{{Short description|Community college in Rio Grande, Ohio, US}} {{Use American English|date=October 2023}}{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Redirect|Rio Grande College|the colleges in Texas|Sul Ross State University}} {{Infobox university | name = University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College | native_name = | image = Rio grande univ ohio seal.jpg | image_size = 130 | caption = Official seal at the campus entrance in 2007 | latin_name = | motto = Changing Tomorrows | established = {{start date and age|1876|09|13}} | vision = | type = [[Private university]] and [[Public school (government funded)|public]] [[community college]] | endowment = $21,853,211 | debt = | rector = | chairman = | chancellor = | president = [[Ryan Smith (Ohio politician)|Ryan Smith]] | vice-president = | superintendent = | provost = Dr. David Lawrence | vice_chancellor = | principal = | dean = | director = | vice director = | head = | faculty = | staff = | students = 2,300 | undergrad = 2,140 | postgrad = 160 | doctoral = | divinity = | residents = | other = |profess = |city = [[Rio Grande, Ohio]] |country = United States |coor = {{coord|38.880278|-82.376667|format=dms|display=inline,title|type:edu_region:US-OH}} |campus = Rural, {{convert|190|acre|ha|0}} | former_names = Rio Grande College (1876–1989) | free_label = | free = | sports = | colors = Red & White <br />{{color box|#b5121b}}&nbsp;{{color box|white}} | colours = | nickname = RedStorm<!--The school officially renders its nickname without a space.--> | athletics_affiliations= [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]] – [[River States Conference|River States]] (primary)<br />NAIA – [[Mid-South Conference|Mid-South]] (wrestling, volleyball) | parent = [[University System of Ohio]] | nobel_laureates = | website = {{URL|https://www.rio.edu/| rio.edu/}} | logo = Rio grande univ logo.svg | logo_size = 200 | footnotes = }}

The '''University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College''' (originally '''Rio Grande College''')<ref name="RaccoonTownship">{{cite web|url=http://www.ohiogenealogyexpress.com/gallia/galliaco_history_raccoon.htm|title=Raccoon Township, Gallia County, Ohio|work=History of Gallia County|publisher=H. H. Hardesty & Co., Publishers|access-date=28 January 2011|location=Chicago & Toledo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223045448/http://ohiogenealogyexpress.com/gallia/galliaco_history_raccoon.htm|archive-date=23 December 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> is a [[private university]] and [[Public college|public]] [[community college]] merged into one institution in [[Rio Grande, Ohio]], United States. It is [[Higher education accreditation in the United States|accredited]] by the [[Higher Learning Commission]] (HLC).

== History ==

=== Early history === Ira Haning, a Free Will Baptist minister, persuaded Nehemiah and Permelia Atwood, affluent residents and entrepreneurs, to use their wealth to establish a college. Following Nehemiah's death in 1869, the responsibility for making this dream a reality fell to his wife Permelia. In 1873, Permelia Ridgeway Atwood established an endowment and deeded {{convert|10|acre|ha}} of land for Rio Grande College, which officially opened on September 13, 1876. In its first year, [[Ransom Dunn]] was president as well as professor of mental and moral philosophy.<ref name="Raccoon1882">{{cite web|url=http://www.ohiogenealogyexpress.com/gallia/galliaco_history_raccoon.htm|title=Raccoon Township|year=1882|work=History of Gallia County|publisher=H. H. Hardesty & Co., Publishers|access-date=28 January 2011|location=Chicago & Toledo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223045448/http://ohiogenealogyexpress.com/gallia/galliaco_history_raccoon.htm|archive-date=23 December 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

== Athletics == {{see also|Rio Grande RedStorm football}} [[File:Rio grande redstorm wmark.png|thumb|200px|left|Rio Grande athletics wordmark]] The Rio Grande athletic teams are called the RedStorm. The university is a member of the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics]] (NAIA), primarily competing in the [[River States Conference]] (RSC) since the 2014–15 academic year; which they were a member on a previous stint from 1964–65 to 1970–71. The RedStorm previously competed in the [[Mid-South Conference]] (MSC) from 2009–10 to 2013–14, and in the defunct [[American Mideast Conference]] (AMC) from 1971–72 to 2008–09.

Rio Grande competes in 26 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, rugby, soccer, track & field (indoor & outdoor), volleyball, and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, rugby, soccer, softball, track & field (indoor & outdoor), and volleyball; and co-ed sports include bass fishing, cheerleading, dance, and eSports. Football, which had been dropped after the 1949 season, will return in 2025, competing in the [[Appalachian Athletic Conference]] (AAC).

== Notable alumni == {{More citations needed section|date=December 2012}} * *[[Bernie Bickerstaff]], former [[NBA]] head coach and executive.{{Citation needed|date= December 2012}}<!--MISSING CONNECTION TO University of Rio Grande--> *[[Matthew Boyles]], professional race walker.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/united-states/matthew-boyles-191232|title = Matt BOYLES &#124; Profile &#124; World Athletics}}</ref><!--MISSING CONNECTION TO University of Rio Grande--> *[[Frank Cremeans]], represented the state of Ohio in the [[United States House of Representatives]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C000903|title=CREMEANS, Frank, (1943 - 2003)|publisher= Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|access-date= December 21, 2012 }}</ref> *[[Bevo Francis]], a legendary [[basketball]] player, put Rio Grande on the map in 1954 when he scored 113 points in a single game against [[Hillsdale College]]. Francis' feat stood as an [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] record for 58 years until Jack Taylor of [[Grinnell College]] broke the mark with a 138-point performance against [[Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary|Faith Baptist Bible College]] on November 20, 2012. *[[Kendell Foster Crossen]], [[Pulp magazine|pulp fiction]] and [[science fiction]] writer. *[[Ben Hunter]], professional soccer player.{{Citation needed|date= December 2012}}<!--MISSING CONNECTION TO University of Rio Grande--> *[[Bernard Lepkofker]], competitive judoka *[[George Poffenbarger]], justice of the [[West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals]]. *[[Tom Spencer (baseball)|Tom Spencer]], retired [[Major League Baseball]] [[outfielder]]<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=spencto01|title = Tom Spencer Stats|publisher= Baseball Almanac|access-date= December 21, 2012}}</ref> *[[Robert M. Switzer]], former [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]] from Ohio.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=S001124|title=SWITZER, Robert Mauck, (1863 - 1952)|publisher= Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|access-date= December 21, 2012 }}</ref> *[[Laura L. Clellan]], Major General, [[United States Army]]. Current Adjutant General, [[Colorado National Guard]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalguard.mil/portals/31/Features/ngbgomo/bio/2/2951.html|title=Clellan, Laura}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == {{Commons category}} * {{Official website}} * [https://www.rioredstorm.com/ Athletics website]

{{Colleges and universities in Ohio}} {{River States Conference navbox}} {{Ohio college sports}} {{authority control}}

[[Category:University of Rio Grande| ]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Gallia County, Ohio]] [[Category:Education in Gallia County, Ohio]] [[Category:Private universities and colleges in Ohio]] [[Category:Free Will Baptist schools]]