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Friday, January 31, 2025

411 on Longwood's 175: Being Knowledgeable about Our History

It is important as Longwood students to know our past. There's a reason there is a history section on the Longwood's 175th Anniversary website (175. longwood.edu) and that is to educate us on the place in which we will be living for the next four

years.There's a lot of useful information. They have the founding dates of most of the secret organizations on campus, which is impressive. CHI is a secret organization that was founded in the 1900s.

The website also listed many of the dates when bachelor programs were approved. The Bachelor of Music was the most recently approved in 2001. The Bachelor of Fine Arts was approved in 1978. 1935 was the year that most of the Bachelor of Arts program approved departments such as those of Education, Philosophy, Fine and Applied Arts, History, Social Sciences, Home Economics and Speech.

Other historic occurrences the major campus fires at Longwood. The dining hall caught on fire in 1923. In 1949, there was a fire that burned an auditorium and one of the residence halls. In 2001, a fire occurred in Ruffner Hall, destroying it. 

State Normal School for Women after the year 1914. In 1924, Longwood was called the State Teacher College. Longwood University was changed from college to a university in 2001.

Males have not always been admitted to attend Longwood University. Longwood was once an all female college. The Board of Visitors put the admittance of men into the college to vote in 1964, but the vote did not go through.

However, in 1968, males were able to attend summer school at Longwood as long as they were enrolled in an institution other than Longwood.

Also, in 1973, males were admitted as day students to Longwood. Finally, in the year 1976, Longwood became fully co-ed.

The Greek system was founded in the year 1897. It was the first major organization on campus. The first founding sorority was Kappa Delta. The Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority was founded on April 20, 1898. On Oct. 15, 1898, Zeta Tau Alpha was founded. Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority was founded on Nov. 15, 1901.

Longwood purchased two real estate investments. The first property purchased was the Longwood estate. The estate was 100 acres. Then, the Longwood Real Estate Foundation purchased Lancer Park. You can find sports history on the website, as well. For example, Longwood was technically classified as a Division 1 athletic program in the year 2007. Finally in the year 2012, Longwood was proudly offered to join the Big South Conference.

Longwood has experienced many changes since its founding in 1839. Longwood makes the adjustments based on what it feels is most important for its students. The school's open- mindedness has caused this impressive, and unique history to develop into such a warm environment for students.