University of West Georgia - Chieftain Yearbook (Carrollton, GA)

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school for the remainder of its life as an Agricultural and Mechanical High School. Then, by an act of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, the old Fourth District A M School became West Georgia College, and Dr. Ingram became this institution ' s first president. When West Georgia College first opened in the fall of 1933, there were approximately 200 students and four buildings, including the Bonner House which remained from plantation days. According to Miss Annie Bell Weaver, the school ' s first librarian, the three other

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Lot no. 99, Land District no. 10, were the numbers drawn by Lawrence Richardson of Columbia County in the land lottery of 1825. Later this land was purchased by Thomas Bonner of Clarke County. He immediately engaged Mr. Y. Hendrix to construct a permanent dwelling on the site. In 1861, during the Civil War, several thousand cavalry under General Stone, marched over the road that now fronts the campus. The Bonner family held the land until after the Civil War. The land then became the property of the Sharp family and in 1906 was deeded to the Board of Trustees of the Fourth District Agricultural and Mechanical School. The School, opened, as a boarding school, in 1908. Professor J. H. Melson became the first principal and served for the first thirteen years of the school ' s life. In 1920, I. S. Ingram became principal and headed the WEST GEORGIA COLLEGI: In- ' January, 1908 The t- cufth District Agric ulturai and ■ Mechanicai Schodi!. ope ted he re with 96 St uiients under Principal iohn- Hc- iJan ' 1933 the Stat e wit (drew strpport from its agricliiturni 5 and . this also Bo school wdon - ' iIegc. cleve was rcorQanJaed as EiRTHfRM nnRR H e sjiifiirir ,.u lit of the L ' n (vcrsit y SysieiTt of Georgia. It became a seinJdr cotiec e in 19 57 umier Presit en! Irvine Siill van Jngrar. who hra ' ! .! the in5«!l«f!c n from 1920 tc 19«0 ihis was tiK fonqest admlrtistrair- ■envm in the hisi ory of ihe I ni%ersity of ■eorgia if its ' syjtr v schools ere incluo ed- Crigfnaiiy there we re two )rick ' •iiiildinqs. bein o MeJson HaH an ' t thf •dfflfnfstratio n hui! ' ing. A5 ufiison Kali was. added in !9i7. All . tand est of this p )inf. Thp frame s tru ttjre oh this site •!•■! bum c (S 13 as t!i. ' iJfyru afiort house o f Thomo-s Bonnor Jn the hr. ise o-as raided t y fp fcrai na vafry jr :ief Hriaa.Jier- . 7 Cro ■C5011 nin jse :i mpjlte was at a roii i- fork$ :; rtc nulp .house becatr e tiic ffrst ' ■ iITTp ' JS. Until 5 917 Uf ncatio n vas 500 va Ms WCS1 of this POSRi . • - Re osevelt deiiyerct) the cdmmCM.cemen! address here in !9 ' ' ,,3P - '

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buildings were the Administration Building, Adamson Hall, and Melson Hall. The first library consisted of 500 books and was housed in a classroom of the Administration Building. In 1937, Sanford Library was built on the lower end of the front campus drive. Mr. J. C. Bonner and Mr. D. M. Braswell established athletics as a part of the West Georgia curriculum. Girls and boys, separately, of course, participated in such sports as tennis, basketball, baseball, Softball, archery, and field hockey. In 1946, a football team was established under Coach Earl Whely. In 1947, the team won the first Tobacco Bowl by beating Norman Park in Tifton. The football team was finally dissolved because of the lack of financial assistance for team expenses. In 1939, the college was authorized to add a third year program in order to prepare student ' s for teaching positions in rural schools. The first decade of real progress came in the years 1935 through 1945. By 1935, the faculty had grown to fifteen members. In 1936, Mandeville Hall was constructed. The establishment of Sanford Library came in 1937. In 1939,