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Savannah State University




  motto "Lux Et Veritas"<br>()
  tagline You can get anywhere from here!
  established 1890
  type Public , Land-grant , State , Co-ed , HBCU
  president Dr Earl G Yarbrough Sr
  city Savannah
  state Georgia
  country USA
  undergrad 3,200
  postgrad 93
  staff 385
  endowment $ 2,433,508 1
  athletics Division I-AA
  affiliations Independent
  campus 175 acres, coastal setting 2
  nickname Tigers
  colors Burnt Orange and Reflex Blue <br>
  website wwwsavstateedu


Savannah State University is a four-year, state-supported, Historically Black University located in Savannah, Georgia . Savannah State holds the distinction as the oldest public Historically Black University in Georgia . 3 Savannah State is also a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund . 4

MISSION

Savannah State University's mission is "to graduate students who are prepared to perform at higher levels of economic productivity, social responsibility, and excellence in their chosen career fields of endeavor in a changing global community." 5.


HISTORY


Establishment

Savannah State University was originally founded as a result of the Second Morrill Land Grant Act of August 30, 1890 , The act had specific wording which mandated that southern and border states develop of Black land grant colleges. On November 26, 1890 the Georgia General Assembly passed enabling legislation creating the Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youth.

A preliminary session of the school was held in the Baxter Street School Building in Athens, Georgia where Richard R. Wright Sr. was principal. The collge operated in Athens for several months in 1891 before moving to its permanent location in Savannah on October 7, 1891, with Wright as the first president. The school had five faculty members, and eight students who were all graduates of Edmund Asa Ware High School, the first public high school for blacks in Augusta, Georgia .


Early Years

The first baccalaureate degree was awarded in 1898. In 1921 the first female students were admitted as residents on the campus. The college became a full four-year degree-granting institution in 1928 with the removal of the high school and normal programs. The school became a full member institution of the University System of Georgia in 1932 and the name was changed to Georgia State College. The college served as Georgia’s land-grant institution for African-American students until 1947 when the designation was transferred to Fort Valley State College ). In January 1950 the name was again changed, this time to Savannah State College .


Modern History

In 1996 the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia elevated Savannah State College, to the status of state university and the name was changed to Savannah State University.

Savannah State University is the first institution in the state of Georgia to offer the homeland security degree program and the second institution in the University System of Georgia to offer wireless Internet connectivity to students throughout the campus. 6


Presidents of Savannah State University

See Also: President of Savannah State University


There have been twelve presidents in the history of Savannah State University. The current president is Dr. Earl G. Yarbrough Sr. who became president on May 30, 2007.


CAMPUS


Savannah State University is located approximately five miles east southeast from the center of Savannah, Georgia , 250 miles from Atlanta, Georgia , and 120 miles from Jacksonville, Florida . 7 The campus is accessible from Interstate 95 and Interstate 16 . 8 Spanish moss drapes the dense live oaks trees, while palm trees, magnolias, and a wide variety of azaleas, camellias, and other native plants are scattered throughout the marsh-side campus at (32.0224339, -81.0551121)


Early years

The original campus consisted of eighty-six acres and three buildings (Boggs Hall, Parsons Hall and a farmhouse) and fifty-one of the school's acres were farm. 9 Several of the campus' older buildings were originally constructed by students and faculty members, and display architectural styles from the past century. 10

Historic facilities

Walter Bernard Hill Hall, which was built in 1901, was added to the National Register Of Historic Places in 1981. 11 The Georgia Historical Commission and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources have recognized both the Savannah State campus and Hill Hall as a part of the Georgia Historical Marker Program. 12

Notable campus events

Portions of the Paramount Pictures movie '' The General's Daughter '' were filmed at historic Hill Hall on the campus during the summer of 1997. The film’s director Simon West was quoted as saying the campus and Savannah generally “had the most varied and interesting look” to represent the “brooding,” “hot and steamy and sticky” “Southern Gothic” impression.


ACADEMIC PROFILE

Students at Savannah State University may choose from 23 accredited undergraduate baccalaureate and 5 graduate master’s degree programs offered through the colleges of Business Administration, Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and Sciences and Technology. Accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association Of Colleges And Schools , Savannah State University also offers specialized accreditations in Civil Engineering Technology (Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board For Engineering And Technology ), Electronics Engineering Technology (Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and National Association Of Radio And Telecommunications Engineers, Inc. (NARTE)), Mechanical Engineering Technology (Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology), Bachelor and Masters in Social Work ( Council On Social Work Education ), and MPA ( National Association Of Schools Of Public Affairs And Administration . The College of Business Administration is accredited by the Association To Advance Collegiate Schools Of Business (AACSB) International and the Mass Communications Department is accredited by the
Accrediting Council On Education In Journalism And Mass Communications (ACEJMC). 13 Additionally, the Chemistry department is American Chemical Society (ACS) certified. 14

The university's Marine Biology Department operates two research vessels: the R/V Sea Otter (a 35-ft twin diesel vessel owned by NOAA ) and the R/V Tiger (a 22-ft outboard work boat). 15 In the fall of 2007 Savannah State will team with the U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers to offer a new course in environmental regulations. 16


Schools and colleges

The university operates three colleges and the Office of Graduate Studies and Sponsored Research (OGSSR).


Research Centers

The university operates four research centers.
  • Center for Teaching, Learning and Academic Support

  • Savannah Entrepreneurial Center - The College of Business Administration operates the Savannah Entrepreneurial Center for the city of Savannah and offers technical assistance and training for starting, maintaining or expanding small business operations. 17

  • The Midtown Project - The university has worked closely with the City of Savannah via The Midtown Project, Savannah State University's partnership with neighborhood associations to develop strategies to rebuild their communities.

  • The CIRE ("A Collaboration to Integrate Research and Education in Marine and Environmental Science and Biotechnology") program collaborates with the Skidaway Institute Of Oceanography to operate a teaching laboratory on the campus providing "hands-on" research experience to undergraduate marine science students.



STUDENT LIFE

The University offers organized and informal co-curricular activities including 75 student organizations, leadership workshops, 15 intramural activities, student publications and student internships. 18

Marching Tiger Band

The university band, nicknamed the Marching Tigers, performs during Savannah State football games and were featured performers in the Honda Battle Of The Bands in 2004 and 2005.

National Fraternities and Sororities

All nine of the National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations currently have chapters at Savannah State University. 1920 These organizations are:

Other National fraternities and sororities with registered chapters currently on campus include:

Additionally, Alpha Phi Omega (ΑΦΩ) National Fraternity , at one point, had a registered chapter at Savannah State.


Student Media


The Tiger's Roar

The Tiger's Roar is the official Student-produced Newspaper of Savannah State University and provides both a print and on-line version .
21


WHCJ (College Radio Station)

See Also: WHCJ (FM)


SSU operates WHCJ (FM) radio, which broadcasts 24 hours a day from the campus, covers all of Chatham County , and can also be heard in Effingham , Bryan , Beaufort , and Liberty counties. 22

Established in 1975 and known as "''the Voice of Savannah State University''", WHCJ's current play formats include gospel, jazz, reggae, blues and salsa music, as well as talk shows, commentaries, and cultural enrichment programming. 23


NOTABLE FACULTY AND STAFF

''See also and President Of Savannah State University .''
  • Mohamed Haji Mukhtar - Professor of African & Middle Eastern History and noted author on the history and sociology of Somalia and Islam.

  • Russell Ellington - As Savannah State College’s men's head basketball Ellington compiled a 148-91 record (.619 winning percentage), the most wins by a men's basketball coach in the school's history.

  • Charles J. Elmore (1967) - SSU professor and author of '''''An Historical Guide to Laurel Grove Cemetery South''''', a book on SSU’s Richard R. Wright, and '''''The Athletic Saga of Savannah State College'''''. Elmore’s last publication is '''''All That Savannah Jazz''''' published in 1999.

  • E. J. Josey - American activist and librarian who served as an instructor of Social Sciences and History (1954-1955).

  • Francys Johnson - NAACP Southeast Region Director and former member of the Savannah State Social Sciences faculty.

  • The Honorable Otis Johnson - Former faculty member and the current mayor of Savannah, Georgia .

  • 24



NOTABLE ALUMNI


''See also .''



  • George E. Kent - professor of literature (with a specialism in Afro-American literature).

  • W.W. Law (1948) - A nationally-known civil rights leader and preservationist.

  • Jerome Miller (1974) - Toyota Motor Sales Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion - Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. 30

  • The Honorable Barbara J. Mobley (1969) - A member of the DeKalb County Georgia State Court bench (the first African-American woman to be elected to that post) and a former member of the Georgia House of Representatives. 3132

  • Tahj Mowry - former child actor from the sitcom " Smart Guy ", played football at SSU for 1 season

  • Shannon Sharpe - A three-time Super Bowl champion, and NFL’s all-time leader in receptions (815) and yards (10,060) by a tight end. 33

  • JaQuitta Williams (1993) - Anchor/Reporter for WSB-TV , ABC affiliate in Atlanta, Georgia . 34



ATHLETICS

See Also: Savannah State Tigers



Savannah State University holds membership in the , Baseball , Basketball (men and women), cross-country (men and women), tennis (men and women), track and field (men and women), volleyball (women only), golf (men), and Softball (women). 35

School Colors

Savannah State's colors are Burnt Orange and Reflex Blue . 36


School Mascot

Savannah State University's nickname is the Tiger s.

Athletic Facilities

  • Tiger Arena - The 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena is the home for the university's basketball team and athletic department offices.

  • Ted A. Wright Football Stadium – Home of the Savannah State I-AA (Independent) Football team and the Olympic outdoor track. The 7,500-seat multi-purpose stadium opened in 1967. The track was constructed in 1995. 37

  • Memorial Stadium, Savannah - A 15,000-capacity, county owned, multi-use stadium near Savannah, Georgia (officially located in Isle of Hope, Georgia). The stadium occasionally hosts homecoming festivities for the university.



See also





SUGGESTED READING

  • Elmore, Charles J. ''Richard R. Wright, Sr., at GSIC, 1891-1921: A Protean Force for the Social Uplift and Higher Education of Black Americans'' (Savannah, Ga.: privately printed, 1996).

  • Elmore, Charles ''Savannah, Georgia'' (Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub., 2002).

  • Hall, Clyde W. ''One Hundred Years of Educating at Savannah State College, 1890-1990'' (East Peoria, Ill.: Versa Press, 1991).



FOOTNOTES




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