Mr. Guy Wells Biography

Mr. Guy Herbert Wells was graduated from Mercer University in 1915 and from Columbia University in 1925 with a  Masters degree He began work toward a PhD at Peabody College (a degree that he never finished). Wells was appointed president of GSCW by the Board of Regents in April, 1934. He had been president of South Georgia Teachers College in Statesboro, Georgia since 1926, and was not happy about the Board of Regents' decision to relocate him. When he arrived in Milledgeville, however, he spoke of the benefits of change and was well received by the faculty and students.

One of the first changes Wells made upon his arrival was to create the position of "Dean of Women," to which he appointed Ethel Adams. Wells and Adams worked together to create an atmosphere that encouraged student involvement in the college community and student independence. Under Ethel Adam's direction the college began the honored Golden Slipper performances in 1935. Among the changes in student life was a relaxation of the strict rules mandating church attendance and Sunday activities, and wearing uniforms became optional for all students in 1934. The rules remained strict by today's standards, but in the 1930s the dismissal of some rules allowed women students freedom they did not have in earlier times. Along with the emphasis on student involvement and independence, the Honor Code began in 1939, a system in which students monitored and reported their own actions.

GSCW continued to struggle thought the Great Depression during the Wells years. Enrollment at the college rose, creating cramped conditions for students. Despite the climb in enrollment, the state's allocation to the college was severely cut and faculty salaries were reduced by as much as one-third.

In order to alleviate some of the overcrowding problems, the Public Works Administration helped finance the building of two new dorms on campus, Beeson Hall and Sanford Hall. PWA also financed much needed classroom space with the construction of the Health and Physical Education Building, Peabody Laboratory School building, and Porter Hall. Despite the new construction, other buildings such as Atkinson Hall and the Mansion began to fall into disrepair. By the late 1940s many of the buildings were in need of urgent attention that they did not receive. In order make the campus more attractive during the times of a tight budget, Wells established The Formal Garden and in 1938 purchased and developed the property known as Lake Laurel.

GSCW continued to be hit by hard times throughout the 1940s. Due to "political interference" in 1941 from Governor Eugene Talmadge, GSCW, along with Georgia's entire University System, lost its accreditation from The Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, making degrees granted by Georgia's institutions unrecognized outside the state of Georgia. In 1942, after Talmadge lost the gubernatorial election, The Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools reinstated the accreditation of the University Systems schools.

World War II also affected the GSCW campus in the 1940s. Enrollment declined drastically during the war as women left school and joined the workforce. During the war GSCW was one of four universities in the United States chosen to serve as a base for WAVES (Women Appointed for Voluntary Emergency Service). WAVES were housed on campus while they trained for their wartime service. The WAVES also brought much needed money to the campus, helping to repair several dorms in disrepair.

After the war, enrollment continued to decline and GSCW's budget was cut yet again. In 1948 Guy Wells and GSCW were hit with bad publicity when Wells supported the attendance of African-Americans from three black colleges at a University System meeting on the GSCW campus. In order to counterbalance the bad publicity and falling enrollment, GSCW attempted to attract more students by relaxing the rules regarding smoking and dating and reducing academic standards.

One of Wells' final contributions to GSCW came the last year of his presidency when he instituted what would become an annual event, Honors Day. The ceremonies honored outstanding alumnae and distinguished faculty.

After serving the college for nineteen years, Guy Wells resigned as president in 1953 and was awarded emeritus status. In the years following his resignation, Wells lectured throughout Georgia, discussing his unpopular views about school integration. Wells also served as an educational consultant for the Peace Corps and served on the Georgia Advisory Committee to the US Civil Rights Commission. Due in part to his controversial integration lectures, Wells' emeritus status was rescinded in 1956. Just before his death in July 1965, emeritus status was restored to his name. Wells is buried in Memory Hill Cemetery in Milledgeville.

• A Centennial History of Georgia College by William Ivy Hair with James C. Bonner, Edward B. Dawson, and Robert J. Wilson III. Milledgeville: Georgia College, 1989.