The State Gets Involved

With the passage of congressional legislation in 1890, Georgia was getting two-thirds of its education funds from the federal government. By 1906, the General Assembly had become more involved in postsecondary education by establishing 10 A&M schools - one in each congressional district. These schools were additional branches of the University of Georgia, falling under the umbrella of the university's College of Agriculture; thus, all funds were appropriated to the university for allocation to the various institutions.

While beneficial to many, the A&M schools had their share of problems. Their course offerings were not really postsecondary, but rather at the high-school level. Also complicating matters was the fact that each had a president and board of trustees.

Over the next three decades, the higher education picture in Georgia became even more confusing. The University of Georgia now had its own campus in Athens, four branches across the state and 10 A&M schools. At the same time, a number of junior colleges blossomed in locales across the state. By 1930, some 26 institutions were clamoring for funds from the General Assembly. It seemed no one person or group of persons knew where all of the schools were located or how they operated or what courses were being taught. Adding to the chaos were other factors - namely, the state's low rate of taxation and the economic downturn after World War I. Something had to be done.

The cry for reform was not first heard in 1930, however. Nine years earlier, Gov. Thomas Hardwick had presented a plan to the General Assembly that called for the restructuring of higher education in Georgia. Specifically, the plan proposed substituting the separate boards of trustees with a seven-member Board of Regents to govern the University of Georgia and its branches. Although a good idea, the plan lacked detail and fell victim to a legislative tug-of-war in the House and Senate chambers.

Little changed as the 1920s faded, but at the end of the decade the need for reform had become painfully evident. Charles M. Snelling, the University of Georgia's chief executive, agreed it was time to reorganize, as the branches had begun to drain the school of its resources. M.L. Brittain, who presided over the School of Technology in Atlanta, argued that too many schools weakened everybody. If the present system were to continue, Brittain contended, "we'll ruin every hope for Georgia to hold up her head with her sister commonwealths in the field of higher education." Talk turned to action in 1929. Gov. Lamartine G. Hardman appointed a commission headed by Atlanta businessman Ivan Allen to study the complex bureaucracies in state government. In a report, the commission found that the state needed to "centralize" its financial management and reorganize the system of higher education under a Board of Regents. According to the commission's report, the newly created board would solicit an appropriation from the General Assembly and distribute it based on needs and education priorities.

The next year, Atlanta attorney Philip Weltner drafted a bill based on the commission's recommendations. While the measure cleared the state Senate, it failed to pass in the House. It would take nothing less than the governor's race that year to bring higher education to the front lines of public consciousness.