A Brief History of Elon
In 1889, four leaders of the Christian Church (now known as the United Church of Christ) founded Elon College. In naming the institution, the men looked at the land that the college would call home, with all of its majestic trees. "Elon" seemed appropriate, since it is the Hebrew word for "oak." The college was initially founded to educate teachers, clergy and doctors, and has been a coeducational institution since its inception.
Elon's history has been marked by a series of struggles and triumphs. Even in the school's early years, the church members, students, faculty and staff were committed to keeping Elon alive. World War I severely depleted the student body. In response to a community need in 1917, the campus became the grounds for an officer's training camp. Six hundred and one Elonites fought in the war, and 16 never made it home.
January 1923 brought immense challenges to the college, when the central administration building burned nearly to the ground in an early morning fire. In addition to the loss of the structure, all grade records and payroll documents were destroyed. Elon was on the brink of collapse, but the community rallied around the school, deciding that the college should rebuild -- and become bigger and stronger than ever. Following a major construction effort, Elon rose from the ashes heartier and better prepared for a promising future. Elon's spirit of community was built on this foundation of resilience.
Then in 1929, the Depression began to cripple the institution, which was already in debt from the construction projects just a few years earlier. The student body went from 400 students to an all-time low of 87. Once again, the community rallied around Elon. At one point, the president of the college even passed the plate among congregation members to pay faculty and staff salaries!
An incredible milestone was reached in 1943, when the college made its final deposit on outstanding loans. Returning GIs from World War II increased enrollment dramatically, and Elon has continued to be on the rise since that time.
Today, Elon is fully committed to providing students an outstanding liberal arts education, steeped in experiential learning. Having grown to 5,000 students, more than 50 undergraduate degrees and five graduate programs on a beautiful 575-acre campus, Elon has risen to meet the challenges of the past -- and will continue to do so.
Elon officially became a university on June 1, 2001. This change acknowledges the remarkable progress of Elon, particularly in the past decade, with constant emphasis placed on students, academics, faculty and facilities.
elon}
