Armstrong Atlantic State University - Geechee Yearbook (Savannah, GA)

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tum of growth and improvement to be vital to the essence of Armstrong. Armsi'rong's Three men have served Arm- Presiclenis strong as president during her twenty-five-year history. Ernest A. Lowe, a native of Houston County, Georgia and a graduate of the University of Georgia, became the first dean of the college in june of 1935, and was shortly thereafter elevated to president of the institution. Mr. Lowe showed intense interest in the college, and nurtured it through its birth and formative years. He supervised the conver- sion of the Armstrong mansion into a college building, aided in selecting a faculty, witnessed the construction of jenkins Hall, the initiation of the program of student activities and generally promoted the idea oi the place Armstrong should hold in the community life of the city. In 1935. Mr. Lowe was selected to receive the coveted Lucas trophy for his outstanding achievements in building and developing Armstrong to a po- sition recognized throughout the country. On graduation day of 1941, after six years of leader- ship, Mr. Lowe resigned. The Second Armstrong's beginning year be- Presideni' held a promising faculty mem- ber in J. Thomas Askew, instructor of Political Science, who held a Ph.B. degree from Piedmont College and an M.A. from the University of Georgia. Mr. Askew, who had been instructor of political science at the University for six years prior to coming to Armstrong, became Dean at the college in 1937, and after the resignation of Mr. Lowe was named president. He served his period during the crucial early years of the war when the college saw a twenty percent drop in enrollment. But in spite of this deterrent, Mr. Askew continued to give guidance and initiative to the school enabling it to maintain a meri- torious level of activity during this period. He left Armstrong in 1943 to serve his country at war. Presicieni' But the inaugural year of 1935 F. M. Hawes showed more than one promis- ing faculty member. In December of that year the college commission announced the acquisi- tion of new chemistry instructor, Mr. Foreman M. Hawes, with a B.S. degree from Mercer and M.. W Z' I Ziff?- N 2 . 1 .wi i , ips A I ' yy T' ERN EST A. LOWE 052.-SA .1 .Xi e ix, I , I ii f X X If fr-4592: 'tr J. THOMAS ASKEW W 5 'live l K lX'S,ibT'v FOREMAN M. HAWES fha 452 Q lil 2 1 1 favs fi, x J' Y l

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Historical Two hundred and two years after lfllghlighfs the day of its origin, Savannah, Gdoigigacqtlired an institution of higher learn- lin5TgQQn5st1'o11g junior College. Thus states the,gi1aaugiu1'zal issue of the Armstrong College Inlzlzheil November 15, 1935. It was then in the brief span of a few months that a college was important and far-reaching event for Savannah. No mention of such a fact woi gte without afin tribute t i--thoseii Twine , , P l g -f?eSss..'F,s1.,g..f,- and initiativegffniadefcsucch ggig an event possible: Mayor 'Ill1OIl121Sl'G21fIlbl6, the primeimovercinvthe establishment of the collegeg the-Honorable A. Pratt Adams, first ghaifman ofth? collegecom- rnissiong Ernest lowib, Vf-irstg,QresQltteQfei5rm- ME and lXIrs? LucyTTlTTC. Moltg, widow of George Armstrong, whQLplovicledJ.m.pe1:z.xslfor a College by donatingithe opment ArmsTfong build- ing to the city for the purpose of estiniishing an educational instiL1LiQIL,--,. g g gb .Dm-is-,5men+ Theil work. .Qi-PLf?iiTE.nt..T1-f21N,Qf-E- . B ----and Armstrong's first faculty +feru1rd'lYuition in those-early yearssafmopqajio-af'f and development as the college established for itselfapeLm t niche in the community. Cur- ricula were developed to serve the needs of stu- dentswwith Jing 5 r ' proguigofi-student activities grew from the mt of an exuberant sfflidesnfbgdy. A ffhe early years saw the constru 'on of the auditorium, the present Je ' s Hall, the dongg tion of the Lane lj ' ing by Mills- B. Lane for the establisbfnfehi of a school of finance Qdf commerceg in l94l Gamble Hall, thymi-nee building, was begun, and the firstfsummer ses- sions were introduced at Armstrong. A continual stream of innovations andy improvements came during these yearsfoffmaturation. Activities such as aviation classes, basketball, footba.U,,and even fencingcame into existence. The usual questionsff concerning existing school spirit were raised and no more successfully resolved then than at present. In spite of the omnipresent threat and effect of war on the student body and facultyjhge college carried on. The ensuing years have proved that momen- If

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an NLS. from Emory University. Mr. Hawes had been head of the science department of the old Locust Grove Institute and had served as an in- structor of chemistry at Georgia Tech. Upon his arrival at Armstrong to teach chemistry and physical science, he was, in the words of the Ink- wcll, thirty-Five and single. By 1942, Mr. Hawes had become advisor for student activities and Dean of Students, and in 1943, was chosen to fill the vacant office of president. Since then his achievements have been numerous and varied. He created the student center, the Dump, obtained the use of the Georgia Historical Society's Hodgson Hall as the school library, supervised the valuable addition to Gamble Hall and presided over the transfer of the college to the University System of Georgia. Mr. Hawes' achievements, his dignity and in- tegrity have made him symbolic of all that marks Armstrong as an outstanding educational insti- tution throughout its history. 1935- Arms+rong From the 160-member student Today body of city-operated Armstrong Junior College, 1935, has developed Armstrong College of Savannah, 1960, a member of the University System of Georgia and an educa- tional institution with more than eleven hun- dred students. Twenty-five years have elapsed since the vision of a college became a reality, twenty-Five years of astounding growth, maturity and influence in the field of education. lVith an expanded pro- gram of day and evening classes the college has adapted itself to the demands of an expanding community and an ever-growing Savannah be- comes increasingly aware of the important role Armstrong has played in its progress. Alumni of Armstrong have moved on to become outstand- ing citizens of the community and numerous others have contributed to progress by taking advantage of the range of educational oppor- tunity the college offers. Diversified Today the college curriculum Plans oi Sludy provides fully rounded and diversified plans of study ranging from liberal