He agreed to serve as president, after which the group purchased the failed Westover Hotel resort for $13,500, securing Lynchburg's current campus.

The University of Lynchburg was the first institution in the United States to train nuclear physicists and engineers for the NS Savannah project under the order of President Eisenhower, to aid in the development and operation of the world's first nuclear-powered ship.

[3] The institution officially changed its name to Lynchburg College in 1919, citing a constituency that had expanded beyond Virginia.

[citation needed] The University of Lynchburg Hornets participate in NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC).

The women's soccer program won Lynchburg's first-ever team national championship in 2014, defeating Williams College in penalty kicks to take the crown.

[7] In 2010, the Hornets men's soccer program reached the Division III national championship match, where they fell in overtime to Messiah College.

[9] In the 2023 NCAA DIII baseball tournament final, Lynchburg defeated Johns Hopkins in 3 games to capture its first national championship.

[10] Multiple men's cross country, indoor, and outdoor track & field athletes have captured NCAA Division III titles over the years as well.