The story
Emory & Henry University is named after John Emory, a renowned Methodist bishop, and Patrick Henry, an American patriot and Virginia's first governor, though some research suggests the name honors Henry's sister Elizabeth Henry Campbell Russell, who lived in nearby Saltville and Chilhowie. The college was founded upon the principles of vital faith and civic engagement by Creed Fulton, a Methodist minister; Colonel William Byars; Tobias Smyth, a Methodist farmer; and Alexander Findlay, a Methodist businessman.
The foundation for Wiley Hall was laid on September 30, 1836. The board of trustees hired Charles Collins as the institution's first president (1838–1852), with classes beginning in the spring of 1838 with 60 students enrolled.
The college closed in April 1861 during the Civil War and was commandeered by the Confederate States of America in 1862, operating as a hospital until 1865. During this time, the campus saw battle during the Battle of Saltville. Shortly after the battle, the hospital was the setting of Lieutenant Smith's murder on October 7, 1864, by Champ Ferguson, who had killed two black Union prisoners at the same hospital the day before. Lieutenant Smith and two other prisoners were recovering from battlefield injuries when Ferguson and some Confederate associates approached the hospital. An Irish-born guard turned them away, even going so far as to point his rifle at them. Ferguson and his men found an alternative means of entry and came across Lt. Smith and others. Smith evidently recognized Ferguson, and despite his pleas for mercy, was shot in his bed by Ferguson.
After the war ended, the college reopened.
Martha Washington College
The administrative operation of Martha Washington College, a Methodist-affiliated school for women located in Abingdon, Virginia, was merged with that of Emory & Henry College in 1918. At its November 1918 session held in Johnson City, Tennessee, the Holston Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, decided to merge Martha Washington College with Emory & Henry College; all of the property of Martha Washington, including its 8-acre Abingdon campus, would be transferred to Emory & Henry in exchange for Emory & Henry assuming the debts of Martha Washington and operating Martha Washington College as a "co-ordinate woman's college". This arrangement lasted for about a decade, until Martha Washington College completely closed in 1931.
World War II and beyond
During World War II, Emory & Henry was one of 131 US colleges and universities that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program which offered students a path to a Navy commission.
Emory & Henry College's name officially changed on August 1, 2024, to Emory & Henry University.
In June 2025, the university was placed on "Probation for Good Cause" status by its accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, after the accreditor's board found non-compliance with its standards for financial responsibility. The probation was lifted one year later.
From Wikipedia’s article on Emory & Henry University, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5