History
Middle Georgia College traces its roots back to the establishment of New Ebenezer College, which occupied the site of the current campus and was established in 1884 by the New Ebenezer Baptist Association, which was composed largely of Baptist churches in Pulaski, Dodge, Laurens, and Telfair counties. The first building on the new campus was completed in 1886, and classes were first held in 1887 with approximately 100 students. The New Ebenezer Baptist Association discontinued their financial support for their namesake college in 1898, forcing the school to close its doors.
The college's building served as a high school for the city of Cochran until 1913, when the high school moved. No documentation exists regarding the facilities from 1913-1919, leading to the presumption that it was unoccupied during that time.
In 1919, the Georgia State College of Agricultural and Mechanic Arts (a division of the University of Georgia) opened a branch dedicated to serving the needs of the Twelfth congressional district in the building formerly used by New Ebenezer College. In 1927, the school's name was changed to Middle Georgia Agricultural and Mechanical Junior College, though it remained a branch of the state agricultural school. In 1929, the school's name was changed to its current form (Middle Georgia College) and responsibility for its operation was given to a nine-person board of trustees.
MGC was finally made an independent institution in 1931, when it was created as one of the original units of the newly-created University System of Georgia.
During World War II, MGC hosted the 50th College Training Detachment of the U.S. Army Air Force and graduated 17 classes of aviation students from March 1943- July 1944.
In 1964, Dr. Louis C. Alderman, Jr. become president. Many new buildings as well as renovations of existing facilities marked his tenure in growing the college's reputation, academic excellence, and campus beauty. During this term, the Dublin Campus was opened in 1984. Dr. Alderman died on December 13, 1987, having served the longest term of any past or subsequent president of the college. Alderman Community Hall was dedicated to his memory on May 21, 2009.
A new program and campus was added to the school in 2007, when the Georgia Aviation Technical College in Eastman was merged with Middle Georgia College.
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