Wingate University

Wingate University is an American "Judeo-Christian" university based over three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte, and Hendersonville, North Carolina. It was founded in 1896 and is affiliated with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.

History
In 1896, Wingate University began as 'The Wingate School,' a primary and secondary institution founded by the Baptist Associations of Union County, North Carolina and Chesterfield County, South Carolina in response to a dearth of locally-available public schools. The School took its name from Dr. Washington Manly Wingate, a former president of Wake Forest College, and continued to offer a primary and secondary education until the proliferation of public schools in the early 20th century.

In 1923, The Wingate School began offering the first two years of a baccalaureate education and became Wingate Junior College. The years leading to World War II were difficult for the institution. Though it began receiving financial support from The Baptist State Convention of North Carolina soon after becoming a college, this support was withdrawn during The Great Depression. It was also during this period, in 1932, that the college's administration building was destroyed by fire. The college survived, however, as a result of the work of its administration, faculty, and supporters as well as the post-WWII college enrollment boom. The Baptist State Convention resumed financial support in 1949, and Charles Cannon, a local businessman and philanthropist, began making substantial donations to the college beginning in the 1950s.

In 1952, Wingate Junior College was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and in 1977, became a four-year institution, Wingate College. The college continued to grow, especially under the leadership of Jerry McGee, added graduate programs, and became Wingate University in 1995.

Academics
Wingate University's main campus is located in Union County, NC on a 400 acre campus 30 miles southeast of Charlotte. A high percentage of students (85%) live on campus all four years.

The university offers 35 undergraduate majors, 34 minors, 12 career concentrations and nine pre-professional programs; master's degrees in accounting, business, education, sport management and physician assistant studies; and doctorates in education, pharmacy and physical therapy. Wingate University is ranked #52 in Regional Universities South by U.S. News & World Report.

The Ballantyne campus in south Charlotte, NC, offers four adult degree programs, including MBA, Master of Arts in Sport Management, master's and doctorate degrees in Graduate Education, and an adult bachelor's degree. The Hendersonville campus, located 22 miles south of Asheville, NC, offers graduate programs in Pharmacy and Physical Therapy.

Pharmacy
The Wingate University School of Pharmacy (34.98691°N, -80.44669°W) is a pharmacy school located in Wingate, North Carolina. The school, part of Wingate University, offers a four-year Doctor of Pharmacy degree (Pharm.D) and is nationally accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. As of 2017, tied with 6 other programs, it was ranked #81 among pharmacy colleges in the US.

W'International
Wingate University has offered an international study-tour program called W'International since 1978. After attending a one-hour seminar once a week during the regular semester, students travel to their chosen destination with the faculty member after classes end.

Athletics
Wingate student-athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports.These sports include: baseball, softball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track & field, men's and women's lacrosse, football and volleyball. Wingate's mascot is the Bulldog.

In 2016 the men's soccer team won the school's and the South Atlantic Conference's first team championship, by defeating University of Charleston 2-0 in the national title game in Kansas City, Missouri.

Notable alumni

 * John Bowman, Grey Cup champion CFL football player
 * Kenwin Cummings, former NFL football player
 * Anthony Dean Griffey, four-time Grammy Award–winning singer with the Metropolitan Opera
 * Rohit Gupta, film director
 * Lorinza "Junior" Harrington, former National Basketball Association player
 * Jesse Helms, former Republican U.S. senator
 * David Jones, former NFL football player
 * Leon Levine, founder, Family Dollar retail stores
 * Luke Mulholland, Major League Soccer player
 * David Hayes, former Major League Soccer player
 * Ken Goodman (politician), North Carolina state representative from State House District 66
 * Mike Martin, Winningest College Baseball Coach of all-time (Florida State Seminoles)