Origins

The school was founded in 1886 by Artemas Lester, a circuit-riding Methodist minister who wanted to provide the residents of the Appalachian Mountains with an education. The college was funded in part by production from an agricultural program, or college farm. Students who could not afford education were allowed to work on the farm to earn tuition.

Originally known as McTyeire Institute for the small village where the school was located, the college struggled for the first year until an Athens judge, Young L.G. Harris, donated enough money to keep the school open. The school was later renamed Young Harris Institute and became Young Harris College in honor of its benefactor, as was the surrounding town in 1895.^[5] A fire destroyed the college's main classroom building in 1911, but it was rebuilt by local townspeople and named Sharp Hall in honor of the college president at the time. The Young Harris Academy was founded in the late 19th century and provided a primary education for thousands of students until it closed after World War II.^[6]

Bequest

Margaret Adger Pitts, who died in 1998, left an estate valued at $192 million, mostly in Coca-Cola stock acquired by her father in the 1920s. YHC was one of four Georgia entities named to receive the yearly dividends and trust proceeds, approximately $3 million to each of the beneficiaries. The college announced that the money would be used for scholarships, improvements to the campus, and religious programs.^[7]

Transition

Since the early 1910s, YHC was a two-year school, granting associate's degrees. In 2008, the college earned its four-year accreditation through regional accreditation organization, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and was approved to offer bachelor's degrees in biology, business and public policy, English, and music. In February 2010, Young Harris' accreditation was expanded to include communication studies, history, outdoor leadership, theatre, and musical theatre in the list of sanctioned bachelor's programs.^[8]

Presidents

The Young Harris College campus in 2022

Ranking

In the 2023 U.S. News & World Report rankings of national liberal arts colleges, Young Harris College was tied for 185 of 185.^[10]

Move to NCAA Division II

On July 1, 2014, the school completed the transition from the GCAA and NJCAA to the NCAA at the Division II level. The college originally applied to the NCAA in 2010, but the application was rejected.^[13] The school re-applied in 2011 and received acceptance into the three-year process to become a full member. As of the 2011–12 academic year, Young Harris was in the first year of candidacy-membership.^[14]

Campus buildings

Note: Dates of construction given when known^[15]

• 
  Rollins Campus Center (2014)
• 
  The Towers (2013)
• 
  The Harp Recreation Center (2010)
• 
  Enotah Hall (2009)
• 
  Hillgrove Hall (2002)
• 
  Goolsby Center (1993)
• 
  Rollins Hall (1986)
• 
  Maxwell Center for Math and Science (1979)
• 
  Department of Athletics (1970)
• 
  Clegg Fine Arts Building (1963)
• 
  Appleby Center (1961)
• 
  Appleby West (1961)
• 
  Manget Hall (1956)
• 
  Pruitt-Barrett Memorial (1949)
• 
  Sharp Hall (1912)
• 
  Campus Gate (c. 1897)
• 
  Susan B. Harris Chapel (1892)

Greek system

The roots of the Young Harris Greek system began with the men's debating societies of the late 1880s. The Young Harris Debating Society (YHDS) and the Phi Chi Debating Society (PC) were academic in nature and lasted through the 1950s. Young Harris women formed the literary societies Susan B. Harris Society (EBE) and Phi Delta Society (PD), all of them local organizations.

During the 1960s, these organizations became more social than academic. YHDS was renamed as Upsilon Delta Sigma (local) fraternity in 1967 and paired up with the Susan B. Harris Society, which became known as Sigma Beta Sigma (local) sorority. Phi Chi (local) fraternity^{[lower-alpha 1]} had been linked to Phi Delta (local) sorority. On January 3, 1968, Kappa Tau Omega (local) became the third fraternity on campus with nine charter members. Alpha Iota (local) was formed as the third sorority in 1973.^[17] In the fall of 1987, Zeta Pi (local)^[18] formed as the fourth fraternity on campus.^[19] The three other sororities on campus are Delta Phi Epsilon (local), Gamma Psi (local) and Phi Alpha Phi, a Christian-themed local.^[20]

On February 19, 2010, Young Harris College gained its first nationally affiliated fraternity when 28 undergraduate men formed Kappa Sigma's Rho-Pi chapter. Phi Sigma Kappa national fraternity followed with a colony in early 2014, which was installed on April 25, 2015, becoming that fraternity's Gamma Octaton chapter. The first nationally affiliated sorority at YHC was Delta Phi Epsilon's Zeta Zeta chapter in 2016.^[21]

There are thirteen Greek organizations.^[22] The Huffington Post reported in 2013 that the college had a "big hazing problem."^[23]

The college's honor societies include Alpha Iota Sigma, Alpha Chi, Kappa Pi international art society, Lambda Pi Eta communications study society, Mu Phi Epsilon professional music fraternity, Phi Alpha Theta history study society and Sigma Tau Delta English honor society. The college was approved to establish a "circle" of Omicron Delta Kappa in February 2023, which was installed on March 16, 2023.^[24]

Culture

Cultural activities available on campus to clubs and individuals include singing group performances and sponsored music events, Campus Gate Art Gallery exhibitions, and Theatre Young Harris dramatic performances. Planetarium shows are featured at the O. Wayne Rollins Planetarium. There are three student publications: the Corn Creek Revue literary magazine, the Mosaic religious-life publication, and the Enotah annual yearbook.

Susan B. Harris Chapel, built in 1892, is the oldest building on the campus.

Notable alumni and instructors

Notable graduates include former Georgia governors E. D. Rivers and U.S. Senator Zell Miller; U.S. Representatives Jack Brinkley and Buddy Carter; entertainers Oliver Hardy, Wayland Flowers and Amanda Bearse; country music singers Ronnie Milsap and Trisha Yearwood; Major League Baseball players Nick Markakis, Charlie Blackmon, Billy Buckner and Cory Gearrin; Waffle House founder Tom Forkner; state Supreme Court Chief Justices William Henry Duckworth and Charles S. Reid;^[27] state Senator J. Ebb Duncan and state Representatives Hank Huckaby^[28] and David Ralston.^[29] Poet and novelist Byron Herbert Reece was a student and teacher at YHC; theologian and philosopher John B. Cobb taught at the college. James T. McIntyre served as director of the Office of Management and Budget and Fred S. Clinton was a frontier doctor in Oklahoma at the turn of the century. George J. Berry, Atlanta Aviation Commissioner and Georgia Commissioner of Industry, Trade, and Tourism graduated in 1957.^[25] Bettie M. Sellers, poet laureate of Georgia taught English at YHC for over 30 years.^[30] American correspondent Betty Hester attended YHC.^[31] as did journalist Winfield Myers.^[32]

Honors and awards

The highest honor bestowed by the college is the Young Harris Medallion. It has been presented yearly since 1969 to an alumnus, alumna or friend of the College for extraordinary contributions.^[33][34]