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Mercer University

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Mercer University is an independent, coeducational, church-related, private university located in Macon, Georgia and Atlanta, Georgia. Each year, the university enrolls more than 2500 undergraduate students, with 80% of them from the U.S. state of Georgia. In addition, it also enrolls 2300 graduate students and 2500 extended education students.

The University runs on a semester system and has a student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1. Mercer is known for its excellent academic curriculum and ranks high in many publications. US News and World Report in its college and university rankings consistently ranks Mercer among the best universities in the South. The Princeton Review ranks Mercer in the top ten percent of all colleges and universities nationwide.

Contents

History

Mercer University was founded in 1833 in Penfield, Georgia, under the leadership of Adiel Sherwood and was named after prominent Georgia Baptist leader Jesse Mercer. Initially a boys' preparatory school named Mercer Institute, the Georgia legislature granted a college charter in 1837. The school adopted its present name in 1838 and was one of the few Southern universities to remain open throughout the American Civil War. In 1871, the university moved to Macon, which was then becoming a center of transportation and commerce in Georgia. The university opened a second campus, in Atlanta, in 1972. Mercer University is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study; liberal arts, business, education, engineering, music, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, law, theology, and continuing and professional studies.

Mercer University is currently completing Phase III of the $350 million Advancing the Vision Campaign. Phases I and II were very successful with $208 million received or pledged. For Phase II, Mercer received one of the largest gifts in the history of higher education when it received a large tract of developed real estate in Atlanta. The property, given to Mercer and to LaGrange College jointly, was valued at $124 million with Mercer's share being $62 million. As of October 2005, more than $264 million had been received in Phases I, II, and III. The campaign has financed numerous projects including the construction and renovation of facilities and endowed scholarships for students. New facilities on the Macon campus include the University Center, a large multi-purpose facility that houses the university's athletics department, basketball arena, and student services; the Allan and Rosemary McCorkle Music Building, a state-of-the-art academic facility that houses the School of Music; and the Greek Village with 18 fraternity and sorority houses. New facilities on the Atlanta campus include academic buildings for the College of Nursing, the College of Education, and the School of Theology and a large student housing complex.

In November 2005, the Georgia Baptist Convention voted to end the 172-year affiliation between Mercer and the convention. Mercer has had an independent board of trustees for many years and was not controlled by the convention. The convention, however, provided financial support used to fund scholarships for Baptist students. Mercer will continue to provide such scholarships. The lack of convention control caused friction in recent years with Mercer exercising its independence to embrace the moderate Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The convention also saw Mercer as embracing a more secular way of thought. The relationship came to a head when Mercer allowed a gay rights group on campus to hold a "Coming Out Day". An article about the Mercer gay rights group, Mercer Triangle Symposium, and their "Coming Out Day" was published two weeks before the annual convention meeting. At the meeting, University President Dr. R. Kirby Godsey asked the group of Georgia Baptists not to break ties with Mercer. He explained that Mercer does not endorse homosexuality, but allows discussion on the topic. The convention voted to break ties with Mercer. In April 2006, Mercer's board of trustees approved changes to the University charter ending Mercer's affiliation with the convention.

Dr. R. Kirby Godsey retired on 30 June 2006 after 27 years as Mercer's President. During Godsey's tenure, Mercer established seven new colleges and schools, growing from four to eleven, expanded its annual budget to more than $175 million, and increased the endowment to almost $200 million with an additional $200+ million pledged in planned gifts. Both houses of the Georgia legislature honored Godsey for his long service and Mercer's historic Administration Building has been named the R. Kirby Godsey Administration Building in honor of his achievements. Godsey will remain at Mercer as University Chancellor, professor, and special advisor to new President, William D. Underwood. Underwood, former interim President, Baylor University, was selected as Godsey's replacement in December 2005. Underwood took office on 1 July 2006.

In April 2006, Underwood assisted Jimmy Carter, former President of the United States, organize and host a gathering of Baptist World Alliance leaders at the Carter Center in Atlanta. Underwood, former Mercer President R. Kirby Godsey, and Walter Shurden, Director of Mercer's Center for Baptist Studies, advocated academic freedom within Baptist higher education and showcased Mercer, recently independent from the Georgia Baptist Convention, as the nation's premier independent Baptist university.

Presidents

Mercer University's first President, Billington Sanders
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Mercer University's first President, Billington Sanders

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Colleges, Schools, and University Divisions

The historic main campus of Mercer University is in Macon; approximately 75 miles south of Atlanta. The College of Liberal Arts, the Eugene W. Stetson School of Business and Economics, the Tift College of Education, the Townsend School of Music, the School of Engineering, the School of Medicine, and programs of the College of Continuing and Professional Studies are located on the Macon campus. The R. Kirby Godsey Administration Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Walter F. George School of Law is located on its own campus in Macon; one mile from the historic main campus. The Law School building is a three-story partial replica of Independence Hall in Philadelphia and is located on Coleman Hill overlooking downtown Macon. Adjacent to the Law School is the university-owned Woodruff House, also known as Overlook Mansion. The Law School building and the Woodruff House are two of Macon's most recognizable sites.

The Cecil B. Day Graduate and Professional Campus of Mercer University is in Atlanta. The Georgia Baptist College of Nursing, the Southern School of Pharmacy, the James and Carolyn McAfee School of Theology, the College of Continuing and Professional Studies, and programs of the Tift College of Education and the Stetson School of Business and Economics are located on the Atlanta campus. Mercer's Atlanta campus was formerly the home of Atlanta Baptist College until it merged with Mercer in 1972. In 2004, Mercer enlarged the campus by acquiring the headquarters of the Georgia Baptist Convention, located adjacent to the campus.

In addition to its campuses in Macon and Atlanta, Mercer has Regional Academic Centers in Henry County, Douglas County and Eastman, Georgia. The Regional Academic Centers cater to non-traditional extended education students and offer various programs through the University's colleges and schools.

Colleges and Schools:

Other University Divisions:

Noted alumni

Athletics

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The Mercer University Bears are part of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Sun Conference. Men's sports include air rifle (co-ed), baseball, basketball, cross-country, golf, soccer, and tennis. Women's sports include basketball, cross-country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball.

In 2004, Mercer opened the University Center on the Macon campus. The $40 million 230,000 square foot center houses Mercer's athletics department, a 3500-seat basketball arena, an indoor pool, work-out facilities, intramural basketball courts, an air rifle range, offices, a food court, and numerous meeting facilities. Mercer's baseball, softball, and intramural fields are next to the center along with the university's tennis complex. In 2006, Mercer began construction of a 101-room hotel adjacent to the University Center.

Mark Slonaker, men's basketball head coach, was the 2002-03 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year after leading Mercer to the best one season turnaround in NCAA history, improving from 6-23 to 23-6. The team won the Atlantic Sun regular season championship with a 14-2 conference record and made school history for number of wins (23); Mercer won 22 games in 1923-24 and 1984-85. The season ended with a loss in the Atlantic Sun tournament. Slonaker was the first National Coach of the Year to receive the award after it was named in honor of Jim Phelan. The four other finalists were Lute Olson (Arizona), Skip Prosser (Wake Forest), Bo Ryan (Wisconsin), and Tubby Smith (Kentucky).

Will Emerson, a forward on the men's basketball team, was the 2004-05 and 2005-06 Atlantic Sun Conference Male Student Athlete of the Year, only the third person to be selected twice for the award. Emerson was also named to ESPN the Magazine's Academic All-American first team in 2005 and 2006.

External links

 

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