Augusta College - White Columns Yearbook (Augusta, GA)

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Gerald Robins, Hardy ' s succes- sor as president, sought to make capital improvements on the cam- pus. Legal problems barred the use of state funds for such im- provements. In fact, the Board of Education had turned $457,000 over to the state and that was the only source of funds to re- furbish the five large brick ware- houses. Work was begun on the library building and student center classroom building in 1959, but much more money was needed to finish the job. It was a rude jolt to Robins to dis- cover that no funds were avail- able. Governor Vandiver, refused the use of any special funds to re- model the warehouses into an auditorium and gymnasium. President Robins, commented, During four years, assemblies have been held outside under the trees. For four years we ' ve had to pray it didn ' t rain. Because of its lack of facilities, Robins feared that accreditation might be lost. The AUGUSTA- HERALD editorially bade fare- well to the will-of-the-wisp idea , of a four year college. In 1962, things started to look up for the college. The Junior College de- sired four-year college status, and Carl Sanders promised the four- year college to Augusta if he were elected Governor. In September, Governor Vandiver saw fit to ap- propriate $ 1 50,000 for the build- ing, or re-furbishing, of a gym- nasium. Construction began in April, incidentally the same month that Marvin Vanover joined the faculty. Sanders was elected, and on November 8, 1 962, the Junior College made its bid for four year status. In February, the Regents alloted $ 1 5,000 for the library develop- ment and the Federal Office of Education issued a grant to sup- plement the appropriation.

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On May 7, 1963 the Board of Regents let it be known that Augusta College was to become a four year school. The Regents stipulated that the following things had to be done: upgrade the faculty with at least thirty- five percent holding a Doctor- ate, expand the curriculum, build an adequate number of class- rooms and laboratories, enlarge the library, reorient the faculty to points of view, functions, and procedures of a senior college institution , and finally (and most difficult) to meet Southern Association Standards at the earliest date of eligibility. When Augusta College applied for senior college status in the fall of 1962, it was very obvious that the skeletal Library would be a major stumbling block. Therefore, Ray Rowland pro- moted a massive book drive spon- sored by the Alumni Association. Augusta College graduated its first class of four- year graduates in the 1966-67 school year. This past year, the Federal Govern- ment approved the sale of the adjacent Army Reserve Center to the state for use by the college. Most visitors to our campus are immediately struck by the his- toric setting of the Old Arsenal. They comment on the clever adaption of old buildings to new uses. The impression is that here we have a relatively new institu- tion located on a historic old Our School was established so that the community would be bet- ter served, and the school has expanded and deflated with the fortunes of Augusta and Rich- mond County, and will continue to do so.