Georgia Southwestern State University: A Presidential Connection

In 2013, still relatively new to College Counseling, I met a woman while shopping at Marshall’s. This middle-aged woman and I began to converse, and she shared that she was looking for something to wear for her first day of work as an Accountant, as she had recently completed her undergraduate degree. Naturally, I asked her which school she had attended, and she answered that it was Georgia Southwestern State University. She went on to tell me that she had completed most of her coursework online.

She then told me more about the school and proudly mentioned that President Jimmy Carter had also attended. Hmmm? I don’t think so, I said silently to myself. Why? Because I knew that Jimmy Carter graduated from the Naval Academy after transferring from Georgia Tech. I chose not to do or say anything to distract from her enthusiasm and pride and wished her success in her new position.

However, the first thing I did when I got home and to a computer was to research Georgia Southwestern State University, and to my surprise, I discovered that this stranger I met was correct. Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, started his post-secondary education at Georgia Southwestern State University! The university continues to have very close connections to the Carter family, including a library named in honor of President Carter’s father, James Earl Carter. In addition, Roslyn Carter graduated from what was then Georgia Southwestern College in 1946.

I consider Georgia Southwestern a hidden jewel with strong Business Administration/Management, Nursing, and Accounting Programs and relatively low cost. It’s also diverse, boasting an almost 32% black student population and four of the nine black Greek organizations. Perhaps even more surprising is that https://nurse.org/education/top-10-best-nursing-schools-in-georgia/ranks its nursing school #1 in Georgia as of June 2024.