Lyndon Institute began in 1867 as the Lyndon Literary and Biblical Institution.  Its first academic term was in 1870.  In the more than 140 years since, the campus has served as home to the Lyndon Commercial College in 1886, and the Vermont School of Agriculture.  The latter was founded in 1910 by Theodore N. Vail, the first president of New England Telephone Company and the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T). 

 In 1923, the school officially became Lyndon Institute. From 1923 to 1951, the Institute provided both secondary and post-secondary educational programs to area students.  In 1951, the post-secondary programs became Lyndon State College. 

Lyndon Institute looks to the future with its 2006-2010 Strategic Plan, a forward-thinking document that captures the best of the school's past to prepare the school for the next generation students.