West Georgia Wolves baseball

University of West Georgia

Former names	Fourth District A&M School, West Georgia College, State University of West Georgia
Motto	Go West, Go Wolves!
Type	Public
Established	1906 (1906)
Parent institution	University System of Georgia
Endowment	$27,919,873
President	Kyle Marrero (currently)
Students	13,308
Undergraduates	11,155
Postgraduates	2,153
Location	Carrollton, Georgia, U.S.A. 33°34′18″N 85°06′53″W / 33.57167°N 85.11472°W / 33.57167; -85.11472
Campus	College Town 644 acres (2.61 km2)
Colors	Red white and Blue
Nickname	Wolves
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division II – Gulf South
Mascot	Wolfie
Website	www.westga.edu

The University of West Georgia is a comprehensive doctoral-granting university in Carrollton, Georgia, approximately 45 miles (80 km) west of Atlanta, Georgia. The University is built on 645 acres (2 km²) including a recent addition of 246 acres (1 km²) from the city of Carrollton in 2003. The university's off-campus classes are available in Dalton, Newnan, Georgia Highlands College in Rome, Georgia. Around 22,000 students are enrolled at the university. The University is classified as one of R3-Doctoral University by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education and has been repeatedly named one of the Best Southeastern Colleges by The Princeton Review.

In 1906 the decision to create the Fourth District Agricultural and Mechanical School occurred in response to a call for "more realistic educational program for rural youth" aged 13 to 21. The Bonner plantation was chosen as the location for the school.

John H. Melson, the school's first principal was who served from 1908 to 1920. John Melson and his wife Penelope worked intimately along beside the students who attended the school and further enhanced the institution. In addition, Penelope Melson was the one responsible for creating the library at the college. In January 1908, she conducted a "book shower" which provided the school with a little over 300 manuscripts.

In 1920 Irvine S. Ingram became Melson's successor and the second principal of the A&M school. He married fellow faculty member Martha Munro in 1921 and they had one daughter, Anne, in 1924. Ingram was instrumental in developing the concept of "extension" education and adult-education offerings along with a summer school program for local teachers to develop their skills. The school's name (Fourth District Agricultural and Mechanical School) was changed to West Georgia College in 1933 and it became a two-year institution. When this occurred, Ingram became the college's first president. He served until 1960 and was succeeded by William H. Row. Shortly after, Row died from a heart attack and Ingram filled in as president for six months in 1961 until James E. Boyd was appointed to the position. While president, Ingram saw West Georgia became a four-year institution in 1957. He can also be credited with obtaining a substantial grant of $250,000 from the Rosenwald Foundation used to expand the college's facilities and programs, including the Sanford building, originally used as a library and creating the College in the Country program, initially an adult or continuing education program that eventually involved student teachers from the college, and foreign exchange programs that brought national recognition to the college.