Hey y’all,
Did you know that Forsyth was once the home of the second-oldest women’s college in Georgia? Founded in 1849 as the Forsyth Female Collegiate Institute, the college has had a few different names but the one that most folks know is Tift College, named after Bessie Willingham Tift, who was a graduate of the school when it was known as Monroe Female College in 1878. For decades, many students traveled by horse-drawn carriage or took the train, arriving in Forsyth at the stone depot and later the Victorian brick depot, making Tift College and Forsyth their home. Tift College sadly closed its doors in 1987 after merging with Mercer University, marking the end of an era. However, the accomplishments of those wonderful young ladies who attended Tift have never been forgotten. That’s why I’ve decided to have a little chat with some of these remarkable alumnae to share their stories and memories. The women of Tift have shaped our communities and it’s an honor to share a few of their stories.
Ms. Sherri Evans
Let’s begin with alumna Sherri Evans who came from Warner Robins, Georgia. Her cousin had gone to Tift College several years before Ms. Sherri, giving her parents the idea for her to apply. Ms. Sherri shared that her parents had hoped going to Tift would help her get out of her shell. The sayin’ goes that parents always know best and it’s the same for Ms. Sherri! In September of 1975, Ms. Sherri took her first steps into Tift, not knowing it was gonna change her world. After settlin’ into her dorm in Monroe Hall and attendin’ orientation activities, she quickly adjusted to a new season of her life. During her time at Tift, Ms. Sherri studied Early Childhood Education and had Dr. Jim Buff as her advisor. She loved her classes and shared that she has vivid memories of learnin’ how to write on the chalkboard properly, threadin’ an old granny-style film projector, and writin’ a children’s book. My, how the times have changed! Outside of her studies, she excelled in extracurricular activities. This includes the Tumbling Club, Scrapbook chair, Chirascuro Co-Editor and WAA. She was even Co-Dorm President of Upshaw Hall during her senior year.
Some of the best memories that Ms. Sherri had, revolved around the events on campus. Her classes were scheduled around the hit show The Young and the Restless. She would go to her friends Marie and Chico’s room to watch it on the TV with its rabbit ears. Talk about old-school fun! On the day that Ms. Sherri left Tift College, she cried the whole way back to Warner Robins. Leavin’ behind your friends and the memories you make are never easy. She soon went on to get a Master of Education in Deaf Education and worked for 30+ years with deaf children all over Middle Georgia. During this time, she also married and had two wonderful children. Ms. Sherri now lives in Forsyth where she works with the Traveling Tift Cutie Pies and the Tift Legacy Exhibit, which is housed in that same stone depot that welcomed so many Tift students traveling by train so many years ago. Even though she’s no longer a student at Tift, she’s still learnin’ everyday about the Tift family and she’s proud to call Forsyth her home again.
Ms. Abbie Bunn
Next we have another Tift student, Abbie Bunn who came from Brandon, Florida. That’s the beauty of Tift College; it welcomed women from all over the country! She chose Tift because it was a smaller school, far from home, and she had a scholarship. When she first arrived in 1978, Ms. Abbie shared how she fell in love with the campus and the quaint town of Forsyth. She lived on campus in Lies Dorm and was lucky enough to be in the only dorm with central air conditioning! There were a few rules for livin’ on campus includin’ no walking into town before 5:00 p.m. barefoot. Ms. Abbie told us that she and her friends would challenge each other by going at 4:30 p.m. to see what would happen and nothin’ ever did! The silly things we do when we’re young!
During her time at Tift, Ms. Abbie studied Business Administration, although her favorite class was History with Dr. Susan Conner. She enjoyed the smaller size of her classes as well. Like Ms. Sherri, she also enjoyed the events on campus includin’ Round Table, May Day, Field Day, and the Big Sister/Little Sister ceremony. She made friendships with Tift sisters from all over the south and internationally that she still cherishes today. Besides meetin’ lifelong friends, Ms. Abbie also met her husband while at Tift. I love a good love story y’all and their story is straight out of the movies. Since Tift was an all women’s college, students like Ms. Abbie had to have another female student chaperoning. Well, Ms. Abbie’s friend needed to meet with a car mechanic, so she went along and waited with her friend. Ms. Abbie had just bought some ice cream with her last $.79 and while her friend declined to have any ice cream, she ended up sharing with the mechanic. That young man ended up eatin’ all of her ice cream! He promised to buy her some more. Let’s just say they ended up fallin’ in love and after 44 years of marriage he’s still buying her ice cream. She still lives in Forsyth, the place where they fell in love. Ms. Abbie is retired now but she worked over the years for the City of Forsyth, Left Banque, Bunn Logging, Monroe County schools, UGA Extension Monroe County 4-H, and UGA Extension in Butts County. Talk about an impressive career impacting generations!
Ms. Nancy Dumas
I have another story to share and this one comes from alumna Nancy Dumas. She was born and raised in LaGrange, Georgia and graduated from high school there in 1968. She planned to attend Milledgeville but they became coed, so she changed her mind. After receivin’ a mailing from Tift, she went on a visit with her mother and instantly felt at home. That seems to be a shared sentiment amongst our other alumnae! Ms. Nancy came to Tift the summer after graduatin’ and stayed in the Sewell Dorm. She shared that watchin’ her parents leave was a life-changing moment. As for her studies, Ms. Nancy studied Behavioral Science and religion. She liked her classes but loved her teachers, especially Cathryn Futral, Carroll Carter, Stan Lott and I.W. Bowen. I truly believe it’s the teachers that make a difference and it just shows how much of an impact they’ve had on Ms. Nancy’s life!
During her time there, Ms. Nancy lived life to the fullest from dancing in the hall to late-night talks and pranks. She was also a class officer every year except for her senior year, a lifeguard at the pool, a choir member and helped fundraise for her classes. After graduatin’ from Tift in 1972, she fell in love with a local boy and has lived in Forsyth ever since then. They had two sons who also still call Forsyth their home. She’s continued to be a part of the community through a center that helps women through a variety of classes and counseling. She helped start the center and is still a member of the board.
Ms. Annelle Newsom
I have one last alumna story. This one is my grandmother, Ms. Annelle Newsom. She has a similar story to Ms. Abbie of meetin’ her future husband at Tift! My grandmother’s roommate was set to go on a date with a young gentleman but she needed more time to get ready, so my grandmother kept him company in the lobby. Well, they ended up having such a lovely conversation that he was back the next day to take her out on a date! They ended up gettin’ married in 1953 and the rest is history.
Although Tift College has closed its doors, the memories and lifelong relationships made there have never gone away. The women who attended Tift College have gone on to create beautiful lives for themselves and their families. Tift College will always have a lasting legacy in Forsyth and for the alumnae who called it their home. For more Forsyth stories like this one, head over to our online collection! Visit the Tift Legacy exhibit in the Conley Building (Old Stone Depot) at the Monroe County Historic Museum, created and maintained by the Traveling Tift Cutie Pies.
‘Til Next Time,
Your Storyteller
