Today, Georgia College is a public liberal arts university enrolling around 7,000 students. However, with a history dating back to the 1800s, this public university wasn’t always bustling with students and was open to everyone. In fact, Georgia College was first chartered as Georgia Normal and Industrial College in 1889 and enrolled women who were looking for industrial careers or teaching positions.
Back in 1996, Georgia College was designated as the state’s official “Public Liberal Arts University.”
But what has become a place where all students can explore majors and graduate degree programs throughout the university’s four colleges had a different start altogether.
From 1889 through 1922, Georgia College was known as Georgia Normal and Industrial College and was primarily a vocational school.
The main task within this two-year college was to prepare young women for a career in teaching or business, in order to meet the industrial demands of life.
Eventually, after being authorized to grant four-year degrees, the institution officially changed its name to Georgia State College for Women.
As a teacher’s college, students were able to study for a liberal arts degree, including subjects like art, math, science, English, and home economics.
The history within this college is quite remarkable, as during World War II it served as one of four colleges that trained WAVES (U.S. Naval Reserve for women) for the U.S. Navy.
In addition, one of the South’s most prolific writers - Mary "Flannery" O’Connor attended the school as a freshman in 1942.
The school officially became coeducational in 1967 and eventually become Georgia’s official Public Liberal Arts University.
Today, the campus is sprawling in size, with a central campus comprised of about 43 acres in Milledgeville, Georgia. It also celebrated 125 years as an educational institution.
But with such small beginnings, a school with a history like this one deserves to be recognized as a true gem of Georgia.
Thanks to Georgia College on Vimeo, you can get a quick glimpse back at the history of this great institution:
https://vimeo.com/channels/georgiacollege/110956697
Did you know about the fascinating history behind Georgia College? Share with us your thoughts in the comments section! Or if you have some more interesting history behind this college you'd like to share, we'd love to hear it!
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