Oglethorpe University

Last updated

Oglethorpe University
Olgethorpe University seal.jpeg
Former names
Oglethorpe College (1965–1972)
Motto Nescit Cedere
Type Private college
Established1835;189 years ago (1835)
Endowment $35 million [1]
President Kathryn McClymond [2]
Students1,500
Location, ,
United States

33°52′30″N84°19′59″W / 33.875°N 84.333°W / 33.875; -84.333
CampusSuburban, 700 acres (2.8 km2)
Colors Black and Gold [3]
   
Nickname Stormy Petrels
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division IIISAA
MascotPetey
Website www.oglethorpe.edu
Oglethorpe University logo.png
Oglethorpe University Historic District
Metro atlanta.jpg
Red pog.svg
USA Georgia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location4484 Peachtree Rd. NE. Brookhaven, Georgia United States
Built1915, 1929, 1940
ArchitectLeavitt, Charles W. Jr., Morgan and Dillon
Architectural styleLate Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No. 94000779
Added to NRHP1994

Oglethorpe University is a private college in Brookhaven, Georgia, United States. It was chartered in 1835 and named in honor of General James Edward Oglethorpe, founder of the Colony of Georgia.

Contents

History

The carillon bells atop Oglethorpe's Lupton Hall Lupton trees.jpg
The carillon bells atop Oglethorpe's Lupton Hall

Oglethorpe University was chartered in 1834 in Midway, just south of Milledgeville, then the state capital. The school was built and, at that time, governed by the Presbyterian Church, making it one of the South's earliest denominational institutions. [4] The American Civil War led to the school's closing in 1862.

The college followed the relocation of the capital to Atlanta. In 1870, it began holding classes at the present site of Atlanta City Hall. Plagued by financial difficulties, the school closed its doors for a second time in 1872.

Oglethorpe College was re-chartered as a non-denominational institution in 1913 by Thornwell Jacobs. In 1915 the cornerstone to the new campus was laid at its present location on Peachtree Road in Brookhaven. The cornerstone-laying ceremony took place at North Avenue Presbyterian Church. [5] The person behind rebuilding Oglethorpe was Thornwell Jacobs, whose grandfather Ferdinand Jacobs had served on the faculty of Old Oglethorpe. Jacobs would serve as president for nearly 30 years.

In the early 1940s Oglethorpe University had a medical school. Under the direction of John Bernard, the university was given several elephants for research that were discovered to have been poisoned at a Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus event nearby. After the students finished dissecting the animals they were buried under what is known today as the Philip Weltner Library. [6]

In 1936, William Randolph Hearst gifted 400 acres (160 ha) to the university, and in 1948 he made a donation of $100,000; The university administration building was subsequently named in honor of Hearst's mother, Phoebe Hearst. [7] [8]

Oglethorpe University became Oglethorpe College in 1965, and reclaimed the designation "university" in 1972. Oglethorpe's campus buildings were built in a Gothic revival architecture style. This area of the 100-acre (40 ha) campus is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. [9]

Academics

The college is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. [10]

Coat of arms

Oglethorpe's collegiate coat-of-arms is emblazoned with three boars' heads and the Latin inscription Nescit Cedere, meaning "He does not know how to give up."

Campus

The Conant Performing Arts Center, completed in 1997, served as the seasonal home of Georgia Shakespeare until fall 2014.

The Oglethorpe University Museum of Art opened in 1984 and is located on the top floor of the Philip Weltner Library. The two galleries, the South and Skylight, and gift shop cover 7,000 square feet. Bringing in thousands of visitors each year, the museum has become an important point of interest in Atlanta's art community.

In 1994, Lupton Hall, Phoebe Hearst Hall, Lowry Hall and Hermance Stadium were added to the National Register of Historic Places. In addition, a historic district including part or all of the 100-acre (0.40 km2) campus was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Other academic buildings include Goslin Hall, primarily used for science courses, and J. Mack Robinson Hall, primarily used for Communication and Art classes.

Oglethorpe University is home to the Crypt of Civilization, the first and most complete time capsule ever created, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Scheduled to be opened in AD 8113, it is located in the basement of Phoebe Hearst Hall. Oglethorpe University is also home to the International Time Capsule Society, a repository of time capsule projects worldwide.

The Turner Lynch Campus Center opened in the fall of 2013. The IW "Ike" Cousins Center for Science and Innovation (an expansion of a building constructed in 1970) opened in 2019. In addition to science facilities, it houses the Q. William Hammack Jr. School of Business. [11]

From its opening in 1990 until 2003, [12] the Seigakuin Atlanta International School was located on the property of Oglethorpe University, in a former public school building. [13]

Study abroad

Oglethorpe University promotes the concept of international education and travel as an essential component of an academic education. Oglethorpe University Students Abroad sponsors trips for-credit, short-term, partnerships and agreements. [14] Oglethorpe University offers a selection of opportunities in four divisions: International Exchange Partnerships, Independent Study Abroad-Non Partnerships, Short Term Trips, and Associate Student Programs for Special Study Abroad.

For foreign students wishing to study in the United States, Education First, an International Study Abroad Organization, opened its Atlanta Language Center on the Oglethorpe University Campus in the fall 2012. [15]

Greek life

As of 2014, U.S. News & World Report noted that 11% of men at Oglethorpe belong to fraternities, while 13% of women belong to sororities. [1]

Fraternities

Alpha Phi Alpha
Chi Phi
Delta Sigma Phi
Sigma Alpha Epsilon

Sororities

Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Sigma Tau
Chi Omega
Epsilon Iota Psi (local sorority)
Sigma Sigma Sigma

Events and traditions

Oglethorpe Day

In early February, the college hosts events to celebrate the anniversary of James Oglethorpe's founding of the colony of Georgia. The annual "Petrels of Fire" race, an homage to Trinity College's Great Court Run portrayed in the movie Chariots of Fire , features students attempting to run the 270-yard (250 m) perimeter of the Academic Quad before the Lupton Hall belltower finishes its noon chimes. [16]

Boar's Head

Held on the first Friday of December, this event is modeled after the Boar's Head Gaudy of Queen's College, Oxford, Boar's Head is the traditional start to the Christmas season at Oglethorpe. Festivities include a concert featuring the University Singers, student organizations and performers from the community, as well as the lighting of the college's Christmas tree. Newly initiated members of Omicron Delta Kappa receive recognition and, as a rite of initiation, kiss the ceremonial boar's head.

Battle of Bloody Marsh

The "battle" is a tug-of-war between a student team and a faculty–staff team, organized by the student government's programming board, that takes place in the fall on the Academic Quad. The name refers to the 1742 battle in which the forces of General Oglethorpe defeated the Spanish troops in South Georgia.

Eggs AM Breakfast

During the fall and spring semesters on "Dead Day," the day before finals begin, faculty and staff cook breakfast for the students.

Carillon Ceremony

In the week before graduation, seniors are invited to climb the Lupton Hall belltower to ring a carillon bell in celebration of their academic achievements. This event is sponsored by the alumni office and followed by a champagne toast on the academic quad.

Athletics

The 1925 football team competing against the 1925 Georgia Tech Golden Tornado at Grant Field Wycoff rushing during the 1925 Georgia Tech - Oglethorpe football game.jpg
The 1925 football team competing against the 1925 Georgia Tech Golden Tornado at Grant Field

Oglethorpe University teams compete as a member of the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) at the NCAA Division III level and are known as the Stormy Petrels. The Stormy Petrels were a member of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) until 2012. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, track & field, and volleyball.

The most successful athletic program is its men's golf team. Oglethorpe won the NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships in 2009 and again in 2012. They qualified for 18 straight NCAA tournaments from 2000–2017, and earned their 14th top 10 finish at the event in 2019.

Former Major League Soccer player Jon Akin is the head men's soccer coach at Oglethorpe University. In 2014, men's assistant coach Ryan Roushandel signed with the Atlanta Silverbacks to play soccer professionally while maintaining his duties with the program at Oglethorpe.

In 2011, the men's soccer program won its first conference championship in school history with a 1–0 victory over Centre College. This win sent them to the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship, also a first in school history for the program. Later on in the spring of 2013, Mark Lavery, an alumnus and All-American member of the 2011 team signed with the Atlanta Silverbacks, a professional soccer team in the North American Soccer League (NASL). Lavery became the first Oglethorpe graduate to play soccer professionally.

In the fall of 2013, the men's soccer team won its second conference championship in school history with a 3–1 victory over Millsaps College. They compiled an 11–3–3 record over the season. The team did not receive a bid into the NCAA national tournament because the Southern Athletic Association was in its second phase of a new-conference transition stage.The men's soccer team won the SAA championship for the second time in 2017 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament, losing to host Washington and Lee University in a penalty shootout after beating North Carolina Wesleyan College in the first round. They finished first in SAA regular season play each season from 2015 to 2018.

The women's basketball program earned four straight bids to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship from 2006-2009, culminating in trips to the national semifinals in 2008 and the round of 16 in 2009. They also won the program's only SCAC championship in 2009.

More recently, the program saw a resurgence with back-to-back trips to the national tournament in 2018 and 2019, and an SAA championship in 2018. The team advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2019, beating The University of Chicago in the opening round before falling to host Transylvania University in the second round.

Mascot

Thornwell Jacobs chose an unusual mascot to represent Oglethorpe's athletic teams: the Stormy Petrel. According to popular legend, James Oglethorpe had observed the Wilson's storm petrel during his voyage to the New World and admired the diminutive seabird for its hardiness and courage during stormy weather. [17] In March 2002, ESPN's David Lloyd named the Stormy Petrel as one of the most memorable college mascot names of all time, second only to the Banana Slugs of UC Santa Cruz. [18]

Student media

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Northern Iowa</span> Public state university in Cedar Falls, Iowa, US

The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) is a public university in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. UNI offers more than 90 majors across five colleges. The fall 2023 total enrollment was 9,021 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greensboro College</span> Private college in Greensboro, North Carolina, US

Greensboro College is a private college in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and was founded in 1838 by Rev. Peter Doub. The college enrolls about 1,000 students from 32 states, the District of Columbia, and 29 countries.

New Jersey City University (NJCU) is a public university in Jersey City, New Jersey. Originally chartered in 1927, NJCU consists of the School of Business, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education, and College of Professional Studies and is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. In 2022, it announced that it was severely reducing its academic offerings due to a budgetary crisis.

The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is a public university in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System and offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs to around 14,000 students each year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drury University</span> Private college in Springfield, Missouri, US

Drury University, formerly Drury College and originally Springfield College, is a private university in Springfield, Missouri. The university's mission statement describes itself as "church-related". It enrolls about 1,590 undergraduate and graduate students in six master's programs and 716 students in the College of Continuing Professional Studies. In 2013, the Drury Panthers men's basketball team won the NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship. The Drury men's and women's Panthers have accumulated 22 NCAA Division II National Championships between them, in addition to numerous NAIA titles before moving to the NCAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State University, Monterey Bay</span> Public university in Monterey County, California, U.S.

California State University, Monterey Bay is a public university in Monterey County, California. CSUMB's main campus is located on the site of the former military base Fort Ord, straddling the cities of Seaside and Marina, about one mile inland from Monterey Bay along the Central Coast of California. CSUMB also has locations in the cities of Monterey and Salinas. Founded in 1994, CSUMB is part of the California State University system and is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission. The university is a Hispanic-serving institution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Detroit Mercy</span> Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan, US

The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Roman Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 and is the largest Catholic university in Michigan. It has three campuses where it offers more than 100 academic degree programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berry College</span> Private college in Mount Berry, Georgia, US

Berry College is a private liberal arts college in the Mount Berry community adjacent to Rome, Georgia. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Berry College was founded on values based on Christian principles in 1902 by Martha Berry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kentucky Wesleyan College</span> Methodist college in Owensboro, Kentucky, US

Kentucky Wesleyan College (KWC) is a private Methodist college in Owensboro, Kentucky. Fall 2018 enrollment was 830 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presbyterian College</span> Presbyterian college in Clinton, South Carolina, US

Presbyterian College (PC) is a private Presbyterian liberal arts college in Clinton, South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Young Harris College</span> Private liberal arts college in Georgia, U.S.

Young Harris College is a private Methodist-affiliated liberal arts college in Young Harris, Georgia, United States.

Brenau University is a private university with its historic campus in Gainesville, Georgia. Founded in 1878, the university enrolls more than 2,800 students from approximately 48 states and 17 foreign countries who seek degrees ranging from associate through doctoral degrees. The main campus of the Georgia-based institution includes the Brenau Women's College. Brenau also offers another location in Norcross, Georgia.

McKendree University (McK), formerly McKendree College, is a private university in Lebanon, Illinois. Founded in 1828 as the Lebanon Seminary, it is the oldest college or university in Illinois. The school was renamed McKendree University beginning in the 2007–08 academic year. McKendree enrolls approximately 1,960 students representing 25 countries and 29 states. In the undergraduate program, on average there are 51% females and 49% males. The institution remains affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thornwell Jacobs</span> American minister, author, and educator (1877–1956)

Thornwell Jacobs was a professor, historian, author, fundraiser, university founder, and Presbyterian minister. He earned degrees from Presbyterian College in South Carolina and the Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey. He wrote The Law of White Circle, a novel about mulattos set during the Atlanta race massacre of 1906.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Southwestern State University</span> Public university in Americus, Georgia, U.S.

Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) is a state public university in Americus, Georgia. Founded as the Third District Agricultural and Mechanical School in 1906, the university was established and is administrated by the Georgia Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. The historic core of the campus is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loyola University Chicago</span> Jesuit research university in Illinois, US

Loyola University Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus, Loyola is one of the largest Catholic universities in the United States. Its namesake is Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Loyola's professional schools include programs in medicine, nursing, and health sciences anchored by the Loyola University Medical Center. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clayton State University</span> Public university in Morrow, Georgia, United States

Clayton State University is a public university in Morrow, Georgia. It serves Metro Atlanta and is a selective Senior Unit of the University System of Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank B. Anderson</span>

Frank Butner Anderson was an American college football, and baseball coach as well as athletic director. He was the first football and baseball coach in the history of Oglethorpe University and the namesake of its baseball field. The field was dedicated as such on May 11, 1963. Anderson was inducted into the Oglethorpe Athletic Hall of Fame, a member of its inaugural class of 1962. He always wore his baseball uniform to practice and to games. He is known by some as the "Dean of Southern Baseball Coaches." Frank is the father of Alf Anderson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1925 Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels football team</span> American college football season

The 1925 Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels football team was an American football team that represented Oglethorpe University in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) during the 1925 college football season. In its second season under head coach Harry J. Robertson, the team compiled an 8–3 record, won the SIAA championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 119 to 92.

Aaron Walker is an American soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Greenville Triumph SC in USL League One.

References

  1. 1 2 "Ranking". colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
  2. Wallace, Lance (November 13, 2023). "Board of Trustees names Dr. Kathryn McClymond Oglethorpe's 18th president" . Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  3. Oglethorpe University Brand Standards (PDF). May 1, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 16, 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  4. Hudson, Paul Stephen (August 24, 2004). "Oglethorpe University". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  5. Salter, Anne A.; Masce, Laura (2007). Oglethorpe University. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 12, 106. ISBN   978-0-7385-5253-8 via Google Books.
  6. Hudson, Paul Stephen (May 21, 2010). "The Elephant at Oglethorpe - The Source". Oglethorpe University. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  7. Salter, Anne A.; Masce, Laura (2007). Oglethorpe University. Mt Pleasant, SC, USA: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN   9780738552538 . Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  8. Procter, Ben (2007). William Randolph Hearst: The Later Years, 1911-1951. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. ISBN   9780199830794.
  9. "History". Oglethorpe University.
  10. [ dead link ]
  11. Malone, David (August 20, 2019). "Oglethorpe University officially opens the I.W. 'Ike' Cousins Center for Science and Innovation". Building Design + Construction. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  12. "History Archived November 4, 2005, at the Wayback Machine ." Seigakuin Atlanta International School. Retrieved on January 11, 2012.
  13. "SCHOOL MATTERS Former U.N. diplomat heads Japanese school here." Atlanta Journal-Constitution . July 26, 1994. C2. Retrieved on January 11, 2012.
  14. "Oglethorpe University Students Abroad". Oglethorpe University. Archived from the original on December 13, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
  15. "Education First and Oglethorpe University to Host Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education" (PDF). Oglethorpe University. October 26, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 22, 2013. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
  16. "A Cherished Tradition". Oglethorpe University. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
  17. "Our Mascot: the Stormy Petrel". gopetrels.com (Oglethorpe University Athletics). November 30, 2021.
  18. "ESPN.com - Page2 - Eagles, Tigers and Gorloks, oh my!". espn.go.com.
  19. Thomas, Robert McG., Jr. "Luke Appling, Ex-White Sox Star In the Hall of Fame, Is Dead at 83 ", The New York Times , January 4, 1991. Accessed December 29, 2008.

Further reading