| April 19, 2001 |
Contact: Lance
Wallace |
Mercer University's Board of Trustees voted at its spring meeting to change the name of the School of Education to Tift College of Education of Mercer University. The action represented the University's continuing commitment to carrying on the educational legacy of Tift College, an all-women's Baptist college that merged with Mercer in 1986.
"Perpetuating the Tift College educational legacy, enduring spirit and Christian ideals as a part of Mercer University has been of major importance, since the merger of these two historic educational institutions," said Mercer University President R. Kirby Godsey. "The naming of the School of Education for Tift College will allow the generations of educators to carry on the Mercer University and Tift College legacy."
Tift College was founded in 1849 in Forsyth, Ga., to provide a Christian education for young women. Due to growing financial constraints and competitive pressures in student recruitment, in 1986, the Baptist college merged with Mercer University. To continue Tift's educational legacy Mercer established the Tift Scholars, a scholarship program for women attending Mercer's College of Liberal Arts in Macon.
"At the time of the merger, Mercer made commitments to Tift alumnae to keep alive the traditions and heritage of Tift College," said Mercer Trustee and Tift College alumna Dr. Sherrill Ragans to members of Mercer's Board. "Today's action by Mercer's Board of Trustees has completed the University's promise to the generations of Tift graduates."
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