.png) Seal of Gordon State College | |
Former name | Gordon Institute, Gordon Military College |
|---|---|
| Type | Public college |
| Established | 1852; 173 years ago (1852) [The Male and Female Seminary] |
Parent institution | University System of Georgia |
| Accreditation | SACSCOC |
| Endowment | $15 million |
| President | Donald J. Green |
| Students | 3,135 |
| Undergraduates | 3,135 |
| Location | , U.S. 33°02′51″N84°09′05″W / 33.0474°N 84.1513°W /33.0474; -84.1513 |
| Colors | blue, green, and gold |
| Nickname | Highlanders |
Sporting affiliations | NJCAA Division I,GCAA |
| Mascot | Stag |
| Website | gordonstate.edu |
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Gordon State College is apublic college inBarnesville, Georgia, United States. A member of theUniversity System of Georgia (USG), Gordon State's spring 2023 enrollment was 2,846 students.[1]
Gordon College became a four-year state college in 2007 with the addition of a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, and in 2012 its name changed to Gordon State College.
Gordon State College was founded in 1852 as the Male and Female Seminary, a private school forhigher education of boys and girls.[2] Though church-sponsored, it was not aseminary in the usual sense. During theAmerican Civil War, boys were organized into acorps of cadets. Girls continued to attend but were never included in military programs.
In 1872, the school was renamed Gordon Institute to honor Georgia native, governor and formerConfederate generalJohn B. Gordon, and its scope was extended to the elementary grades.[3] In 1890, J.C. Woodward, who later foundedGeorgia Military Academy, was hired to start a military program.
In 1907, the name changed to Gordon College. In 1916 theU.S. Department of War named Gordon College ajunior military unit. In 1928, Gordon added thefirst two years of college to its program. In 1933 the state offered the former Georgia Industrial College campus to Gordon College. The high school and junior college departments moved to the new campus, while the elementary school moved into the former high school building.[3] Gordon College was known as Gordon Military College from the mid-1930s until 1972.[4]
In the 1950s, ownership of the school passed to the city of Barnesville, which consolidated itsgovernment-funded public schools forWhites ingrades 8–12, while continuing to bus Black students toracially segregatedLamar County schools. City girls were enrolled as regular students. City boys were permitted to opt out of military participation, but almost all were organized into a corps of cadets under military discipline.Military cadets from other places were permitted to enroll by payingtuition; attracted by low tuition rates, many cadets came fromLatin America.[4]
From May 1963 to April 1964, retired major generalDerrill M. Daniel served as president.[5][6] Gordon State experienced financial problems in the 1960s, and in 1970 the trustees approached the state about making the college part of the university system. The secondary school was separated and the cadet corps disbanded, and on July 2, 1972, Gordon Military College officially became part of the USG as Gordon Junior College, anassociate-levelcollege.[4] In 1986, "junior" was dropped from the school's name.
In 2006, the school was designated a four-year state college to offerbaccalaureate programs within the USG's state college sector.
On August 8, 2012, the Board of Regents approved the change of the name of Gordon College to Gordon State College.
| Race and ethnicity | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 47% | ||
| Black | 42% | ||
| Hispanic | 6% | ||
| Two or more races | 4% | ||
| Asian | 1% | ||
| Unknown | 1% | ||
| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income[a] | 55% | ||
| Affluent[b] | 45% | ||
Gordon State College offersBachelor of Arts,Associate of Arts,Bachelor of Science, andAssociate of Science degrees as well as aNexus degree in film production.
Gordon State College competes in Region XVII of theNational Junior College Athletic Association at the NJCAA Division I level as a member of theGeorgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, and club football while women's sports include soccer, softball, and volleyball; the college also fields co-ed golf and esports teams. There are also a variety of intramural sports.
Before the 1980s, the athletic teams at Gordon State were the Bulldogs. Through the mid-1980s, Gordon State's teams were known as the Generals, a nod to General Gordon. The teams are now called the Highlanders.
 College sports teams inGeorgia | |
|---|---|
| NCAA Division I | |
| NCAA Division II | |
| NCAA Division III | |
| NAIA | |
| NJCAA Division I | |
| NCCAA Divisions I and II | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
