About Our College
Ivan Allen College History
- 1888 GT opens doors; English among the original six subjects taught
- 1898 Kenneth Gordon Matheson, English Department Chair, begins operation of a college library out of his office
- 1904 Department of Modern Languages established
- 1906 Matheson named third president of Georgia Tech. Matheson receives grant from Andrew Carnegie for first Library building
- 1908 English Department begins teaching Economic Theory, General History, Political Economy, and Physical Geography in response to new curriculum requirements. All GT majors (except Textiles) pass requirement for two years of foreign language
- 1910 Matheson articulates the role of liberal education at GT: "English and the modern languages are . . . necessary to produce men able to communicate with doctors, lawyers, statesmen and financiers on an equal footing. Without [them] . . . the technical man never reaches full potential."
- 1913 School of Commerce created; English Department begins teaching Economics and Business English
- 1921 Marion Luther Brittain named fourth president of GT; announces policy of educational emphasis on English & mathematics
- 1934 Department of Economics & Social Sciences established
- 1948 General College created Separate Department of Social Sciences established
- 1968 Engineering faculty approve new core curriculum that includes humanities and social sciences. History of Technology Program created in Department of Social Sciences
- 1980 Department of Social Sciences becomes the School of Social Sciences; first social science-related degree approved-the Master of Science in Technology and Science Policy
- 1981 General College renamed College of Sciences and Liberal Studies
- 1990 College of Sciences and Liberal Studies disestablished School of Social Sciences divided into separate Schools of History, Technology and Society (HTS); International Affairs (INTA); and Public Policy (SPP. English Department renamed as the School of Literature, Communication, and Culture (LCC). HTS, INTA, SPP, LCC, and the Department of Modern Languages, together with the School of Economics & Industrial Management and the ROTC units, combined to create the College of Management, Policy, & International Affairs. College named in honor of Ivan Allen, Jr. ('33)
- 1998 School of Management established as a separate college; Ivan Allen College (IAC) mission is redefined as liberal education
- 1999 Sue Rosser named as IAC dean, becoming the first woman named to an academic decanal post at GT
What to learn about the legacy of Ivan Allen Junior? Click here to discover why we are so proud to be named the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.
