Coastal Georgia Historical Society
Brunswick College Dedication Invitation
On a Wednesday morning in late October 1964, invitees gathered to dedicate the campus of what was then known as Brunswick College. The school had been founded a mere three years earlier as the first in a series of commuter junior colleges authorized by the state of Georgia in 1958. The school would change its name to Brunswick Junior College in 1965, and would remain under this name until 1988, when it became Brunswick College again.
Coastal Georgia Historical Society
Earl F. Hargett
Although the school was founded in 1961, classes had only been in session for one month when this dedication ceremony was held. The students who started classes in September of 1964 would make up the College’s first graduating class of 28 in June of 1966, earning pre-baccalaureate certificates that prepared them for transfer to other colleges and universities. Soon after, the College was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in December 1967. The beginning of classes, dedication of the campus, and accreditation all took place under the leadership of the school’s first president, Earl F. Hargett, who served in this role from 1964 until 1968.
Brunswick Junior College continued to grow after Dr. Hargett’s departure, from its addition of technical career programs in 1972 to its transition in 2009 to a four-year college, now known as the College of Coastal Georgia.
Just a year after the 1964 dedication, a group of community leaders met on campus to form the Coastal Georgia Historical Society and elected Dr. Hargett as the first president. The members of the new Society aimed to match the best historical societies and “to collect, preserve and perpetuate the historical heritage of the South Georgia coastal region.” Originally, the artifacts, photographs, maps, and documents collected by the Society were housed on campus at Brunswick Junior College. The Society’s headquarters moved to the Keeper’s Dwelling of the St. Simons Lighthouse in 1971, but the shared beginnings of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society and the College of Coastal Georgia remain a part of our community’s story.
The invitation to Brunswick College’s dedication ceremony, shown here, has a handwritten note from Hargett on the back, asking for the card to be stored in the college library. Also featured is a photograph of Dr. Hargett, first president of both the college and the Coastal Georgia Historical Society.
Coastal Georgia Historical Society presents this article and images from our archives as part of our mission “to connect people to Coastal Georgia’s dynamic history.” The Society operates the iconic St. Simons Lighthouse Museum and the World War II Home Front Museum, housed in the Historic Coast Guard Station at East Beach. To learn more about the Society, its museums, diverse programs, and membership, please visit coastalgeorgiahistory.org.
