Suber Archives & Special Collections

Administrative History of LaGrange College

LaGrange College is a small liberal arts college located in the town of LaGrange, Georgia, which was named for the estate of the Marquis de Lafayette, Chateau de LaGrange Blenau. Lafayette visited the West Georgia area in 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 at the state capitol, then in Milledgeville.”[1] LaGrange College has maintained its Methodist affiliation throughout its history, which has a prominent presence on campus, although its students come from varied backgrounds and religious traditions. The mission statement reads: “LaGrange College challenges the minds and inspires the souls of its students”[2] and is “an ethical and caring community valuing civility, diversity, service and excellence.”[3] LaGrange College prepares students to become successful, responsible citizens who aspire to lives of integrity and moral courage and encourages diversity, civility, service, and excellence within a liberal arts tradition of academic freedom and intellectual inquiry.[4]

“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, the Smith Building, stands on the crest of the Hill and dates from 1842.”[5]  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. 

Important Facts & Accreditation[6]

• Affiliation: The United Methodist Church
• Enrollment: About 800 students
• Student-Faculty Ratio: 11-1; classes average 12 students
• Academic Programs: more than 55 academic and pre-professional programs
• The Arts: The College is renowned for its offerings in drama, music and art
• Athletics: Member of NCAA Division III in 16 athletic programs, including football
• Student Organizations: 50+ student clubs and organizations
• Financial Aid: 97 percent of students receive financial assistance; more than $8 million awarded annually
• Accreditation: LaGrange College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Education, Master of Arts in Teaching, the Specialist in Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and the Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership.

Important Dates[7]

• 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

Academic programs lead to degrees in Liberal Arts (A.A., B.A., B.S.) and to professional degrees in Business (B.B.A., M.B.A.), Nursing (B.S.N.) and Education (B.A., M.Ed.). In the fall of 2000 LaGrange College adopted a modified semester system. The evening school operates on the quarter system of fall, winter, and spring sessions; summer school offers both day and evening classes. In addition, the college has a Center for Continuing Education.[8] In 2024, the college began offering an Ed. D. in Curriculum and Instruction.