History of Atlanta Christian College
Atlanta Christian College was founded in 1937 by Judge T. O. Hathcock (1879-1966), who served on the bench in Fulton County, Georgia, from 1914 until 1942. He and his wife, Nora Head Hathcock, were members of the independent Christian Church; to this day, the College maintains its affiliation with the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ.
Throughout its history, Atlanta Christian College has operated on the same campus in East Point, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. The campus is part of a 300-acre farm inherited by Mrs. Hathcock. With a barn, livestock and cultivated fields, the campus in its earliest days had a distinctly rural flavor.
Following its founding, Atlanta Christian College devoted attention primarily to the education of ministers, missionaries and other church-related workers. In 1965, the College became an accredited member of the American Association of Bible Colleges (AABC). In 1990, in conjunction with a broadening of the curriculum, the College was accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award the associate and baccalaureate degrees.* The curriculum currently offers majors in biblical studies, business, child and youth development, counseling and human services, English, early childhood education, history, humanities, music and psychology. The early childhood education program has earned accreditation by the National Council on Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Professional Standards Commission (PSC) of the State of Georgia.
The College has had seven presidents: Mr. George W. BonDurant (1937-47), Dr. Orvel C. Crowder (1947-55), Mr. James C. Redmon (1955-78), Mr. Paul K. Carrier (1978-84), Dr. James C. Donovan (1984-93), Dr. R. Edwin Groover (1993-2006), and Mr. Dean C. Collins, who began serving as interim president in 2006 and was appointed president in February 2009.
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* Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Atlanta Christian College.