Display 0310:  Chronological Highlights:
                         Milestones and Turning Points at SSU

When? What? Who?
2 July 1862 Land Grant Act allocates lands to states for instructing agricultural & mechanical arts U.S.Congress
30 Aug 1890 Ammendment to Land Grant Act allocates $50,000 to states for "colored students" education U.S.Congress
26 Nov 1890 Act to establish school for education of "colored students" GA. General Assembly
Mar 1891 Savannahians Lobby for location of institution 1st African Baptist Church
13 May 1891 10 Acres in Savannah donated to Trustees for institution George Parsons
30 July 1891 66.1 adjacent acres sold to Trustees $$6,000 Sara B. Postell
Sum 1891 Richard Wright appointed first President of GA State Industrial College for Colored Youth Univ. of GA President
Oct 1891 College Opening Ceremony; College, Normal School, & Sub-Normal School curriculum Richard Wright, Jr.
1891 College farm established; superintendent employed Robert H. Thomas
1891-92 College farm buildings constructed (Hubert site)  
Oct 1982 Mechanical Arts program estab. (woodworking; mechanical arts); director appointed Albert A. Ashton
1893 Blacksmithing, wheelwriting, masonry added to curriculum  
1893-1921 Farmers' Conferences held annually on campus Richard Wright, Jr.
1896 1st Meldrum Hall (58' x 80') constructed Faculty & students
Jun 1898 1st College Degree awarded to Richard R. Wright, Jr., president's son Richard Wright, Jr.
1898-99 Tailoring, painting, shoemaking added to curriculum  
1898-99 Women students first admitted to Savannah, live off campus; study dressmaking & sewing Lavinia DeVaugh
1900-01 Hill Hall constructed Faculty & students
1902 College Dairy established; head employed F.H.Cardoza
1906 GA State Colored Agricultural & Industrial Assn. founded; sponsors "State Colored Fair", Macon Richard Wright
1909 Leadership of dairy operations assumed by former graduate Jake F. Frazier
1912 Power machinery installed in carpentry & shoemaking shops  
1913 Concrete block laundry building constructed Faculty & students
1913-14 Experimental crops of corn, cotton, oats  
May 1914 Smith Lever Act funds "Farm Demonstrator" Eugene A. Williams for Savannah U.S.Government
Fall 1914 Commercial course added to curriculum (bookkeping, stenography, typing) G.L.Gaines
1915 First woman student graduated from college department Lucrene Dixon
1914-15 Poultry raising added to program; head appointed M.J.Smitherman
1916 Annual "State Colored Fair" moves to Savannah  
Dec 1917 Meldrum Hall destroyed by fire  
1918-19 Curriculum re-configured: grammar (3 yr), high (3 yr), normal schools (2 yr), & college (4 yr) Richard Wright, Jr.
23 Feb 1917 Smith Hughes Act provides funds for Home Economics instruction Woodrow Wilson
1918-19 Smith Hughes funds support instructing Home Econ & other trades at Savannah  
Sum 1918 200 soldiers enrolled for trade training sponsored by National Army Webb & Bradshaw
1920-26 2nd Meldrum Hall constructed; est. cost $100,000 A. Orsot & students
June 1921 President resigns, moves to Philadelphia to found a bank Richard Wright, Jr.
Oct 1921 11 women admitted as boarding students Cyrus G. Wiley
1921 3 additional "Demonstration Agents" join college's state agricultural headquarters  
1921-- August "short courses" for women in home economics (cooking, sewing, etc.) & men in agriculture  
1922 President reorganizes curriculum into Literary, Commercial, Mechanical, & Agricultural depts. Cyrus G. Wiley
1922 4-year vocational agriculture program added to curriculum Alva Tabor
6 Apr 1922 Initiate State Industrial College Night at local churches Cyrus G. Wiley
1923 Auto mechanics added to curriculum J.G. Hollingsworth
May 1923 US Bureau of Educ inspection; concern with impoverished land-grant function; low funding  
16 Aug 1924 Legislature revise governance structure of institution; new board; salvage land-grant status  
Aug 1926 President resigned; went to Morris Brown in Atlanta as Dean Cyrus G. Wiley
1926 New president's slogan: "Know GA, believe in GA and build a better GA." Benjamin Hubert
1926-27 7 new faculty recruited from major universities Benjamin Hubert
1928 Vocational Agriculture Program restructured; strengthened Thomas N. Roberts
1935-42 Federal supported Ag. Experiments w/ sea island cotton, peanuts, phosphaates, forestry etc. Frank M. Staley
1938 First women's dormatory constructed; a WPA project Benjamin Hubert
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