Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Valdosta GA


This building used to be the Emory Junior College at Valdosta. It opened on Sept. 26, 1928 with a freshman class of 50 male students. Tuition was a whopping $50 per quarter. (that was quite a bit in the 1920’s!)
When World War II started, the enrollment (an average of sixty-one students) plummeted as students left to join the war. Because of the low enrollment during the war, a... few of Emory’s administrators traveled to Valdosta to suggest that the school close. When leaders in Valdosta objected, a compromise was reached: students, faculty, and staff moved to Atlanta for the duration of the war.
The school reopened in 1946 with a record enrollment of 247, thanks to an influx of soldiers looking to go to college on the G.I. Bill and an aggressive recruiting drive.
The school continued to operate until 1953, when it was decided to close Emory's South Georgia Division. The facilities were given to Emory’s main competition at the time: the University System of Georgia. It is now part of Valdosta State University’s North Campus. As you can see by the photo, the building is currently undergoing renovations. 
Jay Blanton

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