Truth shall overcome. That’s the powerful motto of Georgia State University. Founded in 1913 as Georgia Tech’s Evening School of Commerce Georgia State has grown into a major public research university. Georgia State now stands as the second largest institution of higher education in Georgia.
Imagine this it’s a crisp autumn evening and you are standing before the iconic Sparks Hall. It was the first building specifically designed for Georgia State University. Classes first opened here in 1955. Before this, the university was scattered about. Sparks Hall is named for George McIntosh Sparks. He was a former president of the college. Today, Sparks Hall houses Undergraduate Admissions. It also contains the Financial Management Center.
Georgia State University has a fascinating history. Initially, it was intended as a night school. It aimed to provide commerce education. Over time, it evolved. The school became the Atlanta Extension Center of the University System of Georgia. This allowed night students to earn degrees from various colleges.
Did you know that Georgia State wasn’t always its own entity? For its first four decades, it was an offsite department. It belonged to Georgia Tech until 1947. Then it became part of UGA. In 1955, the Board of Regents granted it autonomy. It was then named Georgia State College of Business Administration. In 1961, the name shortened to Georgia State College. Finally, in 1969, it achieved university status becoming Georgia State University.
The university embraced the slogan “a part of the city not apart from the city”. This reflects its deep integration into downtown Atlanta. Georgia State’s expansion has transformed the urban landscape. It has widened sidewalks and focused on Decatur Street. Decatur Street became the “Main Street” of the campus.
Georgia State University is classified among “R1 Doctoral Universities Very High Research Activity”. It offers over 250-degree programs. These programs span more than 100 fields of study. The university has two main libraries. The University Library is split between Library North and Library South. The Law Library is on the main campus. Together, they hold over 13 million holdings.
Georgia State’s athletic teams are known as the Panthers. They compete in NCAA Division I’s Sun Belt Conference. Georgia State is a founding member of the Sun Belt Conference.
The Peachtree Road Race was founded in 1970. It was founded by Georgia State cross-country coach Tim Singleton. He led it for its first six years. Then he passed it to the Atlanta Track Club.
Expansion has been a constant theme for Georgia State. The university acquired the former Atlanta Municipal Auditorium in 1979. It became Alumni Hall in 1982. Later in 2010 it was renamed Dahlberg Hall. It now houses administrative offices.
Georgia State acquired its first on-campus dormitories after the 1996 Summer Olympics. The Olympic Village housed athletes during the Games. It was later sold to Georgia Tech. The University Lofts opened in 2002. They provided housing for undergraduate students and student-athletes.
Georgia State University continues to grow. It adapts to meet the needs of its diverse student body. From its humble beginnings as an evening school to its current status as a leading research university Georgia State has become an integral part of Atlanta. It stands as a testament to the power of education and the pursuit of truth. Remember their motto “Truth shall overcome”.