 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Tift College" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(December 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Tift College was aprivateliberal artswomen's college located inForsyth,Georgia. Founded in 1849, the college ceased operations in 1987, after being merged withMercer University in nearby Macon, Georgia.
The campus facilities have been adapted for use as the headquarters of theGeorgia Department of Corrections. The facility is known asState Offices South at Tift College (SOSTC).[1] The 275-acre (1.11 km2)campus is 20 miles north ofMacon.
Tift College was founded in 1849 as theForsyth Female Collegiate Institute. It was renamedMonroe College in 1857 and asBessie Tift College in 1907 in honor of analumna. In 1898, it became affiliated with theGeorgia Baptist Convention. The name was shortened to Tift College in 1956.
Tift College merged withMercer University inMacon, Georgia in 1986. Mercer and the Tift College Alumnae Association joined together to form a partnership to preserve the legacy of Tift College. In 1987 the college was closed by Mercer. The Mercer University Board of Trustees voted to change the name of its School of Education to the Tift College of Education to carry on the educational legacy of Tift College.
Over the years, Mercer has continued to maintain the heritage, identity and ideals of Tift College, most notably through the Tift College Scholars Program. The program honors a select group of young women at Mercer with scholarships and inclusion in one of the university's most distinguished scholastic organizations.
In 2006, the governor announced plans to use the Forsyth campus for the headquarters of theGeorgia Department of Corrections.[2] After renovation of buildings for this purpose, the move took place in 2010.[3]
 | This article includes a list ofgeneral references, butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations. Please help toimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(December 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
33°2′10″N83°56′0″W / 33.03611°N 83.93333°W /33.03611; -83.93333
