Founded in 1903, Albany State University continues to provide leadership in academic excellence, social change, and economic impact. A nationally top-ranked HBCU, ASU serves an increasingly diverse student body and community by offering a uniquely comprehensive array of programs, from associate to graduate degrees. Joseph Winthrop Holley, the institution’s founder and first president, established the Albany Bible and Manual Training Institute in Albany, Georgia. The new school was successful in its mission to provide religious and basic education, as well as teacher training to the local black population. In 1917, the state of Georgia began providing financial support to the school, granting it two-year status. The school added training in agriculture and was renamed the Georgia Normal and Agricultural College.

 

The institution eventually joined the University System of Georgia and, in 1943, was granted four-year status. Concentrating on teacher education and home economics, the school was again renamed, this time as Albany State College. Over the next few years, the College added majors in the humanities, social sciences, education, and health sciences. After increasing the number of faculty with doctorate degrees by more than fifty percent, Albany State College began offering graduate degrees in 1981. With the growing success of the graduate programs, the Board of Regents, in 1996, approved the renaming of the institution to Albany State University. In the 21st century, the University continued to strengthen its mission, attracting nationally renowned scholars and researchers to its faculty and preparing students for leadership.