How Roanoke College Began and Why It Continues
Because David F. Bittle and Christopher C. Baughman, both
Lutheran pastors, recognized the need to educate the young
men of the rural frontier, they founded in 1842 the institution
which was to become Roanoke College. Located near
Staunton,Virginia, and named the Virginia Institute, it was
chartered in 1845 and renamed the Virginia Collegiate
Institute.
Realizing the advantage of having the school at a center of
activity, the two men moved it to Salem in 1847. In 1853, the
Virginia Legislature granted the charter that raised the school
to college status, and the trustees changed its name to
Roanoke College.
Today Roanoke is the center of learning for its 1,750
students, a place where tradition and educational innovation
meet. Excellence and creativity are the criteria by which
Roanoke evaluates its academic programs. Careers of alumni
and the respected standing of the College provide a means for
measuring the quality of the education offered by Roanoke
College. Every area of interest and specialization is
represented among the College's alumni: the arts, athletics,
business, religion, education, government, industry, journalism,
law, medicine, the military, and public service.