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Georgia Southwestern State University, a four-year institution of the University System of Georgia, was founded in 1906 as the Third District Agricultural and Mechanical School. Sumter County citizens provided the land and financial support, recognizing the need for educational opportunities in Southwest Georgia. By 1907, four major buildings were constructed, and the first class graduated in 1910.
In 1926, the General Assembly granted a charter authorizing the school to offer two years of college work, renaming it the Third District Agricultural and Normal College. In 1932, the institution became Georgia Southwestern College and joined the newly organized University System of Georgia under the jurisdiction of the Board of Regents.
Georgia Southwestern College transitioned to a four-year institution in 1964 and awarded its first bachelor’s degrees in June 1968. Graduate studies were introduced in 1973, and the institution became Georgia Southwestern State University in July 1996. Today, the university serves approximately 3,500 students on a scenic 400-acre campus with 35 buildings. Entering its second century, Georgia Southwestern remains committed to growth and to shaping the future of Southwest Georgia and beyond.
Among its distinguished alumni are former U.S. President and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Jimmy Carter, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, the late U.S. Attorney General Griffin Bell, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Jaha Dukureh.
In 1915, Georgia Southwestern's original Administration building was engulfed in flames and declared a total loss. Academic Hall (pictured here before the fire) was built in 1907 and housed eight classrooms, a large auditorium, the superintendent's office and the College Cadet armory. Witnesses told the Americus Times-Recorder at the time that the explosion of the ammunition stored in the armory sounded like an infantry charge. The cause of the fire was never determined.
The building was rebuilt under the supervision of architect and trustee Charles Wheatley, for whom the new building was named upon its completion in 1918.
Former First Lady and GSW alumna Rosalynn Carter began her leadership journey on Georgia Southwestern’s campus over 75 years ago, where she served as Vice President of her class and campus Marshal. She is pictured here on the far left with her fellow class representatives in 1946. Mrs. Carter was also a founding member of the Young Democrats Club and participated in the GSW Tumbling Club and the C.G. Club, which supported day students who lived off campus.
As First Lady, Mrs. Carter became an advocate for mental illness and caregiving. This work continued long after the Carters left the White House and led to the creation of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving in 1987 on GSW's campus. The RCI was previously a unit of GSW and continues to be an invaluable partner to the University.
