• Roy Lassiter, professional soccer player and olympian
• Will MacKenzie, professional golfer
• Khano Smith, professional soccer player
• John B. Stephenson, former professor at LMC
• Carla Swart, professional cyclist
• Andrew Talansky, professional cyclist
• Leonard Wheeler, professional football player

• Official website
• Official athletics website
• Lees-McRae Yearbooks 1930-2006