Thursday, August 27, 2009

UGA's Lion among Men, Bicenquasquigenary Jubilee, Pt. III

Dean William Tate
Again, a current/semi-current event inspires a post to celebrate UGA's 225th anniversary. Within the last week UGA has officially dedicated the expansion of the Tate Student Center, the original part of which, with the 'this-looks-like-it-should-be-the-world's-largest-Pizza-Hut' roof, was dedicated in 1983 and named for the late Dean of Men (later Dean of Students), William/Bill Tate.
A photo of Dean Tate during the 1961 integration of UGA.

He was truly a giant at the University, and one who despite very strong personal convictions seemed to be able to separate those from what he needed to do as an administrator and devotee to the principles and idea that was for him The University of Georgia.

The Tate Expansion to the right with the Miller Learning Center at the head of the quad.

Despite the dedication, my inspiration for this post came from an article I found in the most recent (26 Aug 2009) Flagpole Magazine. (Not only do I get to talk about one of UGA's greats, but I get to plug Athens' weekly magazine). In the 'pub notes' section, Pete McCommons, who was student council VP during the 1961 confrontations regarding the admission of Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter (later Gault) to UGA, recounts several memories of Tate during that time and regarding Tate's status as what amounts to a Lion on-campus--in the minds of students and faculty alike.

I'll quote a couple highlights, but leave McCommons to elucidate the Dean's career.

Regarding UGA's integration:
"That week may have been Dean William Tate’s finest hour. Whatever his own sentiments were, the federal court had ordered the integration of the University of Georgia, and he saw his duty as Dean to protect those two students and to protect the university."

Tate's sense of humor:
“'Son, do you know what a revolving son-of-a-bitch is?”
“No, sir, Dean Tate.”
“A revolving son-of-a-bitch, the Dean intoned, ”is a son-of-a-bitch no matter which way you look at him.'“

I'll leave the rest to McCommons: Part I (from Aug. 12) & Part II (from Aug. 26).

Good stuff. Enjoy.

. . . and to HELL w/ Georgia Tech!

AFN
DCC, Athens, GA, UGA
27 August 2009

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

UGA's First Building? Bicenquasquigenary Jubilee Series, Pt II

"June 30, 2009
"by Matt Weeks
"Athens, Ga. – Remnants of a former building and artifacts dating back more than 200 years have been uncovered beneath the foundations of New College on the University of Georgia’s North Campus, allowing a glimpse into a long-lost chapter of UGA history.
"

“Awesome!” was my first internal response, and perhaps verbal, to the news that construction crews and afterward archaeologists had uncovered the foundations of what could represent the University of Georgia’s very first building underneath the foundation of New College while renovating the building.

Having lived and worked near an archaeological dig for two years, my second thought was, “I want to see it.” Pictures are nice and all, but if anyone has an ‘in’ with Danny Sniff and can get me into the belly of the beast (i.e. the basement of New College while this is going on), I’d be ever grateful.

And finally in the slow machinations of my brain, as I was walking across the North Quad and ruminating about material that could be the focus for my next post, it clicked. It probably had something to do with the fact that I glanced over at New College while I was thinking about it, but really, should it have taken me that long to come up with that? No, never.

The official press release notes some pretty interesting bits from what they’ve uncovered, and by the looks of the pictures, the remains of the earlier building cover a fair amount of the floor (see below). Apparently you could have used the basement of New College as a dungeon as well or a nice oubliette, perhaps.

Fortuitous finds for my blog. Thank you, New College construction crews. Love, me.

Some interesting bits from the find:
  • The foundation, and therefore the building, was there before the 1819 construction began on New College (a la the Romans constructing buildings on top of buildings, though I doubt we’ll find any catacombs on campus). No direct connection has been established with Josiah Meigs, UGAs first acting president.
  • Because of construction, the uncovered brick floor was 7ft below the current ground level at New College.
  • The brick, unlike later building materials for UGA, was made locally, which you can apparently discern from their color.
  • The crew found a Lamar period pottery bowl. For those not familiar, it means it’s very old, as it would have pre-dated even the founding of the colony of Georgia (1350-1600), which means that whoever left the bowl was a collector of some sort. My guess would be a professor, who though much later than intended had his wish in preserving Lamar culture.
  • “. . . other artifacts found are a handmade spoon, wrought iron nails, blown-glass bottles, glazed cookware and an instrument that resembles a modern fire poker.”
In my history-geek brain, that’s just awesome. Rumor has it that they’re going to try to have it where folks can see it when they finish the renovation, but at this point, it is just that, unfounded rumor. But it’s a rumor with which I’d definitely be satisfied should it come true.

As a result of this, I'm trying to sort out in my head the relative/exact age of the buildings on campus. There will be a list that I'll post soon. Why? Because I'm going to create it if it hasn't already been done!

AFN
DCC
5 August 2009
Athens, GA

Monday, July 6, 2009

Bicenquasquigenary Jubilee!

The University of Georgia: 1785-2010 Celebrating 225 years!
If you know that the above means 225th Jubilee, congratulations, you're doing very well on your preparations for the GRE!

In the spirit of one of this blog's original intents, to post both UGA academic & athletic history and traditions, I hope to produce a series of posts leading up to the 225th anniversary of The University of Georgia's founding on January 27, 2010. In deference to the dates that lead up to the present, I think that I'll progress from the beginning, as is only fitting.

As you will find in the title of the blog at the very top, the picture behind 'Iron Pillars, Silver Britches' is from the Charter of UGA, reading 'the Trustees of the University of Georgia.' The full text, as well as archival pictures of the Charter can be found at the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library. By virtue of being the first state-chartered institution in the country, the University has also named one of its scholarships for the founding document, the Charter Scholarship.

An Acknowledgment of the Ignorance or Inferiority of our own
That said, without having to get complete permission from the Archives, I'll cite a few pertinent quotes, with a bit of commentary.


"By the REPRESENTATIVES of the FREEMEN of the STATE of GEORGIA in General Assembly and by the AUTHORITY of the SAME . . ."

Well, the way that's expressed has certainly changed in the last 225 years, but I won't belabor that point as the changes from that statement seem relatively obvious.


" . . . Sending them [the youth of Georgia] abroad to other countries for their education will not answer these purposes, - is too humiliating an acknowledgment of the Ignorance or Inferiority of our own, and will always be the Cause of so great foreign attachments that upon principles of policy it is not admissible."

Certainly, you would not hear this from an academic today. Whether you were to focus on UGA's rankings for sending students on studies abroad (5th in the nation among research universities, with 30% of each graduating class studying abroad at some point) or on the general atmosphere in academia that if you want to work (read: 'be a professor') at an institution it is imperative that you get your Ph.D. elsewhere, you would be hard pressed to find a department at UGA that holds to this particular part of the Charter. I think it can be safely said that, depending on your point of view, you could see this as a 'for better or for worse' part of the Charter. For my part, it's certainly an improvement that our students are encouraged to study at locations and with professors who have such varied experiences, pulling from more than 200 majors and programs that UGA now offers.


The Rising Hope of our Land

" . . . that our present happiness joined to pleasing prospects should conspire to make us feel ourselves under the strongest obligation to form the youth, the rising hope of our Land to render the like glorious & essential Services to our country."

Such language ought to be used more often. A shame none would well understand it. "The Rising Hope of Our Land" certainly is an excellent way to refer to students, and yet I have not made it out of the preamble of the Charter. I'm surprised that we have not a student organization or honorary that's taken this monicher or some form of it for its name. I'm sure when writing this the founders never imagined the possibility that the student body population would grow to over 34,000, which would have made up over 1/3 of the entire population of the State of Georgia when the first census was taken in 1790.

The University of Georgia or Franklin College?


"It is ENACTED, ORDAINED, and DECLARED . . .
" . . . THE BOARD OF VISITORS hereby vested with all the powers of visitation to see that the intent of this institution is carried into effect, and John Houston, James Habersham, William Few, Joseph Clay, Abraham Baldwin, William Houston, Nathan Brownson, John Habersham, Abiel Holmes, Jenkin Davis, Hugh Lawson, William Glascock, and Benjamin Talliaferro esquires who shall compose another board, denominated THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. These two boards united, or a majority of each of them shall compose the SENATUS ACADEMICUS of the University of Georgia. (emphasis added) . . ."

Interestingly, as noted in the emphasis on the last phrase, the institution, despite the tradition that the school was first called Franklin College, which represents the oldest and largest college at the University, it is clearly stated that it was indeed first 'the University of Georgia.'

Some of the names in the above list ought to be fairly familiar to students of Georgia history & geography as several have counties as their eponyms and Baldwin, Few, and Houston were three of Georgia's delegates at the Constitutional Convention two years later.
The list effectively consitutes the list of the University of Georgia's founding fathers, though Baldwin is almost solely given credit as he was the institution's first titular president. As with much of the rest of the document this part of the Charter starts building the foundations, mechinisms, and bodies for governing the fledgling University.


" . . . FOR this purpose they are hereby constituted a body corporate, and politic, by the name of TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA; by which they shall have perpetual succession, and shall and may be a person in Law, capable to plead, and be impleaded, defend, and be defended, answer, and be answered unto, also to have, take, possess, acquire, purchase or otherwise receive . . ."

Again, I am emphasizing the intent for the institution to be the University of Georgia, despite its early monicher (see above). Not to mention the interesting countering to every ability . . . 'to plead and be impleaded . . .' etc.

University System of Georgia


" . . . ALL public schools - instituted or to be supported by funds or public monies in this State shall be considered as parts or members of the University and shall be under the foregoing directions and regulations."

This fell by the wayside at some point. I'm fairly certain that the University wouldn't want this responsibility today.

et cetera, &c.,
etc. . . .

And that's about it for this one, as I'm sure it's sufficiently long. I'm sure that I've enjoyed writing it far more than most will enjoy reading it. Nonetheless, there it is. Part I of the Bicenquasquigenary series on UGA, I suppose.

AFN
DCC
7 July 2009 Athens, GA