Spelman College

Infobox University
name = Spelman College
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image_size = 100px
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motto = "Our whole school for Christ"
established = Start date|1881|04|11cite web|url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1460&hl=y|title=Spelman College|work=The New Georgia Encycolpedia|publisher=Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia Press|accessdate=2008-01-30]
closed =
type = Private, HBCU, women's collegeciteweb|url=http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/list/whhbcu/edlite-list.html|title=List of HBCUs -- White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities|date=2007-08-16|accessdate=2008-01-03]
affiliation =
endowment = $291,604,536cite web|url= http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_1594_brief.php|title=USNews.com:America's Best Colleges 2008:Spelman College:At a glance|work=USNews.com|publisher=U.S.News & World Report, L.P|accessdate=2008-01-30]
officer_in_charge =
chairman =
chancellor =
president = Beverly Daniel Tatum
vice-president =
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dean =
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head =
faculty =
staff =
students = 2,290
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postgrad =
doctoral =
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city = Atlanta
state = Georgia
province =
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United States
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free =
sports = basketball
golf
cross-country
soccer
tennis
volleyball
colors =
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nickname = Jaguar
mascot =
athletics = NCAA Division III
affiliations =
website = [http://www.spelman.edu spelman.edu]
address =
telephone =

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Spelman College is a four-year liberal arts women's college located in Atlanta, Georgia. The college is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman was the first historically black female institution of higher education to receive its collegiate charter in 1924. It thus holds the distinction of being America's oldest historically black college for women.

Academics and demographics

Spelman has amassed an endowment fund of over $291 million, and is ranked currently at 75 in the 2008 U.S. News and World Report ranking of all U.S. liberal arts colleges. The 2008 U.S. News and World Report also ranked Spelman first among Historically Black Colleges and/or Universities. [cite web|url=http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/t1_hbcu_brief.php|title=Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Top Schools|work=USNews.com: America's Best Colleges 2008|publisher=U.S.News & World Report|accessdate=2008-02-20]

History

Rockefeller also donated the funds for what is currently the oldest building on campus, Rockefeller Hall; in 1887 Packard Hall was also established. Packard was appointed as Spelman's first president in 1888, after the charter for the seminary was granted. The first college degrees were awarded in 1901.

Packard died in 1891, and Giles assumed the presidency until her death in 1909.cite web|url=http://www.spelman.edu/academics/catalog/catalog2007/collegehistory.html|title=College History|accessdate=2008-07-02] Lucy Hale Tapley then became president, and the college witnessed a transition to vocational training. Tapley declared: "Any course of study which fails to cultivate a taste and fitness for practical and efficient work in some part of the field of the world’s needs is unpopular at Spelman and finds no place in our curriculum." The nursing curriculum was strengthened; a teachers' dormitory and a home economics building were constructed, and Tapley Hall, the science building, was completed in 1925. A club for students whose mothers and aunts had attended Spelman was also created, and this club is still in existence today.

In 1924, Spelman Seminary became "Spelman College". Spelman also solidified its affiliation with Morehouse College and Atlanta University by chartering the Atlanta University Center in 1929. Atlanta University was to provide graduate education for students, whereas Morehouse and Spelman were responsible for the undergraduate education. In 1932, Spelman was granted accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. This milestone as accompanied by the construction of a university library that was shared amongst the Atlanta University Center institutions, and the center continues to share a library to this day.

In 1927, one of the most important buildings on campus, Sisters Chapel, was dedicated. The chapel was named for its primary benefactors, Laura Spelman Rockefeller and Lucy Maria Spelman. The college also began to see an improvement in extracurricular investment in the arts, with the inauguration of the much-loved Atlanta tradition of the annual Spelman-Morehouse Christmas Carol Concert and smaller events such as the spring orchestra and chorus concert, the Atlanta University Summer Theater, and the University Players, a drama organization for AUC students. In 1930 the Spelman Nursery School as created as a training center for mothers and a practice arena for students who planned careers in education and child development. Spelman celebrated its 50th anniversary in April 1931.

Campus

Packard Hall, named for one of the founders, Sophia B. Packard. Packard was constructed in 1888 to contain extra residences for on-campus students. It remained a residence hall until 2003, when it was renovated as an administrative building. The building now houses the Office of Financial Aid, the Registrar, the Cashier, the Office of Student Accounts and the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Management.

Giles Hall, named for one of the founders, Harriet E. Giles. Giles Hall was renovated in 1996 and currently houses the Departments of Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, Education, Economics, and Art, as well as the Honors Program and the Learning Resources Center. It is also known amongst students for its "hellish staircase."

Morehouse-James Hall was completed in 1901, named for Henry L. Morehouse. It serves as a student residence hall. Until 2005 it served as a residence hall for upper-class students, but due to a large influx of first-year students that year, it served as a first-year residence hall.

MacVicar Hall was completed in 1901 and was originally the nursing school and clinical training office. It now houses the Women's Health Center, the Office of Counseling and Disability Serivces, and a small residence hall for the students who participate in Student Health Advocates and Peer Educators (SHAPE), a peer health education organization on campus.

Reynolds Cottage, built in 1901 and remodeled in 1996, is the president's residence.

Bessie Strong Hall was constructed in 1917 and was renovated in 2003. It serves as a student residence for students in the WISDOM (Women In Spiritual Discernment of Ministry) program, and also houses the Dean of the chapel's office and prayer rooms. This residence hall was the main building used for the filming of the television series "A Different World".

Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Building, completed in 1918, was originally intended as a facility to train home economics teachers. It is named after Laura Spelman Rockefeller, John D. Rockefeller's wife, who was a primary contributor to Spelman. It now houses the Marian Wright Edelman Child Development Center, and also provides a student residence hall. It is typically referred to as "Laura Spelman" to avoid confusion with the many other buildings named after Rockefeller's relatives.

Sisters Chapel, completed and dedicated in 1927, contains an auditorium with a seating capacity of 1,050 and the Harreld James Organ, a three-manual Holtkamp organ of 53 ranks. This organ was installed in April 1968. In 1942 the Alumnae Association donated chimes for the Chapel, and in the fall of 2005 renovations were completed.

Read Hall, built in 1936, contains the gymnasium, the Department of Physical Education, a swimming pool and bowling alleys and dance studios. It was named for Spelman's fourth president, Florence Matilda Read.

Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Hall (commonly called 'Abby' by students, after Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, the wife of John D. Rockefeller, Jr.) was built in 1952 and serves as a freshman residence hall.

John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Fine Arts Building was completed in 1964 and houses the Departments of Music and Drama.

Dorothy Shepard Manley Hall, was completed in 1964 and was named for Dorothy Manley, wife of President Albert Manley, who contributed heavily to the decorating of the building. It now serves as a first-year residence hall.

Howard-Harreld Hall was built in 1968 and was named to honor two alumnae. It now serves as a first-year residence hall.

Sally Sage McAlpin Hall serves as an upperclass residence hall and was named in honor of a former chair of the Board of Trustees.

The Albert E. Manley College Center houses the Alma Upshaw Dining Room, the Lawrence J. MacGregor Board Room, administrative and student government offices, the snack shop, the commuter student lounge, and two concourses—Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman. Adjacent are the bookstore and the mail center.

The Donald and Isabel Stewart Living-Learning Center opened in the fall of 1983. In addition to housing 198 students from all classes, the building includes a large meeting room and quarters for visiting lecturers, scholars, and artists.

The Johnnetta B. Cole Living-Learning Center II opened September 1, 1989. The Center houses 200 students and provides conference facilities for on-campus and off-campus organizations, as well as houses the Offices of Housing and Residential Life and Continuing Education.

The Camille O. Hanks Cosby Academic Center, dedicated in February 1996, was made possible by a $20 million grant from Drs. Bill and Camille Cosby. This building houses the Departments of History, English, Religion & Philosophy, and World Languages and Literature. The center also has a museum, the College Archives, an auditorium, the writing center, the Women's Research and Resource Center, reading rooms and a language resource center.

The Albro-Falconer-Manley Science Center is the newest building on Spelman's campus, as it was completed in 2000. This building houses the Departments of Biology, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Environmental Science as well as the Dual-Degree Engineering Program and the Office of Science, Engineering, and Technology Careers. It has a large auditorium donated by NASA. The "Science Center" also is a general term used to encompass Tapley Hall and the Academic Computing Center, both which predate the actual Science Center but are now connected to it by a series of breezeways.

Spelman also recently acquired the Millgan Building, an administrative building that previously housed the Atlanta University Center offices but now houses Spelman's Department of Career Services and the Office of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Planning. Spelman received a $10 million grant from Lehman Brothers in the fall of 2007 to establish an international business and global economics program, including a full service Chinese language program, at the college, and these programs are expected to be housed in the Milligan Building. It is not, however, considered "on-campus" as it is outside of Spelman's gate. Spelman also shares the Robert W. Woodruff Library with the other Atlanta University Center institutions.

Spelman is currently constructing a "green" residence hall behind the Living-Learning Center I. The as-of-yet unnamed residence hall is planned to have suite-style accommodations for upper-class students, including a second dining hall and a parking deck on the ground floor and is for now referred to as "The Suites". Although the hall is currently outside of Spelman's gates, plans include extending the gate to encircle the residence hall. The hall began housing students in the fall of 2008.

Other buildings no longer on campus:Chadwick Hall, originally a student residence hall (removed in 1986)Morgan Hall, the student center and dining hall (destroyed by fire in 1970)Upton Hall, an administrative building (removed in 2004)

tudent life

Spelman offers organized and informal activities including 82 student organizations including choral groups, music ensembles, dance groups, drama/theater groups, a jazz band, varsity, club, and intramural sports, and student government.cite web|url= http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drextras_1594_brief.php|title=USNews.com:America's Best Colleges 2008:Spelman College:Extracurriculars|work=USNews.com|publisher=U.S.News & World Report, L.P|accessdate=2008-01-30]

Honor societies

Registered honor societies include Alpha Epsilon Delta, Alpha Lambda Delta, Alpha Sigma Lambda, Beta Kappa Chi, Golden Key International Honour Society, Kappa Delta Epsilon, Mortar Board Senior Honor Society, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Sigma Alpha Psi Chi, Sigma Tau Delta, and the Upsilon Pi Epsilon.

tudent publications and media

Spelman offers a literary magazine, a student newspaper ("Spelman Spotlight") student government association newsletter ("Jaguar Print", and a yearbook. A student film society is also registered on campus.

Religious organizations

Religious organizations currently registered on campus include Baha'i Club, Al-Nissa, Alabaster Box, Atlanta Adventist Collegiate Society, Campus Crusade for Christ, Crossfire International Campus Ministry, Happiness In Praise for His Overflowing Presence, Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship, Movements of Praise Dance Team, The Newman Organization, The Outlet, and The Pre-Theology Society Minority

International student and social organizations

Both NAACP and Sister Steps are registered campus organizations.

Athletics

The sports teams, including basketball, golf, cross-country, soccer, tennis, softball, and volleyball compete in NCAA Division III athletics. Spelman's mascot is the Jaguar.

Notable faculty

This list of notable faculty and staff contains current and former faculty, staff and presidents of the Spelman College.

Notable alumnae

This is a list of notable alumni which includes graduates, non-graduate former students, and current students of Spelman College."See also ."

ee also

*Women's Colleges in the Southern United States

uggested readings

*Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education. " [http://www.atlantahighered.org/Newsroom/FeatureStoryDetail/tabid/604/xmid/145/Default.aspx Giving Voice to a New Generation: Metro Atlanta's three women's colleges are going strong, even while the number of women's colleges nationwide has declined] ."
*Guy-Sheftall, Beverly. "Black Women and Higher Education: Spelman and Bennett Colleges Revisited." "The Journal of Negro Education", Vol. 51, No. 3, The Impact of Black Women in Education: An Historical Overview (Summer, 1982), pp. 278-287.
*Johnetta Cross-Brazzell, "Brick without Straw: Missionary-Sponsored Black Higher Education in the Post-Emancipation Era," "Journal of Higher Education" 63 (January/February 1992).
*Beverly Guy-Sheftall and Jo Moore Stewart, "Spelman: A Centennial Celebration", 1881-1981 (Atlanta: Spelman College, 1981).
*Albert E. Manley, "A Legacy Continues: The Manley Years at Spelman College, 1953-1976" (Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, 1995).
*Florence M. Read, "The Story of Spelman College" (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1961).
* [http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/0409spelman.html Spelman College Aiming for New Heights] - Atlanta Journal Constitution article
* [http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1460&sug=y The New Georgia Encyclopedia]

External links

* [http://www.spelman.edu/ www.spelman.edu] -- Official web site
* [http://www.spelman.edu/academics/catalog/catalog.shtml#IndexCollegeHistory Spelman College History] at [http://www.spelman.edu/ www.spelman.edu]

References