Bowdon College

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Bowdon College, established as Bowdon Collegiate Institution in 1856, was a college in Bowdon, Georgia and Georgia's first co-educational institution. It joined the state university system and was renamed Bowden State Normal and Industrial College. [1] After being removed from the state system in 1933, the college closed in 1936.

Contents

History

Bowdon Collegiate Institute was founded as a private institution in 1856 by Charles McDaniel and John Richardson. Starting in a two room log house in rural Bowdon, Georgia, the school was chartered the following year becoming Georgia's fifth chartered high-learning institution and first co-educational institution. With donated land, a new building was completed in 1859. [2] [3]

During the American Civil War, the school closed for a short time as most students and McDaniel joined the Confederate States Army. Of its 144 students, 128 and McDaniel died in the war. [4] After the war in 1866, the George legislature passed a bill providing free tuition at institutions including Bowden for maimed or indigent former soldiers under 30. [5]

In 1919, due to economic and financial issues, the state legislature passed a bill to place the school under University of Georgia's trustees and renamed it Bowden State Normal and Industrial College. [6] [7] The school remained part of the state system until 1933 when it was returned to private status as part of a consolidation effort during the Great Depression. It became a junior college but closed in 1936. [8] [2]

Notable faculty

References

  1. ↑ Harrell, Bob (March 14, 1979). "Bowdon College's Colorful History Revived In Book". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 19. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Bonner, James C. (April 1, 2010). Georgia's Last Frontier: The Development of Caroll County. University of Georgia Press. pp. 54–56, 167–168. ISBN   978-0-8203-3525-4.
  3. ↑ "College Studies Its Family Tree". The Macon Telegraph. November 24, 1972. p. 3. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  4. ↑ Johnson, Rheta Grimsley (July 27, 1998). "New school supplies mean a fresh start". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 22. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  5. ↑ Conway, Alan (September 18, 1966). Reconstruction of Georgia. U of Minnesota Press. ISBN   9781452912653 – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ "Acts Passed by the General Assembly of Georgia". J. Johnston. September 18, 1919 – via Google Books.
  7. ↑ "Bowden Normal Bill Passes". The Macon Telegraph. July 24, 1919. p. 7. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Site of Bowdon College historical marker - Digital Library of Georgia". dlg.usg.edu. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  9. ↑ Chandler, Julian Alvin Carroll; Riley, Franklin Lafayette; Ballagh, James Curtis; Henneman, John Bell; Mims, Edwin; Watson, Thomas Edward; Mitchell, Samuel Chiles; Fleming, Walter Lynwood; McSpadden, Joseph Walker (September 18, 1909). "The South in the Building of the Nation: Southern biography, ed. by W. L. Fleming". Southern historical publication society – via Google Books.

Further reading

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