South Georgia State College is a

public college A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national universit ...

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...

and

Waycross, Georgia Waycross is the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Ware County in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 14,725 at the 2010 Census and dropped to 13,942 in the 2020 census. Waycross includes two historic districts (Downtown ...

. It is part of the

University System of Georgia The University System of Georgia (USG) is the government agency that includes 26 public institutions of higher learning in the U.S. state of Georgia. The system is governed by the Georgia Board of Regents. It sets goals and dictates general ...

History

Eleventh District A & M School

On August 18, 1906, the

Georgia General Assembly The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each of the General Assembly's 236 members serve two-year terms and are directly ...

enacted the Perry Act approving the construction of a

secondary Secondary may refer to: Science and nature * Secondary emission, of particles ** Secondary electrons, electrons generated as ionization products * The secondary winding, or the electrical or electronic circuit connected to the secondary winding i ...

-level school in each of

Georgia's congressional districts Georgia is represented in the United States House of Representatives by 14 elected representatives, each campaigning and receiving votes in only one district of the 14. After the 2000 census, the State of Georgia was divided into 13 congressiona ...

. At the time, few rural residents of Georgia received more than an eighth-grade education. The Eleventh District A & M School was one of the eleven (later twelve) educational centers created to cater to the predominantly agricultural-based economy in Georgia.

, the seat of government for Coffee County, was selected as one of the original eleven towns for the location of an A & M school. Its residents collected $55,000 in cash and of land, then valued at $50 per acre (.4 hectares), to be donated towards the construction of the school. Unlike other towns in the Eleventh District, Douglas added free water and electricity for ten years to its bid as an extra incentive. Douglas was a fast-growing town with a population that grew from only 617 in 1900 to 1,600 people in 1907. Construction started the same year and the agriculture school began offering classes in 1908. Charles Wesley Davis, a

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

-native, was hired as the first principal with the mandate to develop a comprehensive high school curriculum beyond vocational studies.

South Georgia College

The school became Georgia's first state-supported two-year college in 1927. In 1932 South Georgia State College emerged as one of the original 26 institutions of the

. Joseph Meriwether Thrash (1885-1947) joined the faculty in 1907, and later served as the fifth principal of the A & M School. He became the college's first president in 1927. The other original school,

Waycross College Waycross College was a two-year unit of the University System of Georgia. The College's philosophy was to provide opportunities for those who need special preparation for regular college-level courses while giving well-prepared students immediate a ...

, was established by the University System of Georgia as a two-year college in the Ware County-Waycross area by the Board of Regents in December 1970. A site for the College was approved by the Board in February 1973 and the name Waycross Junior College was approved by the Board of Regents in January 1975. The institution opened for classes in September 1976. In June 1987, the name was officially changed to Waycross College. Dr. James Dye was its first president, serving in that capacity until 1996. In January 2012, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved the merger of South Georgia College with Waycross College. The new institution was established in January 2013 as South Georgia State College.

Campus

The Eleventh District A & M School-South Georgia College Historic District was named a

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2010. Some of the contributing buildings and structures are the 1907 semi-circular drive with the surrounding buildings: Peterson Hall, Davis Hall, and Powell Hall that were designed by

Haralson Bleckley Haralson Bleckley (January 31, 1870 - December 5, 1933) was an American architect who designed many buildings in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. Several of his works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). His office was ...

, the Atlanta architect who also designed Georgia's other A & M Schools. Other buildings include the IT-Nursing Building, Stubbs Hall, Tanner Hall, and Alumni House.

Library

Holdings in the South Georgia State College William S. Smith Library exceed 100,000 items, including reference books, bound periodicals, government documents, pamphlets, maps and videotapes. The library subscribes to 327 journals and ten newspapers. Back issues are available in a variety of formats: CD-ROM, paper, microfiche and microfilm. GALILEO (

Georgia Library Learning Online Georgia Library Learning Online, more commonly known as GALILEO, is a virtual library operated by the University System of Georgia. There are over 100 core databases available, offering full text access to journals, magazines, e-books, government ...

, a statewide initiative) links SGSC's library with others in Georgia to offer more than 100 generalized and specialized research databases. The reference area also offers CD-ROM based indexes to general periodicals and newspapers. Computer workstations offer access to the Internet through the campus network. Word-processing software is also available.

Organization and administration

South Georgia State College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award certificates and associate degrees. South Georgia State College is also certified under the National League for Nursing and the Georgia Board of Nursing.

Academic profile

About half of all faculty members have Ph.D. degrees or equivalent. There are no graduate assistants teaching classes at South Georgia State College. Students at SGSC go on to four-year institutions as SGSC is a two-year and four-year residential campus.

Student facilities

Wellness Center Complex

Wellness Center, South Georgia College (night view)

The Wellness Center Complex features racquetball courts, a free-weight area, an aquatic center, exercise rooms, aerobics, and a gymnasium containing a basketball/volleyball court. The aquatic center features an indoor swimming pool, locker rooms, outdoor patio, and classroom space.

Housing

Tiger Village, South Georgia College (rear entrance)

Tiger Village I

In 2007, the college completed construction of Tiger Village, a 250-bed residence hall featuring two-room and four-room suites. It is currently unused for housing.

Tiger Village II

In 2010, the co-ed Tiger Village II opened, a 300-bed residence hall that features two-bedroom apartments.

Shannon Hall

One of the two older dorm facilities on campus is used to house overflow from Tiger Village I and II.

Floyd Hall

One of the two older dorm facilities on campus is used to house overflow from Tiger Village I and II. It is currently unoccupied.

Financial Aid

South Georgia State College's Financial Aid Office awards over $3 million in assistance every year. Seven out of 10 SGSC students receive financial aid in the form of scholarships, grants, loans or through the federal work-study program. South Georgia State College offers several dozen merit-based scholarships through the South Georgia College Foundation and the James M. Dye Foundation. Many scholarships are merit-based, but others are granted depending on a student's financial situation.

Athletics

South Georgia State College currently sponsors 9

NJCAA The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), founded in 1938, is the governing association of community college, state college and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions ...

Division I teams: baseball, softball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's swimming, men's basketball, and women's soccer. South Georgia State College is a member of the

Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association The Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (also known as GCAA) is a college athletic conference and member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) in the NJCAA Region 17. Members of the GCAA include technical and community col ...

and the National Junior College Athletic Association. SGSC charges a fee to each student that enrolls at the school (called the "Athletic Fee"). The fee is charged every semester along with other academic fees. The athletic fee allows students to use their Student Identification Card for access to all athletic events. SGSC students may also participate in intramural sports: flag football, basketball, softball, Ultimate Frisbee, and much more. Other activities include tennis, weightlifting, golf, table tennis, billiards, and volleyball.

Main buildings

National Register of Historic Places

These building and some others are listed as contributing buildings to the Eleventh District A & M School-South Georgia College Historic District on the

. Powell Hall, South Georgia State College, Douglas, GA, US.jpg, Powell Hall Peterson Hall, South Georgia State College, Douglas, GA, US.jpg, Peterson Hall Davis Hall, South Georgia State College, Douglas, GA, US.jpg, Davis Hall Thrash Hall, South Georgia State College, Douglas, GA, US.jpg, Thrash Hall Stubbs Hall, South Georgia State College, Douglas, GA, US.jpg, Stubbs Hall President's house, South Georgia State College, Douglas, GA, US.jpg, President's house (Alumni house)

Other buildings

Engram Hall & College Union, South Georgia State College, Douglas, GA, US.jpg, Engram building and College Union Pergola in front of Peterson Hall, South Georgia College.jpg, SGSC's pergola with Peterson Hall in the background

Waycross campus photos

File:South Georgia State College Waycross Campus sign.jpg File:South Georgia State College Waycross Campus James M. Dye building.jpg

Notable alumni

* Kaela Ebanks - international soccer player

References

External links

Official websiteNew Georgia Encyclopedia: South Georgia College
{{authority control Buildings and structures in Coffee County, Georgia Education in Coffee County, Georgia Educational institutions established in 1906 1906 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Public universities and colleges in Georgia (U.S. state) Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state) National Register of Historic Places in Coffee County, Georgia