George Foster Pierce
1811 - 1884
George Foster Pierce was the son of Methodist minister Lovick Pierce, a chaplain in the War of 1812, and Ann Foster Pierce. He matriculated from Franklin College (the founding college of the University of Georgia) in Athens and went on to be elected president of the Georgia Female College (later Wesleyan College) in 1838, the first four-year college in the world chartered to offer undergraduate degrees to women.
Pierce was one of the original trustees of Emory College and its third president from 1848 to 1854. He was the first of Emory’s presidents to be educated in Georgia. In 1850, he served on the building committee for Phi Gamma Hall, the oldest academic building owned by Emory College on the campus. It was during his administration that planning and fund-raising for Old Main, the large, Greek Revival structure that was designed to be Emory College’s principal building, was undertaken. Pierce presided over the cornerstone ceremony of Old Main on February 25, 1852. (Old Main proved be unstable and was demolished in 1872. It was replaced by the existing Seney Hall).
Pierce resigned the presidency of Emory College when he was elected bishop by the Methodist Episcopal Church South, although he remained a dedicated fundraiser for Emory’s capital improvement projects. During the postwar recession of the 1870s, Pierce managed to raise $42,000 for the construction of new buildings on campus.
Pierce was one of the original trustees of Emory College and its third president from 1848 to 1854. He was the first of Emory’s presidents to be educated in Georgia. In 1850, he served on the building committee for Phi Gamma Hall, the oldest academic building owned by Emory College on the campus. It was during his administration that planning and fund-raising for Old Main, the large, Greek Revival structure that was designed to be Emory College’s principal building, was undertaken. Pierce presided over the cornerstone ceremony of Old Main on February 25, 1852. (Old Main proved be unstable and was demolished in 1872. It was replaced by the existing Seney Hall).
Pierce resigned the presidency of Emory College when he was elected bishop by the Methodist Episcopal Church South, although he remained a dedicated fundraiser for Emory’s capital improvement projects. During the postwar recession of the 1870s, Pierce managed to raise $42,000 for the construction of new buildings on campus.
In 1903, the Lovick and George F. Pierce Memorial Science Hall was erected in their honor. The magnificent three-story building was of neoclassic design and stood diagonally across from Few Hall, on the northeast corner of the campus. Above the entrance could be seen a dome that is said to have housed an observatory. In 1922, Pierce Hall was converted to a dormitory and by 1959 had fallen into neglect and disrepair. Tragically, the building was condemned and demolished. It was replaced with Dowman Hall.