Elon University

Elon University is a private university in Elon, North Carolina. Founded in 1889 as Elon College, Elon is organized into six schools, most of which offer bachelor's degrees and several of which offer master's degrees or professional doctorate degrees. Located in North Carolina's Piedmont region, Elon is situated on a suburban campus between the cities of Greensboro and Raleigh. Less than twenty percent of Elon's undergraduates are native to the state of North Carolina. Elon's intercollegiate athletic teams compete in NCAA Division I athletics as a member of the Coastal Athletic Association. History Elon College was founded by the Christian Connection, which later became a part of the United Church of Christ. The charter for Elon College was issued by the North Carolina legislature in 1889. William S. Long was the first president, and the original student body consisted of 76 students. In 1923, a fire destroyed most of the campus, including school records, classrooms, the library, and the chapel. The board of trustees voted to rebuild immediately. Many of the buildings that were erected in the years following the fire still stand and make up the bedrock of Elon's campus.