Suber Archives & Special Collections

This etching shows the Stanley Building which was the original classroom building of LaGrange Female College. It was located on Broad Street, one of the main streets in LaGrange, and is no longer in existence.

LaGrange College, the oldest private college in Georgia, is a small liberal arts college located in the town of LaGrange, named for the estate of the Marquis de Lafayette, Chateau de LaGrange Blenau. Lafayette visited the West Georgia area in late March 1825 and commented on the similarities to his estate in Le Puy, France. On December 26, 1831, the charter for the LaGrange Female Academy was granted by the Georgia Legislature,[1] although it had been in operation earlier. The school prospered with the support of prominent local trustees and under the leadership of Rev. Thomas Stanley and Major John Park. In 1846, brothers Joseph and Hugh Montgomery purchased the Academy, then located on Broad Street, and converted it to a degree-granting college named LaGrange Female Institute. The name changed just a few years later to LaGrange Female College in 1851. Joseph Montgomery built College Home, later renamed Smith Hall, for himself and to accommodate female boarders attending the school. In 1851 the Auditorium was built but was completely destroyed in 1860 by fire, causing great damage to College Home. The Montgomery brothers sold the College to the Georgia Conference of the Methodist Church, South, in 1856 for the sum of $40,000. Local people, mostly Methodists, contributed half of the purchase money; LaGrange College has maintained its Methodist affiliation throughout its history. 

The College operated throughout the Civil War, kept open in conjunction with another local school, Southern Female College, until 1869. Few records remain from the Civil War years, but it is known that many families were unable or unwilling to send their daughters off to school, and the College "became little more than a day school with faithful teachers who kept at their task"[2]. Attempts to become coeducational began in the fall of the 1935-36 school year, when six young men were admitted to the freshman class as day students; it would only last one semester as they were considered too much of a distraction. In the fall of 1948, in an attempt by new College President Waights Henry, Jr., to increase enrollment, 37 local men were admitted as day students, and the school officially became coeducational in 1953. The College was integrated in 1967 and the first African-American student graduated in 1969.

The mission statement reads: “We challenge the minds and inspire the souls of our students, preparing them to become successful, responsible citizens who pursue lives of integrity, service, and lifelong learning.”[3] 

The college campus consists of two sections, known as "The Hill” and Callaway Campus. Twenty buildings in addition to modern athletic facilities are located on approximately 120 acres. The oldest structure, Smith Hall, stands on the crest of The Hill and dates from 1842.[4] The Frank and Laura Lewis Library is located on The Hill and houses the Suber Archives and Special Collections. It was the newest building on campus when it was dedicated in 2009, until the Ida Callaway Hudson Lab Sciences Building was dedicated in 2017. 

Quick Facts[5] 

• Founded: 1831; the oldest private college in Georgia
• Location: LaGrange, Georgia (pop. 31,000)— 60 miles SW of Atlanta on I-85
• Affiliation: The United Methodist Church
• Student-Faculty Ratio: 11-1; classes average 16 students
• Academic Programs: More than 50 academic and pre-professional programs
• Recognition: Ranked near the top of 97 Southern Regional Colleges and a “best value” by U.S. News & World Report
• Study Abroad: Rated among the top 40 baccalaureate colleges for participation in study abroad by the 2020 Open Doors Report
• Athletics: Member of NCAA Division III in 15 athletic programs, including football
• Student Organizations: 40+ student clubs and organizations
• Financial Aid: 95 percent of students receive financial assistance; nearly $20 million awarded annually
• Accreditation: LaGrange College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees, as well as the educational specialist degree. LaGrange College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels.

Important Dates

• 1831: Founding of oldest private college in LaGrange, Georgia
• 1847: The school becomes LaGrange Female Institute
• 1851: Name changed to LaGrange Female College
• 1934: LaGrange Female College becomes LaGrange College
• 1953: The Board of Trustees makes LaGrange College coeducational
• 1970: Dobbs Building burns and is replaced with the Callaway Academic Building, which was dedicated in 1981
• 1975: Price Theater completed
• 1982: Lamar Dodd Art Building completed
• 1992: The size of the campus doubles with donation of land and facilities from the Callaway Foundation and the Callaway Campus is established
• 2009: The Frank and Laura Lewis Library is dedicated as the most recent building on campus and houses the Suber Archives and Special Collections

Sources:

[1] Wikipedia: LaGrange College. Accessed July 8, 2025.

[2] Birdsong, Irene B. 1955. The History of LaGrange College. The University of Georgia. p. 53.

[3] LaGrange College website: LaGrange College Mission and Vision Statements. Accessed July 8, 2025.

[4] New Georgia Encyclopedia: LaGrange College. Accessed July 8, 2025.

[5] LaGrange College website: LaGrange Past and Present. Accessed July 8, 2025.

The following books about LaGrange College's history are available at the Lewis Library:

Commemorating the College's 175th year, the book Since 1831: LaGrange College, is also available to read online.

Irene Birdsong's 1955 Master's thesis The History of LaGrange College is a treasure trove of information.

LaGrange College 1948-1978: The Waights G. Henry, Jr. Years details the governance of one of the College's longest-serving Presidents.