Lebanon Valley College
Encyclopedia
Lebanon Valley College (also referred to as "LVC", "Lebanon Valley" and "The Valley") is a small, liberal arts higher education institution situated in the heart of Annville
in Lebanon County
, 19.5 mi (31.4 km) east of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
.
. Today, Lebanon Valley College is affiliated with the United Methodist Church
, which happened through a series of church mergers: The Church of the United Brethren in Christ merged with the Evangelical Synod of North America
in 1946 creating the Evangelical United Brethren Church (EUB), which subsequently merged with the Methodist Church in 1968 to create the United Methodist Church
. 1 The ties to the Methodist Church are not as strong as they once were, which is evidenced by the lack of mandatory chapel services, but the church maintains a presence on the campus. Out of 34 colleges and academies founded by the United Brethren in Christ Church, Lebanon Valley was one of four to survive.
The campus began as a single building, the empty Annville Academy building, which was purchased for $4500 (equal to $ today) by five Annville citizens. They presented the building as a gift to the East Pennsylvania Conference of the United Brethren Church to settle the argument over where to establish a college. In a little over two months from its founding, 12 trustees were appointed, President Thomas R. Vickroy was elected, the building repaired and redecorated, a curriculum devised, faculty recruited, and classes begun. The college was entirely contained in that one building (class rooms, student residence, president's residence, and "dining hall") until 1868 when "North College" was opened at a cost of $31,500, equal to $ today. The Annville Academy building became known as "South Hall" or "Ladies Hall" as the North College building was now the home to the men's dormitories.
A note worth mentioning: The college charter, granted in 1867, specifically stated that Lebanon Valley College was established for the education of both sexes. Indeed, Lebanon Valley College can claim that it has been coeducational longer than any other college east of the Allegheny Mountains
. However, the curricula were different for men and women, a condition created from a compromise after an uproar in the founding church over the equal treatment of men and women. The "Ladies Course" included modern languages, painting, drawing, wax flower and fruit making, and music. By 1878, the college catalog began announcing that experience showed that there was no difference between men and women in their ability to master college courses, an unpopular idea at its time.
This was also the time of the founding literary societies: Philokosmian, Clionian, and Kalozetean, which bear no resemblance to their present fraternity and sorority selves. They met regularly to debate topics and discuss essays. Other activities included mixed socials, parades, the annual Chestnut Picnic, and other special events throughout the years.
. On Christmas Eve 1904, North College (not to be confused with the residence hall with the same name), which stood in the current footprint of the Administration/Humanities building, burned down. The next year, the College raised funds to rebuild and also began expanding the campus further, building not only a new Administration Building (the current Humanities Building), but also North Hall (a women's dorm, currently the site of Miller Chapel), Kreider Hall (a men's residence hall where the current Neidig-Garber Science Center is located), the central heating plant (still in existence), a science building, and a gymnasium. However, funding ran out, debt rose, and building halted on the gym and science buildings. President Hervin U. Roop resigned in disgrace on New Year's Day, 1906. It was not until President Lawrence W. Keister took office on June 12, 1907 that the debt situation was solved. Thanks to his fundraising efforts, the debt was eliminated by 1911. The college landscape remained relatively unchanged for the next four decades, though the cultural changes paralleled that of the rest of the country as it moved through World War I
, the Roaring Twenties
, the Great Depression
, and the New Deal
.
nearly proved to be the end of Lebanon Valley College. In the Fall of 1942, LVC's first wartime registration showed only 357 students enrolled. As the second semester began in 1943, there were only 282 students: 145 women and 137 men, the first time that women outnumbered men. 1943 Fall enrollment dropped again to only 199 students, 62 of which were on limited deferment, waiting to be called to active duty. This prompted one of the first capital campaigns to help the ailing college. The campaign to raise $550,000 received 91% support from current students. The money was to go toward an endowment and a real gymnasium, which bore the name of the president who initiated the campaign—Lynch Memorial. Right before the war ended, LVC enrollment hit bottom at 192 students. In 1946, however, enrollment ballooned to 683 students, more than 300 of which were ex-servicemen.
Enrollment steadily grew and by 1948, thanks to the G.I. Bill, it had reached 817 full-time students, far beyond the College's capacity. Eventually more facilities and residences were added to the College. Lynch Memorial Hall—which included the school's first proper gymnasium—was opened in 1953. In 1957, Science Hall (now the Derickson A apartments) was created out of the old Kreider Factory building on White Oak St., and Gossard Library also opened that year. In 1966, Miller Chapel was completed. The 1950s also saw the college expand north of Sheridan Avenue, with the Dining Hall (now East Dining Hall) built in 1958. All of the current traditional residence halls were built between the 1950s and 1970s as well—Mary Green (1956) and Vickroy (1960) in the 1950s-60s, Hammond and Keister Hall in 1965, and Funkhouser and Silver in the 1970s. Marquette and Dellinger were added in 2000 and 2002, respectively.
Enrollment also grew, although it had stagnated by the 1980s. Again, a highly energetic and innovative president, John Synodinos ushered in a period of growth and change with the bold introduction of merit scholarships and the renovation and beautification of a substantial portion of the campus which included the addition of the Arnold Sports Center and the Arnold Gallery. With the assistance of William J. McGill, senior vice president and the dean of the faculty, academic excellence continued to be emphasized, linkages were established with other institutions and schools, an international initiative undertaken and collaborative learning experiences developed. A new technologically advanced library was opened in January 1996.
Beginning in 1996 and building on the work of his predecessor, G. David Pollick’s eight-year presidency ushered in a period of continued extraordinary growth. There was a 40 percent increase in undergraduate enrollment with applications more than doubling. New undergraduate and graduate degree programs were added and there was a large increase in the number of first-year students who studied abroad. A major public relations focus to enhance the College's standing among peer institutions was followed by a major rebuilding and renovation effort on campus and the start of a $50 million campaign. Pollick oversaw a growth plan that added athletic teams, more than a dozen new campus buildings and athletic facilities, and the College's signature Fasick Bridge. These additions almost tripled the usable space of the College, including five new facilities: the Marquette and Dellinger Residence Halls, the student center, a gymnasium, and the Heilman Center. The revitalization of both Lynch Memorial Hall and Garber Science Center also were begun during this period.
Today, the campus consists of 40 buildings, including the recently renovated Lynch Memorial Hall, the Vernon and Doris Bishop Library, a new 1,650-seat gymnasium, and the Heilman Center for physical therapy. Students reside in one of 25 residence halls which include traditional single-sex and co-educational dormitories and apartment-style residences. Students may also reside in special interest houses upon proposal and approval of LVC administration. A small number of upperclassmen are allowed to live off-campus, and a significant portion of the student body are commuter students as well. Undergraduate enrollment is now over 1,765 students.
The endowment of the college is forty-one million dollars.
Annual Murder
This sophisticated form of hazing was played out each year in September. This elaborate hoax often gained the cooperation of faculty members and people in the town. During Freshman Week, the first-year students were informed about several student romances on campus through planned gossip. The story went that there was one ardent couple who were constantly together when not in class, but the girl had another upperclassman admirer. The couple argued over the love triangle and it ended in the girl walking off with her new boy. After that, there were public acts that involved the two boys fighting. The affair was all anyone would talk about. Then on a certain pre-arranged night, all freshman were ordered to stay in their rooms by student governing bodies. At 10pm, a drunk ex-boyfriend appeared at the men's dorm. He brandished a gun and staggered through the halls in search of his rival. He finally found him in one of the public archways of the building. Soon, several shots rang out and the victim fell to the floor with blood (ketchup) flowing from his mouth. Other upperclassmen took charge, sending confused and panicked freshmen in pursuit of the killer or for a doctor. A town physician would appear and call for an ambulance, only adding to the theatrics of the evening. Most other freshmen were rounded up and sent in groups to nearby hospitals to offer their blood for transfusion, but were left stranded. At the same time, the freshmen girls witnessed the girl in the triangle see the unconscious victim being taken away and go into a fit of hysterics. During the 1930s, a member of the staff was a Justice of the Peace. He presided over a fake hearing in a large classroom where freshman girls tearfully testified to what they thought they saw happen on campus that night. It was during that hearing that the truth was revealed when the three main actors walked into the room, arm in arm. The next day, the freshmen felt young and foolish, but were looking forward to the next year when they were able to play the same prank on new freshmen. The tradition died in 1946, when its last performance narrowly escaped tragedy when some ex-servicemen studying at LVC under the G.I. Bill threatened to take care of the villain causing trouble between the lovers.
Death League
Perhaps a darker example of campus lore is the infamous Death League, a student organization whose members—mostly upperclassmen—were dedicated to making life miserable for freshmen. They often used the justification that it was discipline or that they were trying to "make men out of boys." They wore white robes and masks modeled after the Ku Klux Klan when they performed organization rites of passage. Favorite disciplinary tricks were brutal paddlings or lashing a victim to a tombstone in the cemetery and making him preach for two hours. Earlier in its history, many upperclassmen and several faculty members approved of the Death League because they saw it as serving a necessary function. Eventually, President Keister came down hard on the organization after a particularly bad beating took place. The result was that the Death League was officially abolished and its hazing activities forbidden. It has since faded into the past as a distant memory.
May Day
A festive tradition, this pageant was begun in 1912. Each year, a May Queen would be elected and would watch over the festival with her court. Typical May Day
activities took place, including the expected May pole. This tradition seems to have persisted for 55 years until the late 1960s.
Formal Dances
Until October, 1931, dancing on the LVC campus was forbidden. One evening after a football game, President Gossard had decided to change the policy and allowed the students to dance with his blessing. From then on, the literary societies began holding annual dinner dances. Formal proms were organized and any opportunity for dancing was not overlooked.
, New Zealand
, France
, Germany
, England
, Spain
, Sweden
, Italy
, Greece
, Northern Ireland
, and Argentina
, as well as domestic programs in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
Division III school that sponsors 21 intercollegiate programs and competes in the Commonwealth Conference (half of the two-conference Middle Atlantic Corporation
). It also plays ice hockey in the American Collegiate Hockey Association
.
A song that's fraught with gladness, a song that's filled with praise
We cannot help but love Thee, our hearts are full and free
Full well we know the debt we owe, to dear old L.V.C.
We come from old New Hampshire, Where winter breezes blow
And from the sunny Southland, Where sweet magnolias grow
We've sung "Star Spangled Banner," To "Dixie" given a cheer
And now we raise this song of praise, To Alma Mater dear.
Ye Sons of Lebanon Valley, Put forth your strongest might
And let our Alma Mater, Win each and ev'ry fight
Lift high its royal banner, And keep its honor clear
And let our song with voices strong, Ring down thru many a year.
Annville, Pennsylvania
Annville Township is a township and census-designated place in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,518 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Annville Township is located at ....
in Lebanon County
Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 120,327 people and 32,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 332 people per square mile . There were 49,320 housing units at an average density of 136 per square mile...
, 19.5 mi (31.4 km) east of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
.
History
Lebanon Valley was founded on February 23, 1866, with classes beginning May 7 of that year and its first class graduating in 1870. Expenses at this time for a full year were $206.50 and remained relatively unchanged for the next 50 years.Early history (1866-1897)
The College was founded by and initially associated with the Church of the United Brethren in ChristChurch of the United Brethren in Christ
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Huntington, Indiana. It is a Protestant denomination of episcopal structure, Arminian theology, with roots in the Mennonite and German Reformed communities of 18th century Pennsylvania, as well as close...
. Today, Lebanon Valley College is affiliated with the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
, which happened through a series of church mergers: The Church of the United Brethren in Christ merged with the Evangelical Synod of North America
Evangelical Synod of North America
The Evangelical Synod of North America, before 1927 German Evangelical Synod of North America, in German Evangelische Synode von Nord-Amerika, was a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States existing from the mid-19th century until its 1934 merger with the Reformed Church in the...
in 1946 creating the Evangelical United Brethren Church (EUB), which subsequently merged with the Methodist Church in 1968 to create the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
. 1 The ties to the Methodist Church are not as strong as they once were, which is evidenced by the lack of mandatory chapel services, but the church maintains a presence on the campus. Out of 34 colleges and academies founded by the United Brethren in Christ Church, Lebanon Valley was one of four to survive.
The campus began as a single building, the empty Annville Academy building, which was purchased for $4500 (equal to $ today) by five Annville citizens. They presented the building as a gift to the East Pennsylvania Conference of the United Brethren Church to settle the argument over where to establish a college. In a little over two months from its founding, 12 trustees were appointed, President Thomas R. Vickroy was elected, the building repaired and redecorated, a curriculum devised, faculty recruited, and classes begun. The college was entirely contained in that one building (class rooms, student residence, president's residence, and "dining hall") until 1868 when "North College" was opened at a cost of $31,500, equal to $ today. The Annville Academy building became known as "South Hall" or "Ladies Hall" as the North College building was now the home to the men's dormitories.
A note worth mentioning: The college charter, granted in 1867, specifically stated that Lebanon Valley College was established for the education of both sexes. Indeed, Lebanon Valley College can claim that it has been coeducational longer than any other college east of the Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
. However, the curricula were different for men and women, a condition created from a compromise after an uproar in the founding church over the equal treatment of men and women. The "Ladies Course" included modern languages, painting, drawing, wax flower and fruit making, and music. By 1878, the college catalog began announcing that experience showed that there was no difference between men and women in their ability to master college courses, an unpopular idea at its time.
This was also the time of the founding literary societies: Philokosmian, Clionian, and Kalozetean, which bear no resemblance to their present fraternity and sorority selves. They met regularly to debate topics and discuss essays. Other activities included mixed socials, parades, the annual Chestnut Picnic, and other special events throughout the years.
Growth (1897-1948)
The College steadily grew during its first 35 years, and by 1904, the campus had expanded to include Engle Hall, home of the music department, and a partially completed library funded by Andrew CarnegieAndrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
. On Christmas Eve 1904, North College (not to be confused with the residence hall with the same name), which stood in the current footprint of the Administration/Humanities building, burned down. The next year, the College raised funds to rebuild and also began expanding the campus further, building not only a new Administration Building (the current Humanities Building), but also North Hall (a women's dorm, currently the site of Miller Chapel), Kreider Hall (a men's residence hall where the current Neidig-Garber Science Center is located), the central heating plant (still in existence), a science building, and a gymnasium. However, funding ran out, debt rose, and building halted on the gym and science buildings. President Hervin U. Roop resigned in disgrace on New Year's Day, 1906. It was not until President Lawrence W. Keister took office on June 12, 1907 that the debt situation was solved. Thanks to his fundraising efforts, the debt was eliminated by 1911. The college landscape remained relatively unchanged for the next four decades, though the cultural changes paralleled that of the rest of the country as it moved through World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the Roaring Twenties
Roaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties is a phrase used to describe the 1920s, principally in North America, but also in London, Berlin and Paris for a period of sustained economic prosperity. The phrase was meant to emphasize the period's social, artistic, and cultural dynamism...
, the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, and the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
.
Mid-century and modern day (1948-present)
World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
nearly proved to be the end of Lebanon Valley College. In the Fall of 1942, LVC's first wartime registration showed only 357 students enrolled. As the second semester began in 1943, there were only 282 students: 145 women and 137 men, the first time that women outnumbered men. 1943 Fall enrollment dropped again to only 199 students, 62 of which were on limited deferment, waiting to be called to active duty. This prompted one of the first capital campaigns to help the ailing college. The campaign to raise $550,000 received 91% support from current students. The money was to go toward an endowment and a real gymnasium, which bore the name of the president who initiated the campaign—Lynch Memorial. Right before the war ended, LVC enrollment hit bottom at 192 students. In 1946, however, enrollment ballooned to 683 students, more than 300 of which were ex-servicemen.
Enrollment steadily grew and by 1948, thanks to the G.I. Bill, it had reached 817 full-time students, far beyond the College's capacity. Eventually more facilities and residences were added to the College. Lynch Memorial Hall—which included the school's first proper gymnasium—was opened in 1953. In 1957, Science Hall (now the Derickson A apartments) was created out of the old Kreider Factory building on White Oak St., and Gossard Library also opened that year. In 1966, Miller Chapel was completed. The 1950s also saw the college expand north of Sheridan Avenue, with the Dining Hall (now East Dining Hall) built in 1958. All of the current traditional residence halls were built between the 1950s and 1970s as well—Mary Green (1956) and Vickroy (1960) in the 1950s-60s, Hammond and Keister Hall in 1965, and Funkhouser and Silver in the 1970s. Marquette and Dellinger were added in 2000 and 2002, respectively.
Enrollment also grew, although it had stagnated by the 1980s. Again, a highly energetic and innovative president, John Synodinos ushered in a period of growth and change with the bold introduction of merit scholarships and the renovation and beautification of a substantial portion of the campus which included the addition of the Arnold Sports Center and the Arnold Gallery. With the assistance of William J. McGill, senior vice president and the dean of the faculty, academic excellence continued to be emphasized, linkages were established with other institutions and schools, an international initiative undertaken and collaborative learning experiences developed. A new technologically advanced library was opened in January 1996.
Beginning in 1996 and building on the work of his predecessor, G. David Pollick’s eight-year presidency ushered in a period of continued extraordinary growth. There was a 40 percent increase in undergraduate enrollment with applications more than doubling. New undergraduate and graduate degree programs were added and there was a large increase in the number of first-year students who studied abroad. A major public relations focus to enhance the College's standing among peer institutions was followed by a major rebuilding and renovation effort on campus and the start of a $50 million campaign. Pollick oversaw a growth plan that added athletic teams, more than a dozen new campus buildings and athletic facilities, and the College's signature Fasick Bridge. These additions almost tripled the usable space of the College, including five new facilities: the Marquette and Dellinger Residence Halls, the student center, a gymnasium, and the Heilman Center. The revitalization of both Lynch Memorial Hall and Garber Science Center also were begun during this period.
Today, the campus consists of 40 buildings, including the recently renovated Lynch Memorial Hall, the Vernon and Doris Bishop Library, a new 1,650-seat gymnasium, and the Heilman Center for physical therapy. Students reside in one of 25 residence halls which include traditional single-sex and co-educational dormitories and apartment-style residences. Students may also reside in special interest houses upon proposal and approval of LVC administration. A small number of upperclassmen are allowed to live off-campus, and a significant portion of the student body are commuter students as well. Undergraduate enrollment is now over 1,765 students.
The endowment of the college is forty-one million dollars.
Lost lore and traditions
Many college traditions have disappeared and been forgotten, much to the chagrin of most alumni. At most colleges and universities, there seems to be a compulsion to make fools of the freshman students. Lebanon Valley College was no different in this regard, as most of the traditions existed for this very reason.Annual Murder
This sophisticated form of hazing was played out each year in September. This elaborate hoax often gained the cooperation of faculty members and people in the town. During Freshman Week, the first-year students were informed about several student romances on campus through planned gossip. The story went that there was one ardent couple who were constantly together when not in class, but the girl had another upperclassman admirer. The couple argued over the love triangle and it ended in the girl walking off with her new boy. After that, there were public acts that involved the two boys fighting. The affair was all anyone would talk about. Then on a certain pre-arranged night, all freshman were ordered to stay in their rooms by student governing bodies. At 10pm, a drunk ex-boyfriend appeared at the men's dorm. He brandished a gun and staggered through the halls in search of his rival. He finally found him in one of the public archways of the building. Soon, several shots rang out and the victim fell to the floor with blood (ketchup) flowing from his mouth. Other upperclassmen took charge, sending confused and panicked freshmen in pursuit of the killer or for a doctor. A town physician would appear and call for an ambulance, only adding to the theatrics of the evening. Most other freshmen were rounded up and sent in groups to nearby hospitals to offer their blood for transfusion, but were left stranded. At the same time, the freshmen girls witnessed the girl in the triangle see the unconscious victim being taken away and go into a fit of hysterics. During the 1930s, a member of the staff was a Justice of the Peace. He presided over a fake hearing in a large classroom where freshman girls tearfully testified to what they thought they saw happen on campus that night. It was during that hearing that the truth was revealed when the three main actors walked into the room, arm in arm. The next day, the freshmen felt young and foolish, but were looking forward to the next year when they were able to play the same prank on new freshmen. The tradition died in 1946, when its last performance narrowly escaped tragedy when some ex-servicemen studying at LVC under the G.I. Bill threatened to take care of the villain causing trouble between the lovers.
Death League
Perhaps a darker example of campus lore is the infamous Death League, a student organization whose members—mostly upperclassmen—were dedicated to making life miserable for freshmen. They often used the justification that it was discipline or that they were trying to "make men out of boys." They wore white robes and masks modeled after the Ku Klux Klan when they performed organization rites of passage. Favorite disciplinary tricks were brutal paddlings or lashing a victim to a tombstone in the cemetery and making him preach for two hours. Earlier in its history, many upperclassmen and several faculty members approved of the Death League because they saw it as serving a necessary function. Eventually, President Keister came down hard on the organization after a particularly bad beating took place. The result was that the Death League was officially abolished and its hazing activities forbidden. It has since faded into the past as a distant memory.
May Day
A festive tradition, this pageant was begun in 1912. Each year, a May Queen would be elected and would watch over the festival with her court. Typical May Day
May Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
activities took place, including the expected May pole. This tradition seems to have persisted for 55 years until the late 1960s.
Formal Dances
Until October, 1931, dancing on the LVC campus was forbidden. One evening after a football game, President Gossard had decided to change the policy and allowed the students to dance with his blessing. From then on, the literary societies began holding annual dinner dances. Formal proms were organized and any opportunity for dancing was not overlooked.
List of past presidents
- Thomas Rhys Vickroy, 1866–1871
- Lucian H. Hammond, 1871–1876
- David D. DeLong, 1876–1887
- Edmund S. Lorenz, 1887–1889
- Cyrus J. Kephart, 1889–1890
- E. Benjamin Bierman, 1890–1897
- Hervin U. Roop, 1897–1906
- Abram Paul Funkhouser, 1906–1907
- Lawrence Keister, 1907–1912
- George Daniel Gossard, 1912–1932
- Clyde Alvin Lynch, 1932–1950
- Frederick K. Miller, 1951-1967 (Allan W. Mund Acting President, 1967–1968)
- Frederick P. Sample, 1968-1983 (F. Allen Rutherford Jr. Acting President, 1984)
- Arthur L. Peterson, 1984-1987 (William J. McGill Acting President, 1987–1988)
- John A. Synodinos, 1988–1996
- G. David Pollick, 1996–2004
- Stephen C. MacDonald, 2004–present
Academics
Consistently named to US News & World Report's "America’s Best Colleges" list under the Regional College (North) and Best Value School categories, LVC offers over thirty-five fields of study, as well as graduate and doctorate programs. Additionally, students may elect to engage themselves in a more international education through study abroad programs to AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, as well as domestic programs in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Athletics
Lebanon Valley's athletic program began in the mid-1890s with baseball and then football in 1897. Men's and women's basketball were introduced in 1904. Currently, LVC is an NCAANational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division III school that sponsors 21 intercollegiate programs and competes in the Commonwealth Conference (half of the two-conference Middle Atlantic Corporation
Middle Atlantic Corporation
Founded in 1912, the Middle Atlantic Conferences is an umbrella organization of three athletic conferences which competes in the NCAA's Division III. The 16-member teams are located in the Mid-Atlantic United States....
). It also plays ice hockey in the American Collegiate Hockey Association
American Collegiate Hockey Association
The American Collegiate Hockey Association is the national governing body of non-varsity college ice hockey in the U.S. The organization provides structure, regulations, promotes the quality of play, sponsors National Awards and National Tournaments....
.
- BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
began in the mid-1890s. Not a perennial power, it last won a Commonwealth title in 2002. It plays its home games at beautiful McGill Park, which opened in 1999 and has earned national awards for its design and upkeep. The team competes in the Commonwealth Conference. - Men's BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
has been the most successful program at LVC. Winners of the school's only national championship in 1994, it has been extremely successful since its inception in 1904. In 1953, the team, under legendary head coach George "Rinso" Marquette, advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament (which at that time was not split by divisions) after beating FordhamFordham UniversityFordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
at the PalestraPalestraThe Palestra, also known as the Cathedral of College Basketball, is a historic arena and the home gym of the University of Pennsylvania Quakers men's and women's basketball teams, volleyball teams, wrestling team, and Philadelphia Big 5 basketball. Located at 215 South 33rd St...
in Philadelphia in the first round. To this day, LVC is the smallest school to ever advance to the Sweet 16. The program won several conference titles in the 1970s, but the early 1990s were a renaissance period. By 1994, coach Pat FlanneryPat FlanneryPat Flannery is a former head men's basketball coach at Bucknell University. He was born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Pat attended Pottsville Area High School and graduated in 1976. He was a standout guard on the Bucknell team and lead the Bison to several league championships before graduating in...
, with junior national player of the year Mike Rhodes, led the team to the national championship by beating New York UniversityNew York UniversityNew York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
(NYU) 66-59 in overtime. The team earned several more NCAA bids in coming years behind another national player of the year, Andy Panko, and in 2005 the team again returned, advancing to the second round. They play their home games at the new LVC Gymnasium after spending 50 years playing at Lynch Gymnasium. The team competes in the Commonwealth Conference. - Women's Basketball has recently found success under former head coach Peg Kauffman, earning multiple conference playoff berths and winning the ECACEastern College Athletic ConferenceThe Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
Southern tournament in 2002-03. The team competes in the Commonwealth Conference. They are currently coached by Todd Goclowski. - Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
competes in the MAC. - Field HockeyField hockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
became a national powerhouse under former head coach and former athletic director Kathy Tierney. The team made two straight Final Four appearances in 1996 and 1997. In 2001, the new LVC Field Hockey stadium opened, and it hosted the NCAA Final Four in 2003. The team won the ECAC Southern title in 2004. The team competes in the Commonwealth Conference. The team also made two straight Final Four appearances in 2006 and 2007 under current head coach Laurel Martin. - FootballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, which began in 1897, has traditionally been weak, winning its last conference title in 1969. However, since the 2004 season, which saw the return of Jim Monos as head coach, the Dutchmen have shown significant improvement on the gridiron. The squad went 6-4 in 2006, the first winning season for the Dutchmen in 14 years. In 2009, the Dutchmen set a program record for wins in a season, finishing 9-2. The Dutchmen also beat Salisbury UniversitySalisbury UniversitySalisbury University is a public university in Salisbury, Maryland.According to U.S. News and World Report's 2009 America's Best Colleges index, "In guidebooks and surveys by U.S...
37-21 in the 2009 ECAC Southwest Bowl, their first post-season game since the 1951 Burley Bowl. The all-time record as of 2009 is 391-532-37. The team competes in the MAC and plays its home games at Arnold Field. - GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
competes in the Commonwealth Conference. - Ice hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
was introduced in 1996 and found immediate success, winning the ECAC Northeast conference title in 2001, earning a berth in the NCAA tournament. The program shifted affiliation to the ECAC WestECAC WestECAC West is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division III as a hockey-only conference.-Members:* Nazareth College will join the league with a men's team starting in 2012....
from the 2004-05 season through the 2009-2010 season. The team posted a dismal record of 12-135-3 since the move. On February 23, 2010 LVC announced the team will shift to ACHA Division IAmerican Collegiate Hockey AssociationThe American Collegiate Hockey Association is the national governing body of non-varsity college ice hockey in the U.S. The organization provides structure, regulations, promotes the quality of play, sponsors National Awards and National Tournaments....
varsity-club play beginning in the 2010-2011 season. The team plays home games at the 7,225-seat Hersheypark ArenaHersheypark ArenaHersheypark Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena, located in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The arena has a seating capacity, for hockey, of 7,286 people and in excess of 8,000, including standing room...
in Hershey, PennsylvaniaHershey, PennsylvaniaHershey is a census-designated place in Derry Township, Dauphin County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The community is located 14 miles east of Harrisburg and is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hershey has no legal status as an incorporated municipality...
, approximately 15 minutes west of campus. Occasionally, home games are played at Giant CenterGIANT CenterThe Giant Center is a 10,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a census-designated place in the Harrisburg metropolitan area. It is home to the Hershey Bears ice hockey team, the longest-existing member of the American Hockey League since 1938...
, home of the Hershey BearsHershey BearsThe Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...
(AHLAmerican Hockey LeagueThe American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
). - Indoor Track competes in the Arnold Arena in the MAC.
- Men's and women's LacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
begins competition in spring 2010 and will compete at Arnold Field. - Outdoor Track competes at Arnold Field in the MAC.
- Men's Soccer competes at Herbert Field in the Commonwealth Conference, coached by Charlie Grimes.
- Women's Soccer competes at Herbert Field in the Commonwealth Conference, coached by Lauren Frankford.
- Women's SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
competes at the LVC Softball Park in the Commonwealth Conference, coached by Stacey Hollinger. On October 1, 2009 the team was honored by NFCA for Academic Success. The team's GPA ranked them 40th among all 386 Division 3 schools playing softball. In addition, 9 team members were individually honored by the NFCA as Scholar-Athletes. - Men's and women's SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
competes in the Arnold pool in the MAC - Women's VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
competes at the LVC Gymnasium in the Commonwealth Conference. - Men's and women's TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
competes in the Commonwealth Conference.
Alma mater
To Thee dear Alma Mater, this ringing song we raiseA song that's fraught with gladness, a song that's filled with praise
We cannot help but love Thee, our hearts are full and free
Full well we know the debt we owe, to dear old L.V.C.
We come from old New Hampshire, Where winter breezes blow
And from the sunny Southland, Where sweet magnolias grow
We've sung "Star Spangled Banner," To "Dixie" given a cheer
And now we raise this song of praise, To Alma Mater dear.
Ye Sons of Lebanon Valley, Put forth your strongest might
And let our Alma Mater, Win each and ev'ry fight
Lift high its royal banner, And keep its honor clear
And let our song with voices strong, Ring down thru many a year.
Notable alumni
- Rowland W. Barnes (class of 1962), the Fulton County, Georgia Superior Court judge, who was killed in his Atlanta courtroom on Friday, March 11, 2005. (LVC Memorial Project)
- Mark B. CohenMark B. CohenMark B. Cohen is a Democratic politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Succeeding Eugene Gelfand, he has represented Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 202 in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives since June 10, 1974, making him the most senior member in the Pennsylvania...
- Masters in Business Administration (2000), Democratic Representative in the Pennsylvania House of RepresentativesPennsylvania House of RepresentativesThe Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two year terms from single member districts....
. - Tom CorbettTom CorbettThomas W. Corbett is the 46th and current Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. He is a former Attorney General of Pennsylvania and was elected to that office in 2004 and reelected in 2008...
- Pennsylvania Attorney General, 1995–1997, and from 2005 to 2011. Current governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 2011. - Dr. Daniel W. FoxDaniel FoxDr. Daniel W. Fox was a polymer chemist who is often regarded as the father of LEXAN. LEXAN is the flagship product of GE Plastics and is used in everything from CDs and DVDs to car bumpers and Nalgene products. Though Dr...
- B.S. in chemistry (1948), credited with inventing LEXAN polycarbonate, which is used in CDs, DVDs, and NalgeneNalgeneThermo Scientific Nalgene is a brand of polyethylene plastic developed and manufactured by Nalge Nunc International originally developed for laboratory storage containers. It is now used in the manufacture of water containers, vials, bottles, bags and carboys for packaging, shipping, and storage...
products. - Charlie GelbertCharlie GelbertCharles Magnus Gelbert was a professional baseball player. He played all or part of ten seasons in Major League Baseball for the St...
, former Major League Baseball player. - Hinkey HainesHinkey HainesHenry Luther "Hinkey" Haines was a professional athlete who played American football in the National Football League and baseball in the Major League Baseball association...
- (class of 1919, transferred to Penn State University), former Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder for the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, playing only in the 1923 season. - Henry "Two Bits" Homan (class of 1924) former NFL quarterback who played with the Frankford Yellow JacketsFrankford Yellow JacketsThe Frankford Yellow Jackets were a professional American football team, part of the National Football League from 1924 to 1931, though its origin dates back to as early as 1899 with the Frankford Athletic Association. The Yellow Jackets won the NFL championship in 1926...
in Philadelphia from 1925 until 1930. - Malcolm Lazin - (class of 1965), founder and executive director of Equality Forum, the largest international LGBT civil rights forum.
- Bruce MetzgerBruce MetzgerBruce Manning Metzger was a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and Bible editor who served on the board of the American Bible Society. He was a scholar of Greek, New Testament and Old Testament, and wrote prolifically on these subjects.- Biography :Metzger was born in Middletown,...
- (class of 1935) - Princeton Theological SeminaryPrinceton Theological SeminaryPrinceton Theological Seminary is a theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church located in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey in the United States...
professor, author, and theological scholar. - Gary Miller (conductor)Gary Miller (conductor)Gary Miller is an American conductor, gay activist, and educator. Raised in York, Pennsylvania, he graduated from Lebanon Valley College with a Bachelor of Music Education and from the University of Michigan with a Master of Music in choral conducting. In August 1980 he played an instrumental role...
- conductor and gay activist - Peter George OlenchukPeter George OlenchukPeter George Olenchuk was a Major General in the United States Army.-Biography:Originally a native of Bayonne, New Jersey, Olenchuk would graduate from Lebanon Valley College before obtaining a M.D. in Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a M.D. in Business Administration from...
- U.S. Army Major General. - John Sant’Ambrogio - (class of 1954), principal cellist with the Saint Louis Symphony OrchestraSaint Louis Symphony OrchestraThe Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1880 by Joseph Otten as the St. Louis Choral Society, the SLSO is the second-oldest symphony orchestra in the United States as it is preceded by the New York Philharmonic.-History:The St...
from 1968 to 2005; founder and artistic director of the Arts for the Soul summer vacation retreat in Steamboat Springs, ColoradoSteamboat Springs, ColoradoThe city of Steamboat Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Routt County, Colorado, United States. The city is also known as "Steamboat," "The Boat," or "Ski Town USA". As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,088.The city is an...
. - Paul E. V. ShannonPaul E. V. ShannonPaul Eugene Virgil Shannon was a Bishop of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, elected in 1957.-Birth and early life:...
- (class of 1918), former Bishop of the Evangelical United Brethren ChurchEvangelical United Brethren ChurchThe Evangelical United Brethren Church was an American Protestant church which was formed in 1946 by the merger of the Evangelical Church with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ...
, elected in 1957. - Nolan Miller - Former Principal HornHorn (instrument)The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
Emeriti, Philadelphia OrchestraPhiladelphia OrchestraThe Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
. Member, Phi Mu Alpha SinfoniaPhi Mu Alpha SinfoniaPhi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music...
. - W. Maynard SparksW. Maynard SparksW. Maynard Sparks was an American Bishop of the Evangelical United Brethren Church and of the United Methodist Church, elected in 1958.-Birth and Family:...
- (class of 1927), former Bishop of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, elected in 1958.