April 18, 1903
The Hopwood Years

Dr. Hopwood was serving as president of Milligan College in Tennessee when he was approached about starting a college in Lynchburg, Virginia on the site of a failed resort, which was available for sale. Impressed by the resort’s setting and the area’s natural beauty, Dr. Hopwood declared, “Boys, we’ll take it.” The property was purchased for $13,500 on April 18, 1903, Dr. Hopwood’s 60th birthday.

An educator who believed that the future of the world depended on Christian education, Dr. Hopwood had a clear vision of his mission. His wife and professional colleague, Sarah Eleanor LaRue Hopwood, shared his beliefs and vision and worked with him to establish one of the oldest coeducational colleges in Virginia.

When the College opened its doors, 11 faculty members were on staff to teach 55 students, but coeducation proved to be popular and enrollment increased rapidly. The first graduating class, the Class of 1904, consisted of five men and three women. Today, the University of Lynchburg has 184 full-time faculty members and 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students from throughout the United States and around the world[Verify totals].

Dr. Hopwood’s strong commitment to Christian education guided the institution in its early years, and his philosophy was reflected in the College’s first motto, “Christian Education – the Hope of the World.”

Westover Hall

Westover Hall, a large, rambling gray frame building designed along the lines of a French chateau, was the founding building of the University of Lynchburg and the heart of the campus for 67 years.

Built as a resort hotel in 1891, the West Lynchburg Inn, as it was then known, became the physical plant for the new College and was a multi-purpose facility that housed a dormitory, offices, and classrooms. The old hotel dining room was converted into a chapel, the bar into a dining hall, and the large parlors and the porches served as classrooms.

Throughout its history, Westover Hall was home to students, dining services, health services, administrative offices, student activities facilities, and even a gymnasium.