Overview

Original Photo Research & Text by Anne Haws & Sara Roberts
Introduction by Heather S. Shores
Photos courtesy of Dalton State College & the Derrell C. Roberts Library

As education improved and expanded in Georgia in the 1960s, the need for higher education in Northwest Georgia started to become a reality. With the junior college movement going strong throughout the state during this time of transition, several Northwest Georgia cities sought to bring a two-year school to their communities. The city of Dalton joined this effort, winning support from the community and the University System of Georgia for the establishment of Dalton Junior College, which opened its doors in 1967.

Since then, Dalton Junior College, now Dalton State College has stood the test of time, growing to meet the needs of its students and the community while reflecting the changing attitudes and trends of higher education in society. Now a four-year institution, Dalton State College continues to serve the needs of Northwest Georgia while expanding its reach to a global perspective. The following photographs demonstrate the past, present, and future of Dalton State College, a school that has moved from tradition to transition in Northwest Georgia.

1960s

The political and societal changes that marked the 1960s were reflected in the hopes and dreams of Dalton Junior College’s student body. The expanded educational and vocational training provided by the “college experience” encouraged students to look beyond the hills of northwest Georgia to a wider world of opportunity and promise.

1970s

As Dalton Junior College matured it grew both physically and academically. New construction was a constant campus activity during the 1970s as classrooms and facilities expanded to accommodate the growing number of students. Educational opportunities grew as well in order to provide an increasingly diverse student population with the necessary skills and training to cope with increasingly complicated work environments.

1980s

With a Bachelor degree program in place, the 1980s saw the college lose its junior college status as it became a four-year institution with a new name to reflect that change. Even with this expansion of scope and complexity of mission, Dalton State retained its spirit of community and still offered a nurturing environment for young minds to explore a rapidly changing world.

1990s

In the 1990s, the technology boom demanded changes in education and training for young people entering the workforce. Dalton State embraced this change and quickly expanded student opportunity in the fields of computer programming and science. But even as the educational focus changed, Dalton State never lost its core commitment of community service and outreach.

2000s

No longer just a two-year junior college preparing the region’s young minds to transfer to larger institutions, Dalton State is now a destination school for Northwest Georgia and beyond. The college continues to grow both physically and spiritually with new facilities and an expanding and culturally diverse student population.