Brevard College was named for Ephraim Brevard, a teacher and one of the local leaders that produced the Mecklenburg Resolves/Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence in 1775. Brevard College traces its origins to three institutions: Weaver College, a two- and four-year school, which was founded in Weaverville, Buncombe County, in 1853 by the "Brothers of Temperance;" Rutherford College, which was founded as the Owl Hollow School in 1853 in Burke County (and gave its name to Rutherford College, North Carolina); and the Brevard Institute, a high school inaugurated in 1895 by Asheville businessman Fitch Taylor and his wife, Sarah.[2]
In 1933, the Western North Carolina Annual Conference decided to merge Weaver and Rutherford Colleges to create a single coeducational Methodist Junior college on the site of the old Brevard Institute.[3] In fall of 1934, Brevard College was established after five Weaver faculty and 30 Weaver students moved to the new location as part of an opening that included 24 faculty and 394 students.[2][3]
J. A. Jones Library, named after James Addison Jones,[5] serves students at Brevard College and supports community borrowers as well. In addition to its print and digital collections, it provides historical information on Transylvania County,[6] study accommodations for group or individual work in public or private space, classrooms for library instruction, and interlibrary loan privileges.
J. A. Jones Library is a member of the American Library Association, Appalachian College Association, Carolina Consortium, Lyrasis, and North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities.
The Porter Center concert hall and theatre at Brevard College
Athletics play a large role in the Brevard College campus life scene and are an important part of the institution's history.
Brevard competes in 20 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports compete in baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, cycling, football, lacrosse, soccer, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cheerleading, cross country, cycling, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball.
Football
The fall of 2006 saw the college field a football team for the first time since the 1950s.
Disc golf
Disc golf is also a popular leisure activity on campus; Brevard competes in several annual tournaments with other local colleges.
Mountain biking
In the fall of 2009, the Tornados mountain biking team (in only their third season) won their first national championship after improving on a fourth-place finish in 2008 and an eighth-place finish in 2007. The team received their second national championship win in 2010. In 2012 the team won their third national championship.[7]
