- Young Harris College
-
Young Harris College 
Motto Hic iuventus incenditur(Latin) Motto in English Here Youth is Inspired Established 1886 Type Methodist Liberal Arts College President Cathy Cox Undergraduates 820[1] Location Young Harris, Georgia, USA Campus 35 acres Former names McTyeire Institute Colors Purple and White Athletics baseball, softball, tennis, soccer, basketball, golf, cross-country Mascot Mountain Lions Website http://www.yhc.edu/ Young Harris College is a private, Methodist-affiliated liberal arts college located in the mountains of northeast Georgia. The current president is Cathy Cox, former Georgia Secretary of State.[2]
Contents
Origins
Susan B. Harris Chapel, built in 1892, is the oldest building on the campus
The school was founded in 1886 by Reverend Artemas Lester, a circuit-riding Methodist minister who wanted to provide the residents of the Appalachian Mountains with an education. Originally known as McTyeire Institute for the small village where the school was located, the college struggled for the first year until an Athens, Georgia judge, Young L.G. Harris, donated enough money to keep the school open. The school was later renamed Young Harris College in honor of its benefactor, as was the surrounding town in 1895.[3] A fire destroyed the college's main classroom building in 1911, but it was rebuilt by local townspeople and named Sharp Hall in honor of the college president at the time. The Young Harris Academy was founded in the late 19th century and provided a primary education for thousands of students until it closed after World War II.[4]
Bequest
Margaret Adger Pitts, who died in 1998, left an estate valued at $192 million, mostly in Coca-Cola stock acquired by her father in the 1920s. YHC was one of four Georgia entities named to receive the yearly dividends and trust proceeds, approximately $3 million to each of the beneficiaries. The college announced that the money would be used for scholarships, improvements to the campus and religion programs.[5]
Transition
Since the early 1910s, YHC was a two-year school that granted the associate's degree. In 2008, the college earned its four-year accreditation and was approved to offer bachelor's degrees in biology, business and public policy, English, and music. In February, 2010, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools added communication studies, history, outdoor education, theatre, and musical theatre to the list of sanctioned bachelor's programs.[6]
The school has about 800 students, including about 100 from the local area. Plans are to increase enrollment to 1,200 over the next few years. To support the growth, they began to hire significant new faculty and construct three major new facilities.[7]
New facilities
Enotah Hall, a new residence facility for 200 students, opened in August 2009,[3] between Manget Hall and Rollins Hall. Suites are arranged with two-bedrooms and two baths for four students, and include computer study spaces, rooms for music practice and meeting rooms.[8]
Construction began on April 24, 2009 on a new, $15 million Recreation and Fitness Center. In addition to the fitness center, there is an elevated track, a 37’ climbing wall, aerobic exercise rooms, 2 basketball courts for intramurals and concession facilities featuring a juice bar. The complex contains a 1,100 seat arena for intercollegiate competition in basketball and volleyball. The lower level houses locker rooms and offices for coaches and staff. It opened in late July 2010 with a tour by college president Cathy Cox.[9][10]
The last of the three projects approved in 2008 will also be the largest at the college. The design of a Campus Center was finalized with 120,000 sq ft (11,000 m2) of space. The plans include the following facilities: library, media center, student/staff/faculty dining rooms, student union, event ballroom, presidential board room, student government chambers, convenience store, TV/game room, administrative offices, information technology/campus data center, academic meeting rooms, student organization space, and a "Center for academic success". The structure will be located on the present site of the Dobbs McEachern Recreational Center and Winship Hall. Plans originally called for completion in late 2011,[11] but have been delayed indefinitely due to Late-2000s recession.
Athletics
Intercollegiate
Young Harris' sports teams are called the Mountain Lions. The athletic director for the college is Randy Dunn, formerly AD at North Georgia College & State University. The school participates in NJCAA. It applied to NCAA DII in 2010, but its application was rejected.[12] The school re-applied in 2011 and received provisional membership in the 3-year process. The college could receive full NCAA membership for the 2014-2015 school year.[13] Young Harris competes in basketball, baseball, softball, tennis, soccer, golf, and cross country.
The Young Harris Lady Mountain Lions won the 2006 National Championship for Division One NJCAA Soccer, under coach Kathy Brown. In 2007, coach Rick Robinson's baseball team made it to the Junior College World Series. The men's soccer team was a regional finalist in 2006 & 2007. All of Young Harris' teams compete at a NJCAA Division 1 level.
There has never been an intercollegiate football team for Young Harris, although as a new four-year college, it will study the feasibility of football in the near future.
The school fielded a successful mens basketball team in the 1950s and 1960s, and on November 13, 2010, the sport returned after a 50-year absence.[14] The mens head coach is Pete Herrmann, formerly at the University of Georgia.
Women's basketball began at Young Harris on November 15, 2010. Their coach is Brenda Paul.[15]
Baseball coach Rick Robinson earned his 500th win at Young Harris in April 2009, and has been highly successful in placing players in Division I schools. The Young Harris Baseball Team has captured eight Georgia Junior College titles and five Region XVII titles since 1999, and advanced to the Junior College World Series in 2007. The team has averaged 49 wins per season each year since 2004. The team plays on the Zell B. Miller field, one of the most outstanding junior college baseball facilities in the nation. The field contains a number of seats from the former Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
Women's soccer coach Kathy Brown originally served as the assistant coach at Jacksonville State University, before coming to Young Harris in 1997 and starting the women's soccer team. In just her first season as a head coach, Kathy celebrated her first state championship. Since then she has led the Lady Mountain Lions to seven more state titles.
Intramurals
Sports include basketball, flag football, softball, bench press, dodgeball, ultimate frisbee and volleyball. There is also a bass fishing club and a cheerleading squad.
Presidents
Sharp Hall, built in 1912, has the Office of the President, Myers Student Center, and YHC Bookstore- 1886-1887 Marcus H. Edwards
- 1888-1889 Edward A. Gray
- 1889-1894 C. C. Spence
- 1894-1899 William F. Robison
- 1899-1916 Joseph A. Sharp
- 1916-1917 George L. King
- 1917-1922 John L. Hall
- 1922-1930 Joseph A. Sharp
- 1930-1942 T. Jack Lance
- 1942-1947 J. Worth Sharp
- 1947-1950 Walter L. Downs
- 1950-1963 Charles R. Clegg
- 1963-1964 Robert P. Andress
- 1964-1966 Raymond A. Cook
- 1966-1971 Douglas Reid Sasser
- 1971-1991 Ray Farley
- 1991-2003 Thomas S. Yow III
- 2003-2004 Clay Dotson
- 2004-2006 W. Stephen Gunter
- 2006-2006 John Wilson Wells
- 2007–present Cathy Cox[3]
Organizations
Academic/Departmental Organizations
- Campus Activities Board (CAB)
- English Majors Organization
- Delta Gamma Drama Society
Club Sports
- Mountain Lions Basketball Cheerleading Squad
- Bass Fishing Team
Service
- Dorcas Society (women) Sigma Delta Chi
- SPAT Club (men) Sigma Beta
- Circle K
- Collegiate 4-H
Special Interest Groups
- Photography Club
- Common Ground
- Young Harris College Republicans
- Third World 1st
- Health Occupations Student Association
Spiritual
- Baptist Collegiate Ministry (Crosswalk)
- Wesley Fellowship
- Athletes in Action
- Underground
Student Government
- Student Government Association
- Inter-Greek Council
- Inter-Religious Council
Religious
- Baptist Student Union
- College Catholics
- Wesley Fellowship
Fraternities
- Alpha Omega
- Alpha Xi
- Chi Delta Phi
- Upsilon Delta Sigma
- Zeta Pi
Sororities
- Alpha Iota
- Gamma Psi
- Phi Alpha Phi
- Phi Delta
- Sigma Beta Sigma
Special interest
- Art League
- College Republicans
- Compulsive Lyres
- Council of Presidents
- Delta Gamma (Drama)
- International Club
- Inter-Greek Council
- Inter-Religious Council
- Pi Sigma Omega (Political Science)
- Praise Band and Drama Ministry
- Pro Musica Camerata
- SKY Club (Astronomy)
- Southern Harmony
- Student Activities Board
- Student Government Association
- Theatre Young Harris
- Young Democrats
- Young Harris College Choir
Media & Publications
- Corn Creek Review (Literary)
- Enotah (Yearbook)
- Enotah Echoes (Campus Newspaper)
Alumni
Young Harris College is highly regarded in Georgia and has had more of an impact on the state's politics and society than would be expected from a small school in the mountains. Over the last 100+ years, many students have chosen careers in public service; the ministry and teaching have been traditional vocations, but some chose politics. One U.S. Senator, two governors, a number of congressmen, state legislators and mayors all started out at YHC.[16][17]
Notable
Famous graduates include former Georgia governors E. D. Rivers and U.S. Senator Zell Miller; entertainers Oliver Hardy, Wayland Flowers and Amanda Bearse; country music singers Ronnie Milsap and Trisha Yearwood; Major League Baseball players Nick Markakis, Charlie Blackmon and Cory Gearrin; Waffle House founder Tom Forkner; and state Representative Hank Huckaby.[18] Poet and novelist Byron Herbert Reece was a student and teacher at YHC.
Further reading
- A History of Young L.G. Harris College, Joseph Milton Brogdon, 1938
- History of Young L.G. Harris College, Thomas Jackson Lance, 1935, 61 pages
- Young Harris College: 1886-1986, Louisa Franklin & Jeffery S. Moody, 1986
- The Miracle of Brasstown Valley, Zell Miller, 2007, 180 pages, ISBN 0979646200
References
- ^ "About YHC: Quick Facts" Young Harris College website
- ^ "Cox to run Young Harris college" Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 29, 2007
- ^ a b c "New Construction" Young Harris College website
- ^ "A History of YHC" Young Harris College website
- ^ Associated Press, "Woman leaves huge sums to Methodist groups" The Augusta Chronicle, March 4, 1999
- ^ "Young Harris College Adds Five New Baccalaureate Programs" South Georgia Conference of UMC, March 15, 2010
- ^ Dean, Krystin (March 2010). "Building the Brand". College Planning and Management 13 (3): 50–55. ISSN 1523-0910.
- ^ Ross, Jon: "200-Bed Entoah Hall Complete at Young Harris College" Student Housing Business
- ^ "Young Harris College breaks ground on new Recreation and Fitness Center" Young Harris College press release, April 24, 2009
- ^ Burch, Ethan: "Young Harris College Opens New Recreation center" UPIU Sports, August 5, 2010
- ^ "Campus Center Program Management" Brailsford and Dunlavey, November 2008
- ^ rejected by NCAA
- ^ "YHC granted candidacy for NCAA Division II membership" Enotah Echoes, July 12, 2011
- ^ "YHC drops heartbreaker in season opener" YHC Athletics website, November 13, 2010
- ^ "YHC hits the road to take on Georgia Southwestern" YHC Athletics website, November 19, 2010
- ^ Reese, Krista: "Young Harris College" New Georgia Encyclopedia
- ^ Paschal, Paul Holmes: A Tribute To Young L G Harris, Advocate Press, 1977, Page 17
- ^ Huckaby legislature biography
External links
- Young Harris College website
- Young Harris College mobile website
- NJCAA webpage for YHC
- YHC Athletics website
Georgia private colleges and universities Agnes Scott College • American Intercontinental University • Andrew College • Argosy University • Art Institute of Atlanta • Atlanta College of Art • Bauder College • Berry College • Brenau University • Brewton-Parker College • Clark Atlanta University • Columbia Theological Seminary • Covenant College • Emmanuel College • Emory University • Interdenominational Theological Center • LaGrange College • Life University • Mercer University • Morehouse College • Morehouse School of Medicine • Morris Brown College • Oglethorpe University • Oxford College of Emory University • Paine College • Piedmont College • Point University • Reinhardt University • Savannah College of Art and Design • Shorter University • South University • Spelman College • Thomas University • Toccoa Falls College • Truett-McConnell College • Wesleyan College • Westwood College • Young Harris CollegeCoordinates: 34°55′58″N 83°50′48″W / 34.93281°N 83.84676°W
Categories:- Universities and colleges affiliated with the United Methodist Church
- Educational institutions established in 1886
- Council of Independent Colleges
- Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Liberal arts colleges
- Universities and colleges in Georgia (U.S. state)
- National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities members
- Education in Towns County, Georgia
- Buildings and structures in Towns County, Georgia
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
