Virginia University of Lynchburg is the oldest school of higher learning in
Lynchburg. The school was founded in 1886 and incorporated in 1888 by the Virginia Baptist State Convention as the coeducational "Lynchburg Baptist Seminary". Classes were first held in 1890 under the name Virginia Seminary. With the offering of a collegiate program in 1900, the name was again changed, to "Virginia Theological Seminary and College". In 1962, the institution was renamed to the "Virginia Seminary and College". Finally, in 1996, the school was given its current name. The campus includes three historic academic buildings on : Graham Hall (1917), Humbles Hall (1920–21), and the Mary Jane Cachelin Memorial Science and Library Building (1946). These buildings and the Hayes Monument (c. 1906) comprise a
historic district, which was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 2010. On April 22, 2024, the university's
accreditor,
TRACS, voted to place the VUL on probation for failing to maintain its accreditation standards. Namely, the TRACS board found issue in the financing of VUL, stating the institution failed to meet
Title IV regulations, and must provide a full audit of its 2023 financials. However, as of 2025, the institution has demonstrated compliance with all TRACS standards, with no follow-up reporting required.
University presidents The following have led Virginia University of Lynchburg since its founding: • Philip F. Morris, 1888–1890 •
Gregory W. Hayes, 1891–1906 •
Mary Rice Hayes Allen, 1906–1908 •
James Robert Lincoln Diggs, 1908–1911 • Robert C. Woods, 1911–1926 • William H.R. Powell, 1926–1929, 1934–1946 •
Vernon Johns, 1929–1934 • Madison C. Allen, 1946–1966 • MacCarthy C. Sutherland, 1966–1980 • Benjamin W. Robertson, 1980 • Leroy Fitts, 1980–1981 • Thomas E. Parker, 1982–1987 • Melvin R. Boone, 1988–1990 • Ada M. Palmer, 1990–1992 • Elisha G. Hall, 1992–1999 • Ralph Reavis, 2000–2015 • Kathy C. Franklin, 2016–Present ==Athletics==