In the nearly 100 years since its founding, the college has grown and now comprises four departments, one institute, several research labs and centers.
- FACS was first established as the Division of Home Economics at UGA when in 1919 Mary E. Creswell became both the first home economics graduate and the first female to graduate from UGA.
- A bequest of $120,000 from Dr. William Terrell Dawson was invested in a new three story brick building for the college in 1933.
- Our legacy spans 8 deans and 20,000+ living alumni.
Origins
The roots of the present-day College of Family and Consumer Sciences date back to 1918 and the admittance of the first female undergraduates at the University of Georgia. As part of an effort to meet the growing demand for home economists who were working throughout Georgia as a part of Cooperative Extension, these young women were admitted to the Division of Home Economics, which was then a part of the College of Agriculture. In 1931, the Division of Home Economics and the Department of Home Economics at the Georgia State Teachers’ College were merged into the UGA School of Home Economics, which became the College of Home Economics in 1978. In 1990, the College of Home Economics was changed to the College of Family and Consumer Sciences as part of a nationwide trend to better reflect the field of study.
Growth
In the nearly 100 years since its founding, the college has grown and now comprises four departments, one institute, several research labs and centers. Each department offers undergraduate, master’s and PhD degrees. The college has long enjoyed a reputation of being student centered while also producing internationally recognized research and outreach programs.