Jonathan Clark Rogers (September 7, 1885 – October 24, 1967) was President of the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

(UGA) in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

from 1949 until 1950.

Early life

Born in 1885 in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, Rogers earned his

B.S. A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University ...

Piedmont College Piedmont University is a private university in Demorest and Athens, Georgia. Founded in 1897, Piedmont's Demorest campus includes 300 acres in a traditional residential-college setting located in the foothills of the northeast Georgia Blue Rid ...

in 1906 and his

civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewa ...

degree (B.S.C.E) from

Earlham College Earlham College is a private liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana. The college was established in 1847 by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and has a strong focus on Quaker values such as integrity, a commitment to peace and social ...

the following year. He also earned an

M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

in 1927. In 1934 he received an honorary EdD degree from Piedmont College.

Service in education

Rogers taught at Oakwood Seminary in

Union Springs, New York Union Springs is a village (New York), village in Cayuga County, New York, Cayuga County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 1,197 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from the mineral springs near the village. Union S ...

until 1911 when he joined Piedmont College . There he taught and served as Dean until 1934 when he became President of

North Georgia College The University of North Georgia (UNG) is a public senior military college with multiple campuses in Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia. The university was established on January 8, 2013 by a merger of North Georgia College ...

Dahlonega The city of Dahlonega () is the county seat of Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,242, and in 2018 the population was estimated to be 6,884. Dahlonega is located at the north end of ...

. Rogers assumed the presidency at NGC shortly after it was reduced to a junior college in 1933. During his presidency, enrollment at North Georgia rose from 160 to 702, thus making it the largest junior college in Georgia at the time. In January 1949 he was selected as the President of UGA. Rogers' tenure at UGA was very brief due to a power struggle with some members of the

Georgia Board of Regents The Georgia Board of Regents oversees the University System of Georgia as part of the state government of Georgia in the United States. The University System of Georgia is composed of all state public institutions of higher education in the state. ...

over whether the College of Agriculture should remain a part of the University or become its own institution. UGA kept the school; however, the clash cost Rogers his job. After leaving the University in 1950, Rogers directed Tallulah Falls School (1951–1953) and worked at Reinhardt College as a math professor and counselor from 1957 to 1962. On October 24, 1967, Rogers died in Gainesville, Georgia and was buried in

Demorest, Georgia Demorest is a city in Habersham County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,823 at the 2010 census, up from 1,465 at the 2000 census. It is the home of Piedmont University. Geography Demorest is located in south-central Habersham Count ...

References

Sources

''From Ahmedunggar to Lavonia Presidents at the University of Georgia 1785-1997'', University of Georgia Libraries, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library'' 'Brief yet Important' era of UGA president honored'', Sarah Lee, Athens Banner Herald, 10/03/2001
1885 births 1967 deaths Presidents of the University of Georgia People from Richmond, Indiana Earlham College alumni Piedmont University alumni 20th-century American academics {{UGeorgia-stub