“Draggin’” in Milledgeville
Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, September 26, 2014 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler
Good morning. Ninety-nine miles southeast of Atlanta is the town of Milledgeville, which was the state capitol before the capitol moved to Atlanta. Milledgeville was the site of elegant architectural structures, such as the Old Governor’s Mansion that exemplified Greek revival architecture so well that it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1973. Now it’s operated by Georgia College & State University as an antebellum historic house museum.
Georgia College, created as an industrial college for females, was the women’s version of the then-new Georgia Institute of Technology. In 1922 Georgia College was a two-year teacher’s college, but ten years later offered four-year degrees and became part of the University System of Georgia. During World War II Georgia College was a training center for female volunteers who wanted to serve in the Navy. At that time, they were called WAVES.
There’s much more to the distinguished history of Milledgeville and Georgia College, but recent publicity in the The Baldwin Bulletin reflects drastic cultural changes in the little town that birthed an industrial college for women deep inside the Southern Bible Belt. Continue reading