Middle Georgia State College

Middle Georgia State University

Former names	Middle Georgia College, Macon State College, Middle Georgia State College
Type	Public State University
Established	1884 (1884)
President	Christopher Blake
Provost	Melanie Hatch
Administrative staff	650
Undergraduates	7,676
Location	Macon, Georgia, U.S. 32°48′26″N 83°43′56″W / 32.80716°N 83.732226°W / 32.80716; -83.732226Coordinates: 32°48′26″N 83°43′56″W / 32.80716°N 83.732226°W / 32.80716; -83.732226
Campus	Campuses in Macon, Cochran, Dublin, Eastman and Warner Robins
Colors	Purple, Gray, Black
Nickname	Knights
Mascot	Duke
Sporting affiliations	NAIA – SSAC
Website	www.mga.edu

Middle Georgia State University is a public, four-year, residential unit of the University System of Georgia located in Macon. Middle Georgia State offers master's, bachelor's and associate degrees, as well as some certificates, to students on five campuses in Middle Georgia, and online everywhere.

The institution has its origins dating to 1884, although it has changed significantly since 2012. Two established institutions were merged and became a new "state college" in 2013, and on July 1, 2015 that state college was renamed as Middle Georgia State University. The academic programs of the two legacy institutions were consolidated, and online classes were added to open those programs to more citizens on and off the campuses.

Middle Georgia State is a relatively new institution in name, though it has been in existence in several forms for most of 130 years.

The institution's beginnings date to the establishment of New Ebenezer College, which occupied the site of the current Cochran Campus. New Ebenezer was established in 1884 by the New Ebenezer Baptist Association, which was composed largely of Baptist churches in Pulaski, Dodge, Laurens, and Telfair counties of Middle Georgia. The first building on the campus was completed in 1886, and classes were first held in 1887 with approximately 100 students. However, the association discontinued its financial support for their namesake college in 1898, forcing the school to close its doors.

The college's building served as a high school for the city of Cochran until 1913, when the high school moved. No documentation exists regarding the facilities from 1913–1919, leading to the presumption that it was unoccupied during that time.

In 1919, the Georgia State College of Agricultural and Mechanic Arts (a division of the University of Georgia) opened a branch dedicated to serving the needs of the 12th Congressional District in the building formerly used by New Ebenezer College. In 1927, the school's name was changed to Middle Georgia Agricultural and Mechanical Junior College, though it remained a branch of the state agricultural school. In 1929, the school's name was changed to Middle Georgia College and responsibility for its operation was given to a nine-person board of trustees.

Middle Georgia College was made an independent institution in 1931 when it was created as one of the original units of the newly created University System of Georgia. During World War II, Middle Georgia hosted the 50th College Training Detachment of the U.S. Army Air Force and graduated 17 classes of aviation students from March 1943 – July 1944.