Our inagrual school of the week is Albany State University. Albany State is a public 4 year Historically Black College University located in Albany, Georgia.
Albany State was founded by South Carolina native Joseph Winthrop Holley. Dr. Winthrop, the son of former slaves, was inspired to create the institution that we now know as Albany State after reading some of the the writings of the great W.E.B. DuBois. The institution in its infancy aimed to improve conditions for the South’s African American population by offering industrial and religious education.
Albany State underwent several name changes. The institution was first established as the Albany Bible and Manual Training Institute. After gaining affliation with the University System of Georgia in 1932, the institution was named Albany State College in 1943. Then in 1996 was renamed as “Albany State University”.
The university has produced a plethora of notable alumni such as Jo Ann Payton (actress/singer), Shirley Sherrod (public officials), Rick Ross (rapper), Shaun Harper (racial equality expert), Alice Davis (first African American to win an Olympic gold medal), Kenneth Gant (athlete), Bernice Reagon (composer), Walter Curry (football player), and Alvin Ray Jackson (football player).
In 2017, Darton State College consolidated with Albany State University, making the southwest Georgia institution the largest HBCU in the state of Georgia and one of the largest Historically Black Institutions in America with a student population of 6,000+ students.
As a whole, the university also offers curriculum options such as the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Professional Studies, Distance Learning, Graduate school degree programs, Business Administration, Education, Educational Specialist programs, Counselor Education, Criminal Justice, Nursing, Public Administration, and Social Work.
