Spelman College

Spelman College is a four-year liberal-arts college for women in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1881, the historically black institution began as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary. Spelman enrolls about 2,100 students. The college is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium of historically black colleges and universities in Atlanta.

Spelman presidents

Since its inception Spelman has had nine presidents:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Sophia B. Packard, then Harriet E. Giles, under whom the school gained a charter and granted its first college degrees
• Lucy Hale Tapley, under whom the school decided to focus on higher education, the school officially became Spelman College (1927), and Sisters Chapel, one of the main buildings on campus, was erected.
• Florence Matilda Read, under whom the school established an endowment fund of over $3 million, the school came into agreement with Atlanta University and Morehouse College to form the Atlanta University Center (later Clark College, Morris Brown College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and the Interdenominational Theological Center were added), the Arnett Library was built, and Spelman earned approval from the American Association of Universities;
• Dr. Albert E. Manley (the first black and first male president of Spelman), under whom study abroad programs were established, the fine arts center was built, and three new dormitories and several classroom buildings were renovated;
• Dr. Donald M. Stewart, under which the departments of women's studies and chemistry were founded, and three strategic programs were formed: the Comprehensive Writing Program, the Women's Research and Resource Center, and the Ethel Waddell Githii Honors Program, and a continuing education department and a computer literacy program were established;
• Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole (the first black female president of Spelman), under whom the collge received $20 million from Drs. William and Camille Cosby for the construction of the Cosby Academic Center and instituted the Cole Institute for Community Service;
• Dr. Audrey F. Manley (the first alumna president of Spelman), under which Spelman gained a Phi Beta Kappa chapter, Spelman was accepted as a provisional member of NCAA Division III athletics, a state-of-the-art Science Center was finished;
• Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, who was appointed in 2002 and under whom the renovation of Sisters Chapel was begun