When the Civil War was over, Georgia legislature decided to move the capitol 98 miles north from to Atlanta. One of the reasons for the move that we’ve heard and read about was that the citizens of Milledgeville were so set in their ways that they really didn’t want to treat former slaves as freedmen and women. To help the healing of the state, the decision was made to make Atlanta the capitol. But this move meant that the capitol building was empty. The town “encouraged” the state to give Milledgeville this land for a school since the state had taken away so much from the town.
Let’s learn about the beginnings of the military school that now has a home on the Statehouse Square area of the town. The following information is from the History and Vision of GMC (Georgia Military College).
“Georgia Military College (GMC) was established in 1879 by act of the Georgia General Assembly “ to educate young men and women from the Middle Georgia area in an environment which fosters the qualities of good citizenship.
“The school was originally called Middle Georgia Military and Agricultural College and was ceded state government lands surrounding the Old Capitol Building, which was the seat of government for the State of Georgia from 1807–1868. The Old Capitol Building, then as now, is a central feature of the Milledgeville campus and sits on the city’s highest point.
“The name of the school changed to Georgia Military College (GMC) in 1900. Legislative acts of 1920 and 1922 severed the relationship with the University of Georgia and made GMC a public institution operating under the direction of a publicly elected Board of Trustees.
“In 1930, the official addition of a junior college division to the college-preparatory secondary school finally justified the title, College. In 1950, the United States War Department designated the institution a “Military Junior College.” Today GMC is one of only five Military Junior Colleges in the United States.” [Our youngest son went to one of these military junior colleges–New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, NM.]
GMC today
GMC now has students from preschool to grade 12. Cadets are in the 2-year college program that prepare them for West Point or one of the other military academies. They are the only ones to wear uniforms on campus.
Scott walked us all around and told us about the school’s history. His wife had worked at the Central State Hospital as a nurse, so he gave us some information about the previous post. Scott was the first one to tell us about why the capitol was moved to Atlanta. He should know since he’s lived in Milledgeville for so long.
If you want to watch an informative video to learn more the school, here’s the link to GMC Remembered.
Next we’re onto the Old Governor’s Mansion.
Leave a Reply
Your email is safe with us.