University of Georgia - Pandora Yearbook (Athens, GA)

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f he University of Georgia, the oldest state-chartered university, was incorpo- rated in 1785. The doors opened in 1801 with only one faculty member and thir- ty students. Classes in Latin, Greek, mathematics, debate, and natural history were held in a one- room, wooden building. The first commencement exercises were held in 1804, with ten men receiv- ing their Bachelor of Arts degrees. By the turn of the twentieth century, the University was still rel- atively small, but had an enrollment of nearly 300. Old College, the first permanent building on campus, was begun in 1801. It has historical signi- figance, for it was the home of two respected na- tional figures. Alexander Stephens, Vice-President of the Confederacy, and Crawford W. Long, dis- coverer of ether anesthesia. The Chapel, built in 1832, has two noteworthy characteristics. First, it houses the world ' s largest framed oil painting. And second, when a person stands in the middle of the Chapel ' s steps, he is in the exact center of Athens. At one time, the Chapel was used for graduation ceremonies. During that time, Robert Toombs was not allowed to partici- pate in the ceremonies, so in protest he sat in a tree and eloquently argued his position while the cere- mony was in progress. A third building that has experienced drastic change over the years is the Academic Building. It was originally two separate structures: the Ivy Building and the Old Library. They were joined in 1904, and presently house the Admissions Office and other administrative offices. The Phi Kappa Hall, completed in 1836, is an- other of the older buildings on campus. It was used by Sherman ' s troops during the Civil War. The lower floor was converted into stables, and the upper into a house of revelry for the entertain- ment of Union soldiers. The older portion of the Law School Building was completed in 1932, and features a foyer with a curving marble stairway. The cupola on top served I $ This informal springtime shot shows students at Old College (often called Yahoo Hall) in 1893. These students were allowed to room there rent free. (ABOVE. Photo courtesy of Special Collec- tions Division, the University of Georgia Librar- ies.) Memorial Hall, a general activities building, was named in honor of the forty-seven Georgia men who had died in WW 1. This photo was taken on October 17, 1923 and Memorial Hall was complet- ed in 1925 to serve as a center of campus life. (RIGHT. Photo courtesy of Special Collections Di- vision, the University of Georgia Libraries.) S:3 20 Bic. — Campus Life

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of which was the annual Senior Parade. Each Spring before the home baseball game against Tech, the male Seniors paraded at Sanford Field in all sorts of wild and irreverant costumes. By the 1930s formally dressed Seniors, with the men sporting canes and derbys, simply strolled around the field during halftime at the Homecoming foot- ball game. In the minds of Seniors, the ultimate tradition has of course been the graduation ceremonies. The University ' s earlier commencements, held in early August, served as a meeting ground for many poli- ticians. The ceremonies themselves lasted for three to four days, and both distinguished statesmen and graduating Seniors were given the opportunity to speak at these. Some traditions at the University have remained essentially classless. In 1887, a meeting of the stu- dent body was held, and a committee selected col- ors for the students to adopt. The committee chose black, gold, and red as the original school colors. In the spring of 1888, gold was withdrawn as many of the students did not want anything yellow to be associated with the UGA athletic program. As well as wearing the colors red and black, the students also adopted them as the title for their school news- paper. The most predominant tradition however, is in- disputably that of UGA ' s mascot. During one of the first football competitions against Auburn University, the Georgia team entered the field ac- companied by a goat. Due to intense ridicule the goat was replaced with a bullterrier. In 1956, the athletic department made the English brin- , ' - .. die bulldog the official mascot of the Uni- I I I versity, and appropriately gave him the | j | name of UGA. Campus Life 19

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■ ' ■-«»aiinl.v• i ' k«Wertain. as a sentry post against delinquint students who wandered off campus to visit their favorite tav- erns. An addition to the Law School was built in 1967, and contains over 300,000 volumes at the present. The ilah Dunlap Little Memorial Library was completed in 1953. The money was donated by Mrs. Little with the stipulation that columns be built completely around it. The time and cost in- volved were enormous, so the contractor built col- umns in the front and designed false columns for the sides. Mrs. Little ' s eyesight was failing so when she was shown the completed structure, she was unable to discern the difference. Memorial Hall was built in 1910 and initially served as the YMCA. It contained a one-story gym- nasium and a swimming pool. The hall wasn ' t completed until 1925. For several years Memorial Hall was primarily used as a student center because it contained a sizeable ballroom, a snack bar, a gameroom, and some lounges. The new site of the student center is the Dean William Tate Student Center. Completed in 1983, it includes a television lounge, a gameroom, an outdoor plaza, a print shop, a post office, theatre, food services area, and student organization offices. The University Bookstore opened in 1968 and is considered one of the finest collegiate bookstores in the Southeast. Besides textbooks, it carries study and art supplies, gifts and souvenirs, and banking services. Over the years on-campus residence halls have both increased in number and improved in the facilities they offer. Old College, Candler, ■ , and Tucker Halls are three examples of dor- ri mitories that have been converted for office I I I and classroom use. iia ■ ...Jt mx Sanford Stadium is filled with Georgia fans in thii. picture from the fall of 1959. In the foreground to the left, the Chemistry Building is under con- struction. (LEFT. Photo courtesy of Special Collec- tions Division, the University of Georgia Librar- ies.) Freshmen males, wearing their rat caps, congre- gate on the steps of Memorial Hall. (BELOW. Photo courtesy of Special Collections Division, the University of Georgia Libraries.) The flying dome is incorporated in to the erection of the Coliseum under construction in 1963. This sight of many major campus events holds 12,000 people. (LEFT. Photo courtesy of Special Collec- tions Division, the University of Georgia Librar- ies.) Emerging Faces In Changing Places Campus Life 21