Paine College

History

Early history

Bishop Lucius Henry Holsey started planning for the school in 1869, and asked for leadership help through Methodist Episcopal Church South (MECS). The new school was named after the late Bishop Robert Paine. Paine College was founded on November 1, 1882 by the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (now Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, a historically black denomination), and the Methodist Episcopal Church South (now United Methodist Church, a historically white denomination). According to The Augusta Chronicle, "The Paine College Board of Trustees is the oldest interracial body in the nation".

The first president was Morgan Callaway, who worked hard for fundraising. Classes started in 1884 in a rented space at 10th and Broad Street in Augusta, and in 1886 Paine was moved to its current location, which at the time was rural land outside of the city. It also functioned as a high school until 1945, when the first public high school opened for African Americans in Augusta.

Finances and accreditation revoked (2016–2018)

The college is experiencing financial issues and had its regional accreditation revoked by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) in 2016.

In November 2015, following an initial recommendation from SACS to revoke its accreditation, Paine College launched the "Build it Back Campaign", which raised over half a million dollars in six months. This was to support its fundraising goal of $3.5 million, of which $2.5 million in cash was raised. The college plans to use the money to offset the debt of $5.4 million. Following a March 2016 onsite visit, SACS found the college in compliance with one of the standards that was previously problematic, leaving a total of three standards in question: financial resources, financial stability, and control of sponsored research/external funds. In May, the college celebrated meeting its fundraising goal. However, one month later SACS recommended that the college lose its regional accreditation. The college unsuccessfully appealed to the accreditor and federal courts.

The college subsequently applied for and was granted candidate status with the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) in 2018.

Presidents

• Morgan Callaway, 1882–1884
• George Williams Walker, 1884–1911
• John D. Hammond, 1911–1915
• Albert Deems Betts, 1917–1921
• Ray Silver Tomlin (interim), 1921–1923
• Ray Silver Tomlin, 1923–1929
• Edmund Clarke Peters, 1929–1956
• E. Clayton Calhoun, 1956–1970
• Lucius Holsey Pitts, 1971–1974
• Julius Samuel Scott Jr., 1975–1982
• William Hamilton Harris, 1982–1988
• Julius Samuel Scott Jr., 1988–1994
• Shirley A. R. Lewis, 1994–2007
• George C. Bradley, 2007–2014
• Samuel Sullivan (interim), 2014
• Samuel Sullivan, 2016–2017
• Jerry L. Hardee, 2017–2019
• Cheryl Evans Jones, 2019–2025
• Lester McCorn, 2025–present

Campus

Paine College has a 64.4 acre campus in the heart of Augusta. Most of its buildings, including residence halls, classroom buildings, and the library, are located in the main campus area. The athletic field, gymnasium, tennis court, and the chapel/music building are included in the rear campus area. The Collins-Calloway Library and Resources Center houses the Paine College Digital Collections, which feature historical images of Paine College and oral history interviews of Paine College alumni and presidents.

A historic district within the campus was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 26, 2012, for its contributions to education and African-American heritage.

Athletics

Paine College's athletic teams are nicknamed as the Lions. The college currently competes as a member of the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCAA). Men's sports include baseball and basketball; women's sports include basketball, softball, and volleyball.

Paine formerly competed in the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) from 1985–86 to 2020–21.

The college's football team was dropped after the 1963 season, but returned to play in 2014. In their first season back, the football team finished 2–8 before the program was again shut down.

Notable alumni

PLEASE DO NOT ADD NON NOTABLE PEOPLE TO THIS LIST. A good rule of thumb is to check whether the person has an article on Wikipedia. If not, consider starting an article on the subject before adding him/her to this list. The list is in alphabetical order by surname.

This is a list of notable alumni of Paine Institute and/or Paine College.

References

References

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2. "Paine College". US Department of Education.
3. (2011-09-13). "Historically Black Colleges and Universities: An Encyclopedia". Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
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5. (3 December 2020). "Bennett College, an HBCU for women, ends a long fight for its financial future".
6. (July 17, 2015). "A history of Paine". [[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]].
7. O'Connor, Allison. (2010-01-07). "Paine College (1882- )".
8. D.A.H, Mallory K. Millender. "Paine College's rich history is a monument to pioneering racial relations".
9. Doug Lederman. (June 20, 2014). "A College Loses Accreditation". [[Inside Higher Ed]].
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11. "Paine nearing fundraising goal".
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13. "Paine College Accreditation to Be Revoked" [https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/06/17/paine-college-accreditation-be-revoked ''Inside Higher Education'' June 17, 2016]
14. (September 20, 2016). "Disclosure Statement Regarding the Status of PAINE COLLEGE".
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20. (1974-02-27). "Lucius Pitts, Educator, Is Dead; President of Paine College, 59". [[The New York Times]].
21. (August 23, 2019). "Paine College to celebrate life of president emeritus".
22. (2014-09-16). "Paine College President George Bradley Announces Resignation".
23. Jaschik, Scott. "President of Paine, Under Fire, Resigns".
24. (2016-05-09). "Paine College Names Samuel Sullivan as Its President, But Not for Long".
25. Owens, Liz. (2017-06-06). "New Paine College President Hardee: "Felt God was telling him to take the job"".
26. McCord, Susan. "Paine president stepping down".
27. (October 21, 2019). "Dr. Cheryl Evans Jones named Paine College president".
28. (24 October 2024). "Augusta's historically Black college selects a new president with a thick academic résumé". The Augusta Chronicle.
29. "National Register of Historic Places Program: African American History Month Feature 2013: Paine College Historic District, Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia". [[National Park Service]].
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31. (November 10, 2014). "Paine College Athletics - @PaineAthletics Football Claw the Way to Victory Over Tigers, 45-34". Paineathletics.com.
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34. (2013-11-20). "Encyclopedia of African American Religions". Routledge.
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36. (2002-09-05). "Georgia Magazine". Georgiamagazine.org.
37. "Lomax, Louis; The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed". Blackpast.org.
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