History of AASU

Armstrong Atlantic State University was founded in 1935 with 175 students as Armstrong Junior College to enhance higher educational opportunities in the community. The foundation of the institution, then as now, was a firm commitment to the ideals of a liberal education.

The city-supported college was housed in the historic Armstrong House, a gift to the city from the family of George F. Armstrong. Over the years, the college occupied six additional buildings downtown near Forsyth Park and Monterey Square. In 1959, as Armstrong College of Savannah, it became a two-year unit of the University System of Georgia. In 1964 the Board of Regents conferred four-year status on Armstrong State College.

In January 1966, the college moved to its present site, a gift from Donald Livingston and the Mills B. Lane Foundation. Eight building were constructed on the campus’ original 250 acres. Additional buildings joined the original structures as Armstrong added professional and graduate programs. In 1993 work began on transforming the grounds into an arboretum.

In 1996, the institution gained state university status and a new name: Armstrong Atlantic State University. AASU today serves more than 7,000 students of all ages. Eighty-six percent come from across Georgia; 12 percent come from other states; and 2 percent come from 84 other nations.

Armstrong in the Community

Since its inception as a city-owned junior college, Armstrong has been a strong partner with its neighbors. Armstrong graduates have taught generations of school children, cared for thousands of patients and helped to keep the community safe. In addition, the university has created a wide variety of courses and degrees to meet the ever-changing needs of business and industry.

From the moment the lights went up on the first Masquers theatrical production, the college has enriched the life of the community through hundreds of cultural offerings from plays and concerts to art gallery exhibits and lectures. The Pirates athletic teams bring excitement and an impressive string of national championships.

A culture of leadership and community service sends AASU students into surrounding localities as volunteers in a variety of civic activities from fund raising to delivering vital assistance to those who need it most.

Armstrong Through the Years

1935	The Alderman of the City of Savannah create Armstrong Junior College. The college is housed downtown in a mansion donated to the city by Lucy Camp Armstrong Moltz and Lucy Armstrong Johnson.
1935	Ernest A. Lowe is appointed the first president, and classes begin in September with 175 students.
1937	Stacy Keach, senior, formed the college’s Savannah Playhouse, the forerunner to the Masquers.

1940	Armstrong was first accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) in a report that identified the school as the best junior college accredited that year.
1941	J. Thomas Askew is appointed the second president.
1944	Foreman M. Hawes is appointed the third president.

1959	Armstrong College of Savannah becomes a two-year unit of the University System of Georgia.

1962	The Mills B. Lane Foundation and Donald Livingston donate a new campus site of 250 acres on the south side of Savannah.
1964	The Board of Regents confers four-year college status upon Armstrong. B.A., B.S., and B.B.A. degrees are offered.
1964	Henry L. Ashmore is appointed the fourth president.
1965	The new eight-building campus is completed.
1968	The first baccalaureate degrees are awarded.
1968	Armstrong State College receives notice of accreditation as a senior institution by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

1971	The Board of Regents authorizes Armstrong and Savannah State to offer joint graduate programs leading to the M.B.A. and the M.S. in education.
1978	The Board of Regents designates Armstrong State College as a Regional Health Professions Education Center.

1984	Robert A. Burnett is appointed the fifth president.
1985	Armstrong celebrates its fiftieth anniversary on May 27.
1986	The Regional Criminal Justice Training Center is established on the Armstrong campus.
1986	The Board of Regents approves the offering of selected baccalaureate degrees by Armstrong State College at the Brunswick Center.

1995	The sixtieth anniversary is celebrated with a historic marker at Armstrong House, presidential artwork, inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame, and dedication of the new Armstrong Sports Center.
1996	The institution gains university status and a new name: Armstrong Atlantic State University.
1997	The dedication of University Hall, an 89,000 square-foot classroom and office building and home of the Regional Criminal Justice Training Center, is held.
1998	The Shirley and Philip Solomons Eminent Scholar Chair in Economics is established.
1998	AASU collaborates with other university system institutions to create the Liberty Center, which offers degree programs in Liberty County.
1998	The College of Education is named Best in the State by the Georgia Association of Teacher Educators.
1999	The Georgia Tech Regional Engineering Program is established on the AASU campus.

2000	Thomas Z. Jones is named the sixth president.
2002	The student population exceeds 6,000.
2002	The dedication of the 126,056 square foot Science Center is held.
2002	The university's first student residential community is dedicated.
2002	The Board of Regents approves funding for a new $23 million academic classroom building.
2003	Victor, Hawes and Solms halls are completely renovated and re-dedicated.
2003	The Hispanic Outreach and Leadership at Armstrong Atlantic program (HOLA) is established under a generous grant from the Goizueta Foundation.
2004	The student population exceeds 7,000.
2004	AASU Educational Properties, Inc. purchases 18 acres of land adjacent to the campus for development as academic support space, a Professional and Continuing Education Center, and student residences.
2005	The fourth student residential community is complete.
2006	The Peach Belt Conference gives AASU its inaugural Presidents' Academic Award for 2006-2007.
2006	The Armstrong Center, a conference facility for small to medium groups, is dedicated.
2006	The Student Recreation Center is opened.

2009	Both the men’s and women’s tennis teams win the 2008 NCAA Division II national championships for the second consecutive year.
2009	Construction begins on a new Student Union building and Windward Commons housing community.
2009	AASU graduates its first Doctor of Physical Therapy, awarded in conjunction with the Medical College of Georgia.
2009	Linda M. Bleicken is named the seventh president.

AASU Presidents

Ernest A. Lowe
1935-1941

J. Thomas Askew
1941-1943

Foreman M. Hawes
1943-1964

Henry L. Ashmore
1964-1982

Robert A. Burnett
Acting President 1982-1984
President 1984-1999

Frank A. Butler
Interim President 1999-2000

Thomas Z. Jones
2000-2009

Linda M. Bleicken
2009-