Armstrong Atlantic State University - History

History

Armstrong Atlantic State University was founded as Armstrong Junior College in 1935 by Mayor Thomas Gamble. Gamble pursued the issue during the height of the Great Depression to benefit Savannah's youth and the community, as well aid in stimulating the local economy. The college was originally located downtown Savannah in the historic Armstrong House adjacent to Forsyth Park in downtown Savannah. The mansion was given to the city as a gift from the family of George F. Armstrong, a local businessman involved in the shipping industry. The college eventually grew to encompass six buildings in the Forsyth and Monterey Square areas of Savannah.

In 1959, Armstrong College of Savannah became part of the University System of Georgia as a community college, and in 1964 the Board of Regents conferred four-year status on Armstrong State College. Donald Livingston and the Mills B. Lane Foundation provided the college 250 acres of land on the southwest side of Savannah. Eight buildings were constructed on the property and the college moved from the Armstrong House downtown to the suburban location in January 1966.

Over the years the college expanded, adding new buildings and expanding academic programs. In 1993, the college began extensive landscaping work that transformed the campus into an arboretum. Armstrong College gained state university status in 1996 and changed its name to Armstrong Atlantic State University. The following year the university opened the Liberty Center in Hinesville, Georgia. The university celebrated its 75th anniversary and inaugurated Dr. Linda M. Bleicken as its seventh president in 2010.