Greensboro Pride
History
The first college to open its doors within the town of Greensboro was the woman's college, "Greensboro Female College". The school occupied a 25-acre (100,000 m) campus near the heart of the city within what would become the College Hill Historic District. It was organized in 1833 for local children. It was the intent of the Rev. Peter Doub that the institution grow to serve women.
Through the Methodist Church, a charter was secured in 1838, an event which makes the college one of the oldest institutions of higher education for women in the United States. The cornerstone of the first building was laid in 1843, and in 1846 the institution opened its doors to students. Young women came from many southern states to become the first classes of the new president, the Rev. Solomon Lea, and his faculty.
In 1912, the school changed its name for the first time, becoming the "Greensboro College for Women". The following year, the newly-renamed college granted its first bachelors degrees.
Not long after, in 1919, the school shortened its title to its current moniker, Greensboro College. The college would not become coeducational, however, until 1954. In 1968, Greensboro formed a consortium of local colleges—the Greensboro Tri-College Consortium—with Guilford College and Bennett College. Other later partnerships would be added with Elon College and Salem College.
Campus
Located in the College Hill Historic District of Greensboro, North Carolina, the college's properties include several buildings of interest. Most are red-brick buildings built in a neoclassical revival or colonial styles. However, the most historic buildings are located around the campus quadrangle.
The oldest building and the administrative center of Greensboro College is the Main Building, housing the offices of the president, senior administrative officers, and important departments. The building also hosts the Brock Historical Museum, which displays artifacts relating to the history of the college as well as its relationship with the United Methodist Church.
The Finch Memorial Chapel was built in 1954 and is the worshiping heart of the college community. It is named after Hannah Brown Finch, an 1885 graduate and wife of Thomas J. Finch, the latter of whom was involved with Thomasville Furniture Industries and politics. Chapel services are held every Thursday.
The J.A. Jones Library is the bibliographic heart of the college community. Named after James Addison Jones, it houses the college's library collections. The building is also home to the Levy-Loewenstein Holocaust Collection, the First Citizens Bank Global Communications Center, and the Sternberger Cultural Center, the latter of which includes a 100-seat lecture hall.
The Cowan Humanities Building houses the offices of the Art and English/Communications departments, as well as a large lecture hall and several art galleries, including the Anne Rudd Gaylon Gallery, the Irene Cullis Gallery, and the LIFT Gallery. The building is also home to Middle College.
The Odell Memorial Building houses the offices of the performing arts departments, such as Theater and Music, and the 787-seat Huggins Performance Center. The building was built in 1922, but renovated in 1997 after a substantial donation from business leader Kenneth Lenon Huggins. The performance center is named after Huggins' wife, Gail.
Proctor Hall houses the offices of most academic departments while also containing classrooms and seminar rooms of various sizes. It consists of two buildings, an east and a west building. Proctor Hall – East houses science laboratories and the offices of the Biology, Chemistry, Business, and Accounting Departments. Proctor Hall – West is where offices of other departments, such as the humanities and social sciences, are located. The Hall, first built in 1950, was named after Fred and Myrtle Proctor. The Proctors donated the funds necessary to renovate and update the halls in 1998.
