Spelman College is a four-year
liberal artsLiberal arts colleges in the United States are certain undergraduate institutions of higher education in the United States. The Encyclopædia Britannica Concise offers a definition of the liberal arts as a "college or university curriculum aimed at imparting general knowledge and developing general...
women's collegeWomen's colleges in the United States are single-sex U.S. institutions of higher education that exclude or limit males from admission. They are often liberal arts colleges...
located in
Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, United States. The college is part of the
Atlanta University CenterThe Atlanta University Center Consortium is the largest contiguous consortium of African Americans in higher education in the United States. The center consists of four historically black colleges and universities in southwest Atlanta, Georgia...
academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman was the first historically black female institution of higher education to receive its collegiate charter in 1924. It thus holds the distinction of being America's oldest
historically black collegeHistorically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
for women.
Spelman is ranked among the nation's top liberal arts colleges by the U.S. News and World Reports. The college is ranked among the top 50 four-year colleges and universities for producing Fulbright Scholars, and was ranked the second largest producer of African-American college graduates who attend Medical School. Forbes Magazine ranks Spelman among the nation's top ten best women's colleges. Moreover, Spelman has been ranked the #1 regional college in the South by the U.S. News and World Reports and is ranked among the Best 373 Colleges and Universities in America by the Princeton Review.
The daughters of
Bill CosbyWilliam Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
, Henry Louis Gates,
Gerald LevertGerald Levert was an American R&B singer. Gerald Levert sang with his brother, Sean Levert, and friend Marc Gordon in the R&B trio LeVert. He was also a part of LSG, an R&B supergroup comprising Keith Sweat, Johnny Gill, and Levert...
,
Martin Luther King, Jr.Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
, and
Sidney PoitierSir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat.In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field...
attended Spelman. Spelman is also the alma mater of several notable Americans including the Executive Vice President of Walmart, Rosalind Brewer,
Pulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
Winner,
Alice WalkerAlice Malsenior Walker is an American author, poet, and activist. She has written both fiction and essays about race and gender...
, Dean of
Harvard CollegeHarvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
,
Evelynn M. HammondsEvelynn M. Hammonds is an American academic, Paige M. Gutenborg Professor of History of Science and African American Studies at Harvard University and recently appointed Dean of Harvard College. She is also a Black Feminist author, whose writing intersects the concepts of race with the academic...
and actress,
Keshia Knight PulliamKeshia Knight Pulliam is an American actress. She is most recognized for her childhood role as Rudy Huxtable on the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. Currently, she appears as reformed con artist Miranda Lucas-Payne on the TBS comedy-drama Tyler Perry's House of Payne.-Personal life:Keshia...
.
History
style="font-size: 1.25em;" |Spelman's History at a glance
| 1881 |
Established as Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary |
| 1884 |
Name changed to Spelman Seminary |
| 1901 |
The first college degrees were awarded |
| 1924 |
Becomes Spelman College |
The
Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary was established on in the basement of Friendship Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, by two teachers from the
Oread InstituteThe Oread Institute was a women's college founded in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1849 by Eli Thayer. Before its closing in 1934, it was one of the oldest institutions of higher education for women in the United States...
of
Worcester, MassachusettsWorcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
: Harriet E. Giles and
Sophia B. PackardSophia B. Packard was an American educator, cofounder in Atlanta, Georgia, of a school for African American women that would eventually become Spelman College....
. The school was originally named Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary and was sponsored by the
American Baptist Women's Home Mission SocietyThe American Baptist Home Mission Societies is a Christian missionary society. It was established in New York City in 1832 to operate in the American frontier, with the stated mission "to preach the Gospel, establish churches and give support and ministry to the unchurched and destitute." In the...
.
Giles and Packard began the school with 11 African-American women and $100 given to them by a church congregation in
Medford, MassachusettsMedford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...
. In 1882 the two women returned to Massachusetts to bid for more money and were introduced to wealthy
Northern BaptistThe American Baptist Churches USA is a Baptist Christian denomination within the United States. The denomination maintains headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The organization is usually considered mainline, although varying theological and mission emphases may be found among its...
, businessman
John D. RockefellerJohn Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
at a church conference in Ohio.
In 1883, the school relocated to a nine acre (36,000 m²) site in Atlanta relatively close to the church they began in, which originally had only five buildings left from a Union Civil War encampment, to support classroom and residence hall needs. The school was able to survive on generous donations by the black community in Atlanta, the efforts of volunteer teachers, and gifts of supplies.
In April 1884, Rockefeller visited the school and was so impressed that he settled the debt on the property. The name of the school was changed to the
Spelman Seminary in honor of Laura Spelman, an Oread student and the wife of John D. Rockefeller who helped to fund the school, and her parents who were longtime activists in the anti-slavery movement. Rockefeller's gift precipitated interest from other benefactors
Rockefeller also donated the funds for what is currently the oldest building on campus, Rockefeller Hall; in 1887 Packard Hall was also established. Packard was appointed as Spelman's first president in 1888, after the charter for the seminary was granted. The first college degrees were awarded in 1901.
Packard died in 1891, and Giles assumed the presidency until her death in 1909. Lucy Hale Tapley then became president, and the college witnessed a transition to vocational training. Tapley declared: "Any course of study which fails to cultivate a taste and fitness for practical and efficient work in some part of the field of the world's needs is unpopular at Spelman and finds no place in our curriculum." The nursing curriculum was strengthened; a teachers' dormitory and a home economics building were constructed, and Tapley Hall, the science building, was completed in 1925. A club for students whose mothers and aunts had attended Spelman was also created, and this club is still in existence today.
In 1924, Spelman Seminary became
Spelman College. Spelman also solidified its affiliation with
Morehouse CollegeMorehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....
and
Atlanta UniversityClark Atlanta University is a private, historically black university in Atlanta, Georgia. It was formed in 1988 with the consolidation of Clark College and Atlanta University...
by chartering the Atlanta University Center in 1929. Atlanta University was to provide graduate education for students, whereas Morehouse and Spelman were responsible for the undergraduate education. In 1932, Spelman was granted
accreditationAccreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies ; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited...
by the
Southern Association of Colleges and SchoolsThe Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
. This milestone as accompanied by the construction of a university library that was shared amongst the Atlanta University Center institutions, and the center continues to share a library to this day.
In 1927, one of the most important buildings on campus, Sisters Chapel, was dedicated. The chapel was named for its primary benefactors, sisters Laura Spelman Rockefeller and Lucy Maria Spelman. The college also began to see an improvement in extracurricular investment in the arts, with the inauguration of the much-loved Atlanta tradition of the annual Spelman-Morehouse Christmas Carol Concert and smaller events such as the spring orchestra and chorus concert, the Atlanta University Summer Theater, and the University Players, a drama organization for AUC students. In 1930 the Spelman Nursery School as created as a training center for mothers and a practice arena for students who planned careers in education and child development. Spelman celebrated its 50th anniversary in April 1931.
Campus
The Spelman campus consists of 26 buildings on 39 acres (157,827.5 m²) in Atlanta, Georgia.
Packard Hall, named for one of the founders,
Sophia B. PackardSophia B. Packard was an American educator, cofounder in Atlanta, Georgia, of a school for African American women that would eventually become Spelman College....
. Packard was constructed in 1888 to contain extra residences for on-campus students. It remained a residence hall until 2003, when it was renovated as an administrative building. The building now houses the Office of Financial Aid, the Registrar, the Cashier, the Office of Student Accounts and the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Management.
Giles Hall, named for one of the founders, Harriet E. Giles. Giles Hall was renovated in 1996 and currently houses the Departments of Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, Education, Economics, and Art, as well as the Honors Program and the Learning Resources Center. It is also known amongst students for its "hellish staircase."
Morehouse-James Hall was completed in 1901, named for Henry L. Morehouse. It serves as a student residence hall. Until 2005 it served as a residence hall for upper-class students, but due to a large influx of first-year students that year, it served as a first-year residence hall.
MacVicar Hall was completed in 1901 and was originally the nursing school and clinical training office. It now houses the Women's Health Center, the Office of Counseling and Disability Services, and a small residence hall for the students who participate in Student Health Advocates and Peer Educators (SHAPE), a peer health education organization on campus.
Since its inception Spelman has had nine presidents:
- Sophia B. Packard, (1888) founded women's seminary with Giles in a basement of historic African-American church, and cultivated Rockefeller support for the school
- Harriet E. Giles, (1891) under whom the school granted its first college degrees
- Lucy Hale Tapley, (1910) 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 M. Read
Florence Matilda Read was president of Spelman College from 1927-1953. Prior to that she was acting president of Atlanta University from 1936-1937....
, (1927) a Mount Holyoke CollegeMount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
graduate, 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 CenterThe Atlanta University Center Consortium is the largest contiguous consortium of African Americans in higher education in the United States. The center consists of four historically black colleges and universities in southwest Atlanta, Georgia...
(later Clark-Atlanta University, 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 (1953) (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 residence halls and several classroom buildings were renovated. According to Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn was an American historian, academic, author, playwright, and social activist. Before and during his tenure as a political science professor at Boston University from 1964-88 he wrote more than 20 books, which included his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United...
, Manley tried to suppress the student civil rights movement that was taking place on campus during his tenure.
- Dr. Donald M. Stewart, (1976) 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 (1987) (the first African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
female president of Spelman), under whom the college 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
Audrey Forbes Manley an American pediatrician, and public health administrator. She was appointed acting Surgeon General of the United States from 1995 to 1997. From 1997 to 2002, Dr. Manley served as President of Spelman College, a historically black college for women in Atlanta, Georgia...
(1997) (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 Science Center was finished;
- Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, (2002) who was appointed in 2002 after teaching and serving as an administrator for a number of years at Mount Holyoke College, and under whom the renovation of Sisters Chapel was begun
|
Reynolds Cottage, built in 1901 and remodeled in 1996, is the president's residence.
Bessie Strong Hall was constructed in 1917 and was renovated in 2003. It serves as a student residence for students in the WISDOM (Women In Spiritual Discernment of Ministry) program, and also houses the Dean of the chapel's office and prayer rooms. This residence hall was the main building used for the filming of the television series
A Different World.
Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Building, completed in 1918, was originally intended as a facility to train home economics teachers. It is named after Laura Spelman Rockefeller,
John D. RockefellerJohn Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
's wife, who was a primary contributor to Spelman. It now houses the Marian Wright Edelman Child Development Center, and also provides a student residence hall. It is typically referred to as "Laura Spelman" to avoid confusion with the many other buildings named after Rockefeller's relatives.
Sisters Chapel, completed and dedicated in 1927, contains an auditorium with a
seating capacitySeating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 1,050 and the Harreld James Organ, a three-manual Holtkamp organ of 53 ranks. This organ was installed in April 1968. In 1942 the Alumnae Association donated chimes for the Chapel, and in the fall of 2005 renovations were completed.
Read Hall, built in 1936, contains the gymnasium, the Department of Physical Education, a swimming pool and bowling alleys and dance studios. It was named for Spelman's fourth president, Florence Matilda Read.
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Hall (commonly called 'Abby' by students) was built in 1952 and serves as a freshman residence hall. The hall was named for
Abby Aldrich RockefellerAbby Aldrich Rockefeller, , was a prominent socialite and philanthropist and the second-generation matriarch of the renowned Rockefeller family...
, the wife of
John D. Rockefeller, Jr.John Davison Rockefeller, Jr. was a major philanthropist and a pivotal member of the prominent Rockefeller family. He was the sole son among the five children of businessman and Standard Oil industrialist John D. Rockefeller and the father of the five famous Rockefeller brothers...
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Fine Arts Building was completed in 1964 and houses the Departments of Music and Drama.
Dorothy Shepard Manley Hall, was completed in 1964 and was named for Dorothy Manley, wife of President Albert Manley, who contributed heavily to the decorating of the building. It now serves as a first-year residence hall.
Howard-Harreld Hall was built in 1968 and was named to honor two alumnae. It now serves as a first-year residence hall.
Sally Sage McAlpin Hall serves as an upper-class residence hall and was named in honor of a former chair of the Board of Trustees.
The
Albert E. Manley College Center houses the Alma Upshaw Dining Room, the Lawrence J. MacGregor Board Room, administrative and student government offices, the snack shop, the commuter student lounge, and two concourses—Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman. Adjacent are the bookstore and the mail center.
The
Donald and Isabel Stewart Living-Learning Center opened in the fall of 1983. In addition to housing 198 students from all classes, the building includes a large meeting room and quarters for visiting lecturers, scholars, and artists.
The
Johnnetta B. Cole Living-Learning Center II opened September 1, 1989. The Center houses 200 students and provides conference facilities for on-campus and off-campus organizations, as well as houses the Offices of Housing and Residential Life and Continuing Education.
The
Camille O. Hanks Cosby Academic Center, dedicated in February 1996, was made possible by a $20 million grant from Drs. Bill and Camille Cosby. This building houses the Departments of History, English, Religion & Philosophy, and World Languages and Literature. The center also has a museum, the College Archives, an auditorium, the writing center, the Women's Research and Resource Center, reading rooms and a language resource center.
The
Albro-Falconer-Manley Science Center was completed in 2000. This building houses the Departments of Biology, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Environmental Science as well as the Dual-Degree Engineering Program and the Office of Science, Engineering, and Technology Careers. It has a large auditorium donated by NASA. The "Science Center" also is a general term used to encompass Tapley Hall and the Academic Computing Center, both which predate the actual Science Center but are now connected to it by a series of breezeways.
In 2005, Spelman acquired the
Milligan Building, an administrative building that previously housed the Atlanta University Center offices but now houses Spelman's Department of Career Services and the Office of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Planning. Spelman received a $10 million grant from Lehman Brothers in the fall of 2007 to establish an international business and global economics program, including a full service Chinese language program, at the college, and these programs are expected to be housed in the Milligan Building. Spelman shares the
Robert W. WoodruffRobert Winship Woodruff was the president of The Coca-Cola Company from 1923 until 1954. With his enormous Coke fortune, he was also a major philanthropist, and many educational and cultural landmarks in the U.S...
Library with the other Atlanta University Center institutions.
In 2008 Spelman completed the construction of a "green" residence hall behind the Living-Learning Center I. The residence hall has suite-style accommodations for upper-class students, including a second dining hall and a parking deck on the ground floor and is for now referred to as
The Suites. Spelman's gates have been extended to encircle the new residence hall and the Milligan Building. The hall began housing students in the fall of 2008. In the fall of 2009 the Suites received a Silver LEED certification from the United States Green Building Council.
Buildings no longer on campus
- Chadwick Hall, originally a student residence hall (removed in 1986)
- Morgan Hall, the student center and dining hall (destroyed by fire in 1970)
- Upton Hall, an administrative building (removed in 2004)
Academics
Spelman ranks 59th in the 2011 U.S. News and World Report ranking of America's Best Liberal Colleges. Spelman has amassed an endowment fund of over $291 million, and was ranked 68th in the 2010 U.S. News and World Report ranking of all U.S. liberal arts colleges. The 2009 U.S. News and World Report also ranked Spelman first among Historically Black Colleges and/or Universities.lll
Spelman is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the
Southern Association of Colleges and SchoolsThe Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
(SACS). Spelman is a member of the Coalition of Women's Colleges, National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, The College Fund/UNCF, National Association for College Admissions Counseling, and State of Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC)>
Spelman offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in the following majors: Art, Child Development, Comparative Women's Studies, Drama & Dance, Economics, English, Foreign Languages (French and Spanish), History, Human Services, Independent Major, International Studies, Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sociology, and Sociology and Anthropology.
Spelman offer a Bachelor of Science degree in the following majors: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer and Information Sciences, Dual Degree Engineering, Environmental Science, Mathematics, and Physics.
Spelman has a four-year graduation rate of 61%, a five-year graduation rate of 73% and a six-year graduation rate of 74%. It has a student:faculty ratio of 12:1.
Student body
Students are all female and 91% African-American. Thirty percent come from Georgia, 69% from the rest of the United States, and 1% is international. Of the incoming class, 99% applied for need-based financial aid, and such aid was awarded to 97% of the freshman class. In 2007-08, a total of $44,399,221 in financial aid was awarded.
Student life
"A Different World"
According to the Museum of Broadcast Communications, when Debbie AllenDeborrah Kaye “Debbie” Allen is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, television director, television producer, and a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities...
became the director-producer of Bill CosbyWilliam Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
's NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television show, A Different World (which ran for six seasons and dealt with the life of students at the fictional historically Black collegeHistorically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
, Hillman College) she drew from her college experiences in an effort to accurately reflect in the show the social and political life on black campuses. Allen, "a graduate of historically black Howard UniversityHoward University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
, instituted a yearly spring trip to Atlanta where series writers visited two of the nation's leading black colleges, MorehouseMorehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....
and Spelman. During these visits, ideas for several of the episodes emerged from meetings with students and faculty."
"The Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
"
Oprah WinfreyOprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
included a panel of seven women from Spelman College via satellite on her Hip Hop Town Hall show. They had previously protested a scheduled performance by rapper NellyCornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
at their school. At the time, students said they were upset at how the women were portrayed in his 2003 video "Tip Drill"Tip Drill" is the name of a 2003 song by Nelly. It was used as a remix of the song "E.I." featuring the St. Lunatics and produced by David Banner. The music video became controversial for its overt depiction of women as sexual objects...
". Special guests on-stage included Russell Simmons-External links:** * * * * * * from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum* *...
, conscientious rapperCommonLonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
, Dr. Benjamin Chavis of Simmon's Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, and Kevin Liles, executive vice president at Warner Music. Seated in the audience were Stanley CrouchStanley Crouch is an American music and cultural critic, syndicated columnist, and novelist, perhaps best known for his jazz criticism, and his novel Don't the Moon Look Lonesome?- Biography :...
of the New York Daily NewsThe Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
and Bruce GordonBruce Gordon may refer to:* Bruce Gordon , Canadian bassist and member of I Mother Earth* Bruce L. Gordon, American philosopher and Intelligent Design proponent* Bruce S...
of CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, former NAACP head.
ATLATL is a 2006 American drama film, and the feature film directorial debut of music video director Chris Robinson. The screenplay was written by Tina Gordon Chism from an original story by Antwone Fisher, and is loosely based on the experiences of the film's producers Dallas Austin and Tionne...
In the movie ATLATL is a 2006 American drama film, and the feature film directorial debut of music video director Chris Robinson. The screenplay was written by Tina Gordon Chism from an original story by Antwone Fisher, and is loosely based on the experiences of the film's producers Dallas Austin and Tionne...
Lauren London's character, New New/Erin, wanted to attend Spelman College instead of her father's choice, Brinton. Later in the end of the movie it shows her attending Spelman with her dad helping her move into her dorm.
|
Spelman offers organized and informal activities including 82 student organizations including choral groups, music ensembles, dance groups, drama/theater groups, a jazz band, varsity, club, and intramural sports, and student government.
Honor societies
Registered honor societies include
Alpha Epsilon DeltaAlpha Epsilon Delta is a U.S. health preprofessional honor society. The organization currently has more than 144,000 members within 186 chapters at universities throughout the United States, making it the world's largest Honor Society serving all students from different backgrounds in the pursuit...
,
Alpha Lambda DeltaAlpha Lambda Delta is an honor society for students who have achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher and are in the top 20% of their class during their first year or term of higher education.-History:...
,
Alpha Sigma LambdaAlpha Sigma Lambda is a national honor society for non-traditional undergraduate students who achieve and maintain outstanding scholastic standards and leadership characteristics while adroitly handling additional responsibilities of work and family .The founding chapter was established by Dr...
, Beta Kappa Chi,
Golden Key International Honour SocietyThe Golden Key International Honour Society is an Atlanta, Georgia-based non-profit organization founded in 1977 to recognise academic achievement among college and university students in all disciplines....
,
Kappa Delta EpsilonKappa Delta Epsilon can refer to:* Kappa Delta Epsilon Society, a national, coeducational professional fraternity for students of education in the United States of America...
,
Mortar BoardMortar Board is an American national honor society whose purpose is to recognize outstanding students dedicated to the values of scholarship, leadership, and service. The Cornell University Der Hexenkreis chapter, founded in 1892, is the oldest and predates the national society's founding in 1918...
Senior Honor Society,
National Society of Collegiate ScholarsThe National Society of Collegiate Scholars is a national nonprofit academic honor society for college students in the United States. NSCS has active chapters at more than 280 colleges and universities in the United States, including in the District of Columbia, and in Puerto Rico, consisting of a...
, Phi Beta Kappa,
Pi Sigma AlphaPi Sigma Alpha , the National Political Science Honor Society, is the only honor society for college and university students of political science in the United States. Its purpose is to recognize and promote high academic achievement in the field of political science...
,
Psi ChiPsi Chi is the International Honor Society in Psychology, founded in 1929 for the purposes of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship, and advancing the science of psychology. With over 1,050 chapters, Psi Chi is one of the largest honor societies in the United States...
,
Sigma Tau DeltaSigma Tau Delta is an international collegiate honor society for students of English. It presently has over 800 active chapters located in Europe, the Caribbean, the United States, and 1 chapter in the Middle East , with more than 1,000 faculty sponsors...
, and the
Upsilon Pi EpsilonUpsilon Pi Epsilon : International Honor Society for the Computing and Information Disciplines, is the first and only existing one of its kind....
.
Student publications and media
Spelman offers a literary magazine (Aunt Chloe: A Journal of Candor), a student newspaper (
Spelman Spotlight) and student government association newsletter (
Jaguar Print). The yearbook is called
Reflections.
Religious organizations
Religious organizations currently registered on campus include Baha'i Club, Al-Nissa, Alabaster Box, Atlanta Adventist Collegiate Society,
Campus Crusade for ChristCampus Crusade for Christ is an interdenominational Christian organization that promotes evangelism and discipleship in more than 190 countries...
, Crossfire International Campus Ministry, Happiness In Praise for His Overflowing Presence, Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship, Movements of Praise Dance Team, The Newman Organization, The Outlet, and The Pre-Theology Society Minority.
International student and social organizations
NAACP and Sister Steps are registered campus organizations.
Athletics
The sports teams, including
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
,
golfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
,
cross-countryCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, soccer,
tennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
,
softballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, and
volleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
compete in NCAA Division III athletics. Spelman's mascot is the Jaguar.
Notable alumnae
This is a list of notable alumnae which includes graduates, non-graduate former students, and current students of Spelman College.
See also :Category: Spelman College alumni
Notable faculty
This list of notable faculty and staff contains current and former faculty, staff and presidents of the Spelman College.
See also
- Women's Colleges in the Southern United States
Women's colleges in the Southern United States refers to undergraduate, bachelor's degree-granting institutions, often liberal arts colleges, whose student populations consist exclusively or almost exclusively of women. Salem College is the oldest female educational institution in the South and...
Further reading
- Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education. "Giving Voice to a New Generation: Metro Atlanta's three women's colleges are going strong, even while the number of women's colleges nationwide has declined."
- Guy-Sheftall, Beverly. "Black Women and Higher Education: Spelman and Bennett Colleges Revisited." The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 51, No. 3, The Impact of Black Women in Education: An Historical Overview (Summer, 1982), pp. 278–287.
- Johnetta Cross-Brazzell, "Brick without Straw: Missionary-Sponsored Black Higher Education in the Post-Emancipation Era", Journal of Higher Education 63 (January/February 1992).
- Beverly Guy-Sheftall and Jo Moore Stewart, Spelman: A Centennial Celebration, 1881-1981 (Atlanta: Spelman College, 1981).
- Albert E. Manley, A Legacy Continues: The Manley Years at Spelman College, 1953-1976 (Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 1995).
- Florence M. Read, The Story of Spelman College (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1961).
- Spelman College Aiming for New Heights - Atlanta Journal Constitution article
- The New Georgia Encyclopedia
External links