Georgia State University - Rampway Yearbook (Atlanta, GA)

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f 1 X A NA ,, X f , 2, 1 1 f i ' john Madison Watters, Difeclor I 1918-25 j Fred B. Wenn, Dqirertoi' f 1925-28.j ,f , , y , , V 4 I Yi b Q Professor John Madison Watters, Dean, School of Commerce, Georgia School Aof Technology, was made Director of the Evening College upon the resignation of yProfessoriWayne S. Kell, founder and firstkclirector. Called, Va hard-working, dedicated man, Dean Watters sawffthe infant college through the World War T days, and through the doldrums'i of the '20's.fTlies enrollment Was'1150 when he assumed his duties as Director, and -reached a peak of 440 in 1922-25. T g D Professor Wfatters resigned to teach in the Middle Wfest, at the end of the school' year cifN.192g5t. ' 1 , - . ' -, . ' '. ' , Mr. Fred Wenn, professor in the School of Commerce, Georgia School of Technology, became the third Director of the College in 1925, uponappointment by .President MT LQ flrittain. Hehad earned the Bachelor of Commercial Science ,degree at New'York-University. at I 4, T U W I The 'Terhnitq first school newspaperi was started. during his administration in journalism classes by George M. Sparks. This newspaper, usda-Several names during severalcycles of college life, is now knownasT1JeSignql,. 1 D gy f' , ,A y, li Ve 2 V . ' 2 I , - Mr. Wenn resigned at the end of theacademic year of 1928,fto devote full time to his iteaching -onthedaytcampusf - , n Y T f M A af 3 f 3. ,Z

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. p ' lr . 4. v ll A , Wayne Sailley Kell, 'Di:jEqlai',219I3-1918 A A I iClasses commenced in the old Chemistry.- Building Basement, with an enrollment count of 47, hut later, by ,request of the students, Governor Nat E. Harris, Chairman, Board of Trustees, permitted them to begloeated down- town, and quarters were found in the Walton Building., ' ' A we A The first graduatinglclass had sevenmem- bers, it was the Classlof '1i6. The peak enroll- ment in those years was 159, in theeyear 1917,- 18. Mr. Kell, who had become the third, C1P.A. in Georgia, resigned to open his own businessg later hesbecame a vice President of.The Coca Cola Company. A ' ,V I Mri Kell 'realized his desire to see the classes Co-educational, as.Mrs.. Annie T. Wise, the first A woman student, yvaspermitted to enroll in 1917, graduating in 1920. g , ' , i ' - l 5' -' l sr . Mr. lKe1l, who taught' in the Chem- istry Deplartment, .Georgia --School of Technology, was interested in Aceount- ingy He vyas appointed by President Matheson and the Trustees, to take tharge of the evening classes in the new ,science of Business, the idea of which was the thoughtiof F. M. Fam- brough, Alumni president. A 2 X l THE FIRST GRADUATING CLASS g X 1 'A ffrontrow, L-Rj Wiley Trussell, George Blake, - . A ,W , y i freizlerj Burt Goodman, Sidney L. Dunng A sflfzrtfow Phineas L. Clower, Augustus C. Keiser, Charles Chalmers. y

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. I A I lfmlflrttllt X 6-- X I . Y X George lVfCfIj1tosh tSparks,.Directbf, 1528-55, Pre.ride1iit,'1953-57, in S up ' to i ' I ' -PI'QiiL'll!?7Zl1 E12zeritzz5f1957-58. - V f 1 . i . . ' . i - , George Mclntosh Sparks spent hismature manhood in dedicatedfeffort to '- develop this CollegeqXVhen hewas appointed toihead, the College by Dr. L. Brittain in 1928, although Mr. Wenn had proniotedgthe enrollment to'a peak of 480, it wasestill housed in rented quarters, and hada small student body, its faculty was part-timeg its studentiactivities,were unorganizedg it had no libraryj at ' , , - v if i, , e -S Q C - S ' if A His--public relations training in thegnewspaper worldlenabled him to know how to talk to and with -peopleg his naturally good disposition, pleasant smile, and diplomatic way ofeworl-gg ing with people were personal' assets which gave hint the springboard to develop' one after another-the College, Propertiesfrom oneibuilding to seven-eights of ai downtown city block containing -.threellarge buildings-24 Ivy Building, 23, Gilmer Street Building and an Audi- torium-Gymnasium. In addition he acquired .for thefCollege several parcelsofiproperty on Courtland and Decatur Streets, and on Piedmont Avenue, in addition to a country acreage 'of around twenty acres near Stone 'Mountaingknown as Indian Creek Lodgeg e 'Q e . S X' ,I ' Hes saw the College reach a pealc enrollment of over 6,0O0A,students in one quarter in the early 5O's. He 'extended the valueof College property from around 340,600 to 310,000,000 This he did upon his own initiative, planning, and his ability to interest others to help. f For many years he had to depend on a ,part time faculty. It was .not untiltthe middle 750's that the col-lege incomewas sufficient to gather a full-timefacultyv nucleus of Elmer Campbell, Dr. Carl Mauelshagen, Dr. james Routh, Dr. Louis N. LeCoAntegand Dr. RQ R. Hollingsworthf, sa ea i ' ' I' r Q h ' i Dr. Sparks died of a heart attack, in 1958. Thee 33 Gilmer StreetfBuilding was renamed Sparks Hall andea Shining Lightfl Award eto his memory was presentedgon Qct. 29, 1965. S. 'S' Q M Heiu'a.r 7201 of nie agefbzzt for allflimef' S 3 ' TA