Excerpt from William Carey College Undergraduate Catalog, 2003-2004, Vol. 21 William Carey College claims two proud predecessors as it looks forward to a future of continued growth and development. The first of these was founded in 1906 as a private, coeducational institution known as South Mississippi College. With the legendary South Mississippi educator W. I. Thames as its president, the college quickly gained a reputation for a strong faculty, especially in art, music, history, and home economics. After a fire destroyed the immense administration building, including classrooms, library, and a 1500-seat auditorium, the young institution was forced to close. In 1911, W. S. F. Tatum, wealthy lumberman and Methodist layman, acquired the property and offered it as a gift to the Baptists. He set two conditions: successful operation of a Christian school for girls for five years and an enrollment of at least one hundred students the first year. The property consisted of two surviving frame buildings and ten. Acres of cut-over land. A corporation was organized to own and control the college with nine trustees chosen from Baptist churches in Hattiesburg. In September, 1911, the school Opened again with a new name, Mississippi Woman's College, under the leadership of President S. S. Rivers. In November, 1911, the college was offered to the Mississippi Baptist Convention free of debt and was accepted. The growth of Mississippi Woman's College was a source of pride for Mississippi Baptists. Under the leadership of President J. L. Johnson, Jr. From 1912 to 1932, a splendid new administration building was completed in 1914 and named Tatum Court in honor of the college's major benefactor. New brick dormitories were added (ross and Johnson Halls) as well as an infirmary and a model home, which was used as a laboratory for domestic science classes. During this period, the campus expanded to 40 acres. The college did not measure its progress simply with physical achievements. An early objective of Mississippi Woman's College was to train intelligent, concerned citizens who could establish Christian homes. Curricula and activities were designed with this primary objective in mind. By 1925 college stationery boldly proclaimed its letterhead, Mississippi Woman's College: The School with a Mission. The student body dedicated itself to the mission of the college. Such dedication accounts for Mississippi Woman's College becoming known by the late 19208 as one of the South's outstanding Christian colleges for women. Continued growth and an emphasis on missions characterized the presidency of W. E. Holcomb from 1932 to 1940. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.