Historical Timeline
| YEAR | EVENT | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1835 | Oglethorpe University chartered near Milledgeville, Georgia, (the old state capital) President Beman, 1836-1840 | |||||
| 1860-1861 | Sidney Lanier graduates Oglethorpe University "dies at Gettysburg" as students enlist and endowment is lost in Confederate bonds. President Talmage, 1841-1865 | |||||
| 1870-1872 | First relocation of Oglethorpe University in Atlanta | |||||
| 1913 | Reincorporation of Oglethorpe University in Atlanta Cornerstone laid and classes begin President Thornwell Jacobs, 1915-1943 | |||||
| 1923 | Dr. Jacobs discovers tomb of General Oglethorpe in England | |||||
| 1924-1930 | Glory years in athletics at Oglethorpe In football, Petrels defeat Georgia Tech Southern Basketball Champions in 1924 and 1930 Historic part of Oglethorpe and quadrangle are completed | |||||
| 1929 | Oglethorpe receives Silver Lake from William Randolph Hearst | |||||
| 1931-1935 | Oglethorpe's first radio station was established in 1931 as WJTL, and for many years the station was dedicated to the broadcast of educational programming designed for the public to take additional instruction on various University subjects. (In 1935, WJTL was purchased by a private organization and moved to downtown Atlanta. The call letters were changed to WATL at this time.) | |||||
| 1932 | Dr. Jacobs discovers oval portrait of J.E. Oglethorpe (hangs now in the President's Office). On May 22, 1932, New York governor Franklin D. Roosevelt receives an honorary doctorate and gives his first "New Deal" speech as his commencement address for Oglethorpe graduates at Atlanta's Fox Theater. | |||||
| 1933 | Oglethorpe survives Great Depression through the generosity of B. Baruch and J. T. Lupton | |||||
| 1940 | Oglethorpe seals the Crypt of Civilization time capsule, not to be opened until 8113 A.D. | |||||
| 1945 | The start of the Core Curriculum program Oglethorpe Idea: "A small college, superlatively good" created by President Philip Weltner, 1944-1953. | |||||
| 1959-1969 | Coach Garland Pinholster leads Petrels to basketball championships | |||||
| 1968 | Residential expansion of campus | |||||
| 1975-1988 | Pattillo Era: Oglethorpe University becomes academically selective and gains national recognition | |||||
| 1988 - 1999 | Stanton Era: Weltner Library renovations, Schmidt Center built, Conant Performing Arts Center built, academic quad placed on National Register of Historic Places. | |||||
| 1999 - 2005 | Large Era: Robinson Hall renovations, Lupton Auditorium renovations, technology upgrades to classrooms, joined the Annapolis Group, campus master plan completed. | |||||
| 2005 - 2020 | Schall Era: TLCC built, Cousins Center completed, Hammack School of Business opens | |||||
| 2013 | Turner Lynch Campus Center built; A_LAB created | |||||
| 2016 | Gables Brookhaven built | |||||
| 2019 | I.W. “Ike” Cousins Center for Science and Innovation completed | |||||
| 2019 | Q. William Hammack, Jr. School of Business opens | |||||
| 2020 | Nicholas Ladany elected as the 17th president of Oglethorpe University |