Wesleyan College

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Wesleyan College
Wesleyan College seal.png
Former names
Georgia Female College (1836–1843)
Wesleyan Female College (1843–1917)
MottoScientia et pietas (Latin); "Knowledge and loyalty"
Motto in English
Knowledge and devotion
Type Private liberal arts women's college
EstablishedChartered 1836;188 years ago (1836)
opened 1839
Religious affiliation
United Methodist Church
Endowment $69,000,000
President Meaghan Blight
Academic staff
52
Undergraduates 614 (women only)
Postgraduates 35 (coed)
Location, ,
United States

32°52′29″N83°42′45″W / 32.8745862°N 83.7124689°W / 32.8745862; -83.7124689
Campus Suburban
Colors Deep Purple and Lavender   
Nickname Wolves (formerly Pioneers)
Website wesleyancollege.edu
Wesleyan College Historic District
Wesleyan College Historic District 2.JPG
USA Georgia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location4760 Forsyth Rd., Macon, Georgia
Area200 acres (80.9 ha)
Built1928
ArchitectWalker & Weeks; et al.
Architectural style Colonial Revival
NRHP reference No. 04000242 [1]
Added to NRHPApril 2, 2004
Wesleyan College logo.png

Wesleyan College is a private, liberal arts women's college in Macon, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1836, Wesleyan was the first college in the world chartered to grant degrees to women. It opened in 1839, two years after the opening of Mount Holyoke College. [2]

Contents

Academic rankings
Regional
U.S. News & World Report [3] 6
An illustration of Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia circa 1877 The Macon city directory, embracing a full alphabetical record of the names and inhabitants of Macon and its suburbs. A business directory of the city; county and city governments; societies, a - DPLA - f06f279fd02ed401f5126198836a5269.pdf
An illustration of Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia circa 1877

History

The school was chartered on December 23, 1836, as the Georgia Female College, and it opened its doors to students on January 7, 1839. The school was renamed as Wesleyan Female College in 1843, when its affiliation changed from the Methodist-Episcopal Church to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The college shortened its name in 1917 to the present Wesleyan College.

Wesleyan College circa 1877 Wesleyan College, circa 1877 - DPLA - 6098fed0d90914d03c98118db843e638.jpg
Wesleyan College circa 1877
Wesleyan College Chapel circa 1876 Wesleyan College, Chapel, interior, circa 1876 - DPLA - f47303b7862547dd0a6c8408731e0445.jpg
Wesleyan College Chapel circa 1876

Wesleyan has the world's oldest alumnae association, begun in 1859. [4] Wesleyan College is the birthplace of the first sororities in the United States: the Adelphean Society in 1851, now known as Alpha Delta Pi, and the Philomathean Society in 1852, now known as now Phi Mu. [5] [4] The two sororities together are referred to as the "Macon Magnolias". In 1914, the school disbanded sororities on its campus.

Academics

Wesleyan College has an undergraduate student population of around 600 with an acceptance rate of 67%. [6] It has a student-faculty ratio of 7:1. [6] In any given year, students from more than 20 states and over 20 countries around the world attend the school. Wesleyan offers 25 majors, 35 minors, and eight pre-professional programs. Students can earn a bachelor of arts, bachelor of fine arts, or bachelor of science in nursing degree. Wesleyan is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

Rankings

In the 2025 edition, U.S. News & World Report ranked Wesleyan College No. 6 out of 131 Regional Universities South and No.17 in Top Performers on Social Mobility. It received five stars out of five in reviews. [6]

Campus

Wesleyan College has a 200-acre (800,000 m2) campus dotted with revivalist Georgian style brick buildings and features a 6.3-acre (25,000 m2) lake, Foster Lake.

Non-residential buildings on the (main) upper campus include:

Cherry blossoms bloom in front of Candler Hall CandlerHallBlossoms.jpg
Cherry blossoms bloom in front of Candler Hall
Chapel at Wesleyan College, circa 1876. Wesleyan College, Chapel, interior, circa 1876 - DPLA - 86e694c5b4512446102d9473184988fe.jpg
Chapel at Wesleyan College, circa 1876.
Faculty of Wesleyan College circa 1880 displayed in Sholes' directory of the city of Macon, 1880 Sholes' directory of the city of Macon, 1880. Volume II - DPLA - bdc1b6cb873fc4e54434b67ef37642fb.pdf
Faculty of Wesleyan College circa 1880 displayed in Sholes' directory of the city of Macon, 1880
Allie Luse Dick, teacher of voice, 1882-85. Alviola May Luse Dick (Who's who Among Minnesota Women, 1924).png
Allie Luse Dick, teacher of voice, 1882-85.
The residential courtyard featuring the Loggia in the distance ResidentialCourtyard.jpg
The residential courtyard featuring the Loggia in the distance

Non-residential buildings on the lower campus include the following.

Student life

Student body

In 2024, the student body was 38% White, 38% Black, 11% Hispanic, 6% of two or more races, 5% international students, 1% Asian, and 1% of unknown classification. [6]

Organizations

There are four major student boards: CRU (Council on Religious Unity), CJA (Council on Judicial Affairs), CAB (Campus Activities Board), SRC (Student Recreation Council), which are represented as a part of SGA (Student Government Association). Wesleyan boasts the Nu Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi, the professional business fraternity. It also has over 25 special interest clubs, academic honor societies including the Phi Kappa Phi, Beta Beta Beta and Omicron Delta Epsilon; musical groups, art clubs, service organizations, religious groups, and departmental leadership groups. Sororities have been prohibited since 1917. [8]

Events

There are several popular events of the International Cherry Blossom Festival every springtime, such as the grand finale fireworks display. Porter Auditorium was once the home of the Macon Symphony Orchestra, and it still hosts many musical and theatrical events and competitions.

Residence halls

Athletics

Wesleyan athletic teams are the Wolves. (formerly known as "Pioneers" until after the 2012–13 school year). The college is a member of the Division III level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It competes in the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS), formed in July 2022 by an amicable split of Wesleyan's former home of the USA South Athletic Conference. The Wolves had been USA South members since 2016–17, and before that competed in the defunct Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) from 2003–04 to 2015–16.

Wesleyan competes in intercollegiate varsity sports, including basketball, cheerleading, cross country, dance, equestrian, soccer, softball, track, and volleyball. Wesleyan's equestrian team competes in the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association and the Intercollegiate Dressage Association.

Facilities

In addition to Porter Gym on the main campus, other athletic facilities on the campus include:

Looking across Foster Lake towards the Nancy Ellis Knox Equestrian Center AcrossFosterLake.jpg
Looking across Foster Lake towards the Nancy Ellis Knox Equestrian Center

Colors

The school color is deep purple (PMS 268). [9]

Notable alumnae

See also

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References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Schrade, Brad. "Wesleyan alumnae haunted by Klan hazing rituals". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  3. "2024-2025 Best Regional Universities Rankings". U.S. News & World Report . September 23, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Site: Wesleyan College, World's First College Chartered to Grant Degrees to Women". georgiahistory.com. Georgia Historical Society . Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  5. not associated with the Philomathean Society of the University of Pennsylvania
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Wesleyan College". usnews.com. U.S. News & World Report . Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  7. Foster, Mary Dillon (1924). "Alice Luse Dick". Who's who Among Minnesota Women: A History of Woman's Work in Minnesota from Pioneer Days to Date, Told in Biographies, Memorials and Records of Organizations. Mary Dillon Foster. p. 86. Retrieved June 26, 2022.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  8. "LibGuides: Wesleyan College Archives & Special Collections: Sororities".
  9. [ dead link ]