LeesâÂÂMcRae College is a private college in Banner Elk, North Carolina, United States, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). LeesâÂÂMcRae College sits in the Appalachian Mountains at above sea level, the highest elevation of any American college or university east of the Mississippi River. It is one of the few colleges to be named after two women, Suzanna Lees and Elizabeth McRae.
LeesâÂÂMcRae College was founded in Banner Elk as an all-female high school in 1899 by the Reverend Edgar Tufts, a Presbyterian minister. He named the school "The Elizabeth McRae Institute" after a well-respected educator in 1900. The name of school benefactor Suzanna Lees was added in 1903, and the school became "The LeesâÂÂMcRae Institute" when it was chartered by the state in 1907.
An all-male branch was founded in 1907 in nearby Plumtree, North Carolina. The Plumtree facility was destroyed in a 1927 fire, leading the two campuses to merge at the Banner Elk site. After the merger, the high school program was phased out, and in 1931 the institute was renamed "LeesâÂÂMcRae College" as an accredited, coeducational junior college.
LeesâÂÂMcRae began moving toward offering a four-year program in the late 1980s, and the school's president made the recommendation to the board of trustees in 1987. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools granted LeesâÂÂMcRae status as a four-year college in 1990. In 2005, LeesâÂÂMcRae became the first expansion site for New Opportunity School for Women, a program that helps educate and employ women in Appalachia.
The LeesâÂÂMcRae Bobcats compete in NCAA Division II as a member of Conference Carolinas. All athletic teams are eligible for athletic scholarships. The college is also home to a cycling team, which competes in Division I and holds national championships. The varsity sports teams are listed below.