Queens University of Charlotte

The Queens University of Charlotte is a private university in Charlotte, North Carolina. It has approximately 1,900 undergraduate and graduate students. Established in 1857, the university offers 34 undergraduate majors and 10 graduate programs. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).

History


Founded in 1857 as the Charlotte Female Institute, this private school was originally located at College and 9th streets in what is now Uptown Charlotte. It was started and operated by Rev. Robert Burwell and his wife Margaret Anna Burwell. Elizabeth Webb Long operated the school as Long's Seminary from 1891 to 1896. The school affiliated with the Presbyterian Synod of North Carolina in 1896 and changed its name to the Presbyterian College for Women. This liberal arts college moved to 600-616 North College Street on the corner of 9th Street in Charlotte.

The college moved to fifty-acres in Myers Park in 1912 and changed its name to Queen's College. Its trustees selected the Queen's College name to commemorate a school established in North Carolina in 1771, before being disallowed by the British Crown the next year. They hoped this would inspire more interest in the college.

In 1930, it merged with Chicora College for Women, previously located in Columbia, South Carolina. As part of the merger, Chicora sold all of its assets and turned over the proceeds to Queens College; the latter agreed to archive Chicora's records relating to students and alumni. The merged institution was called Queens-Chicora College from 1930 to 1939.

Daniel G. Lugo assumed the role of Queens' 21st president on July 1, 2019, after the retirement of Dr. Pamela Davies, who led Queens for 17 years.

In 2020, the board of trustees voted unanimously to rename Burwell Hall, which had been named in 1914 after Margaret Anna Burwell, the wife of Robert Burwell, to Queens Hall. Burwell was the first head of Queens and the building was renamed because the couple were slaveowners.

Athletics
Queens University of Charlotte's athletic teams take the identity of the Queens Royals on the field and cheer their teams on via their mascot, Rex. Queens is a member of the NCAA's Division I program nationally; regionally, the Royals participate in the ASUN Conference.

Men's sports
Men's athletic teams include baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross-country, golf, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field, volleyball, and triathlon.

Women's sports
Women's athletic teams include basketball, cheerleading, dance, cross-country, equestrian, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, volleyball, and triathlon.

Notable people

 * Betsy Byars (1928 – 2020), Newbery Medal-winning author of children's books (e.g., Summer of the Swans)
 * Elizabeth Johnston Evans Johnston (1851–1934), philanthropist and social worker