Young Harris College
Encyclopedia
Young Harris College is a private, Methodist-affiliated liberal arts college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...

 located in the mountains of northeast Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

. The current president is Cathy Cox
Cathy Cox
Lera Catharine "Cathy" Cox is a Georgia politician, a member of the Democratic Party, the former Secretary of State of Georgia, and a candidate for Governor of Georgia in 2006...

, former Georgia Secretary of State
Secretary of state of Georgia
The secretary of state of the U.S. state of Georgia is an elected official with a wide variety of responsibilities, including supervising elections and maintaining public records....

.

Origins

The school was founded in 1886 by Reverend Artemas Lester, a circuit-riding
Circuit rider (Religious)
Circuit rider is a popular term referring to clergy in the earliest years of the United States who were assigned to travel around specific geographic territories to minister to settlers and organize congregations...

 Methodist minister who wanted to provide the residents of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...

 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
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...

 judge, Young L.G. Harris
Young Harris
Young Loftin Gerdine Harris was an American lawyer, businessman, politician, judge, and philanthropist. He is best known as the early benefactor of Young Harris College in the U.S. state of Georgia, after whom the school was named....

, 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
Young Harris, Georgia
Young Harris is a city in Towns County, Georgia, United States. The population was 604 at the 2000 census. Young Harris is home to Young Harris College, after which it was named.-Geography:Young Harris is located at ....

 in 1895. 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
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...

 for thousands of students until it closed after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

Bequest

Margaret Adger Pitts, who died in 1998, left an estate valued at $192 million, mostly in Coca-Cola
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia...

 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.

Transition

Since the early 1910s, YHC was a two-year school that granted the associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...

. In 2008, the college earned its four-year accreditation and was approved to offer bachelor's
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...

 degrees in biology, business and public policy, English, and music. In February, 2010, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...

 added communication studies, history, outdoor education, theatre, and musical theatre to the list of sanctioned bachelor's programs.

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.

New facilities

Enotah Hall, a new residence facility for 200 students, opened in August 2009, 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.

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
Climbing wall
A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with grips for hands and feet, usually used for indoor climbing, but sometimes located outdoors as well. Some are brick or wooden constructions, but on most modern walls, the material most often used is a thick multiplex board with holes drilled...

, aerobic exercise rooms, 2 basketball courts for intramurals and concession facilities
Concession stand
A concession stand , snack kiosk or snack bar is the term used to refer to a place where patrons can purchase snacks or food at a cinema, fair, stadium, or other entertainment venue. Some events or venues contract out the right to sell food to third parties...

 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.

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 120000 sq ft (11,148.4 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,
but have been delayed indefinitely due to Late-2000s recession.

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
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

 DII in 2010, but its application was rejected. 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. 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. The mens head coach is Pete Herrmann
Pete Herrmann
-See also:*Navy Midshipmen men's basketball...

, formerly at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...

.

Women's basketball began at Young Harris on November 15, 2010. Their coach is Brenda Paul.

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
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, often shortened to "Fulton County Stadium," was a multi-purpose stadium that formerly stood in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.-History:...

.

Women's soccer coach Kathy Brown originally served as the assistant coach at Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville State University is a regional public coeducational university located in Jacksonville, Alabama, USA. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in four academic units leading to Bachelor's, Master's, and Education Specialist degrees, in addition to continuing and...

, 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
Ultimate (sport)
Ultimate is a sport played with a 175 gram flying disc. The object of the game is to score points by passing the disc to a player in the opposing end zone, similar to an end zone in American football or rugby...

 and volleyball. There is also a bass fishing club and a cheerleading squad.

Presidents

  • 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

Academic/Departmental Organizations

  • Campus Activities Board (CAB)
  • English Majors Organization
  • Delta Gamma Drama Society

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

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.

Notable

Famous graduates include former Georgia governors E. D. Rivers and U.S. Senator Zell Miller
Zell Miller
Zell Bryan Miller is an American politician from the US state of Georgia. A Democrat, Miller served as Lieutenant Governor from 1975 to 1991, 79th Governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999, and as United States Senator from 2000 to 2005....

; entertainers Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy was an American comic actor famous as one half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted nearly 30 years, from 1927 to 1955.-Early life:...

, Wayland Flowers
Wayland Flowers
Wayland P. Flowers, Jr. was an American puppeteer. He was born and raised in Dawson, Georgia. Flowers was best known for the puppet act he created with his puppet Madame...

 and Amanda Bearse
Amanda Bearse
Amanda Bearse is an American actress, director and comedienne best known for her role as wacky neighbor Marcy D'Arcy on Married.....

; country music singers Ronnie Milsap
Ronnie Milsap
Ronnie Lee Milsap is an American country music singer and pianist. He was one of country’s most popular and influential performers of the 1970s and 1980s...

 and Trisha Yearwood
Trisha Yearwood
Patricia Lynn Yearwood, professionally known as Trisha Yearwood , is an American country music artist. She is best known for her ballads about vulnerable young women from a female perspective that have been described by some music critics as "strong" and "confident."Trisha Yearwood signed with MCA...

; Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 players Nick Markakis
Nick Markakis
Nicholas William Markakis is a Major League Baseball right fielder for the Baltimore Orioles. Of Greek and German descent , Markakis is known for his arm strength, stellar right field defense and smooth hitting....

, Charlie Blackmon
Charlie Blackmon
Charles Cobb Blackmon is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball.-Early life:...

 and Cory Gearrin
Cory Gearrin
Cory Nathanial Gearrin is a major league baseball relief pitcher currently on the Atlanta Braves active roster....

; Waffle House
Waffle House
Waffle House is a restaurant chain with over 1600 locations found in 25 states in the United States. Most of the locations are in the Southern United States, where the chain remains a regional cultural icon...

 founder Tom Forkner
Tom Forkner
Thomas "Tom" Forkner is an American businessman and lawyer as well as a notable senior golfer. He is the co-founder of restaurant chain Waffle House, which consisted of 1,553 restaurants as of February 5, 2009.-Biography:...

; and state Representative Hank Huckaby
Hank Huckaby
Hank Huckaby is a Republican member of the Georgia House of Representatives for the 113th district in Watkinsville, encompassing parts of Clarke County, Morgan County, Oconee County, and Oglethorpe County. He will be the next Chancellor of the University System of Georgia.-Biography:Henry M....

. Poet and novelist Byron Herbert Reece
Byron Herbert Reece
Byron Herbert Reece was an American author of poetry and novels. During his life, he published four volumes of poetry and two volumes of fiction. He was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Bow Down in Jericho, his second volume of poetry, and received a Guggenheim Fellowship for fiction in 1952...

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

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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