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PANEL 2
Quote:
"Ivan Allen Jr. possessed the intelligence, the broad vision, the integrity to push Atlanta to greatness." - John Sibley
Founded in 1885, the Georgia School of Technology helped transform Atlanta into the capital of the New South by providing industrial and technological training in the region. Motivated by this vision, Ivan Allen Jr. entered Tech in 1929, majoring in business administration in the School of Commerce. By the time he graduated in 1933, Allen had served as president of his class, president of the student council, president of his fraternity (Sigma Alpha Episilon), and cadet colonel of the ROTC, all while making the Dean's List. Like Georgia Tech, Ivan Allen Jr. was always looking forward. In 1948, as he was putting his business degree to work for his family's company, the school's name was changed to the Georgia Institute of Technology to reflect a growing focus on advanced technological and scientific research. In 1961, during Allen's first term as mayor of Atlanta, Tech became the first university in the Deep South to admit African American students without a court order. As mayor, Ivan Allen championed a similar policy of voluntary integration. |
Photo Captions:
(top left) Ivan Allen Jr. as a ROTC cadet at Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech Archives
(top center) Ivan Allen Jr.'s senior portrait at Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech Archives
(top right) Ivan Allen Jr. and Ivan Allen Sr. as father and son were honored by Beta Gamma Sigma Fraternity, April 7, 1932. Atlanta Journal
(background) Georgia Tech Tower, ca. 1920s. Georgia Tech Archives |
This project is supported by the Georgia Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities We the People initiative. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this exhibit do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. 
