Emory University

Emory University
Name	Emory University
Established	1836
Type	Private research university
Endowment	$11.0 billion (2023)
President	Gregory L. Fenves
City	Atlanta
State	Georgia
Country	United States
Campus	Suburban, 631 acres
Affiliations	Association of American Universities

Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia, by the Georgia Methodist Conference, it was named for John Emory, a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The university comprises nine academic divisions, including a leading liberal arts college, graduate schools, and the renowned Emory University School of Medicine.

History

The institution was founded as Emory College in 1836 in the small town of Oxford, Georgia, its early years shaped by figures like college president Augustus Baldwin Longstreet. The college was closed during the American Civil War, with its campus used as a headquarters for Union Army forces under General William Tecumseh Sherman. In 1914, following a transformative land grant and financial gift from Asa Griggs Candler, the founder of The Coca-Cola Company, the college relocated to its current Druid Hills site in Atlanta and was rechartered as a university. A pivotal moment in its growth came in 1979 with a historic $105 million gift from Robert W. Woodruff, the longtime president of The Coca-Cola Company, which propelled its endowment and national stature. The university's health sciences center expanded significantly with the 1965 affiliation with the Grady Memorial Hospital and the 1990 merger with the Briarcliff College property, which became the Emory National Primate Research Center.

Academics

The university is organized into nine schools, including the undergraduate Emory College of Arts and Sciences, the Oxford College on the original campus, and graduate divisions such as the Goizueta Business School, the School of Law, and the Laney Graduate School. It is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity." The Emory University School of Medicine and the adjacent Emory University Hospital are central to its research enterprise, particularly in fields like neuroscience, global health, and vaccinology, where researchers contributed to the development of the COVID-19 vaccine. Other notable units include the Candler School of Theology, the Rollins School of Public Health, and the Michael C. Carlos Museum, which houses an extensive collection of ancient art.

Campus

The main campus is located in the Druid Hills neighborhood of Atlanta, on land designed by the landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Its distinctive architecture is predominantly Georgia marble and limestone, with the Emory University Chapel as a central landmark. The campus includes the Lullwater Preserve, a 154-acre forest with a former Candler family mansion, and is adjacent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The university also operates the Emory University Hospital midtown campus and the Wesley Woods geriatric hospital. The original Oxford College campus, 38 miles east, functions as a two-year liberal arts division.

Student life

Student life is governed by the Student Government Association and features over 400 student organizations. A significant number of students participate in Greek life, with chapters from the National Panhellenic Conference and the North American Interfraternity Conference. The university hosts notable annual events like the Dooley's Week celebration, named for the unofficial skeleton mascot James W. Dooley. Religious life is active, supported by the Cannon Chapel and organizations like the Emory Catholic Center. Student media includes the newspaper *The Emory Wheel* and radio station WMRE.

Athletics

The university's athletic teams, known as the Eagles, compete in NCAA Division III as a member of the University Athletic Association, a conference of selective research institutions. Varsity sports include basketball, swimming, tennis, and track and field. The Eagles have won multiple national championships in golf and swimming. Athletic facilities include the Woodruff Physical Education Center and the WoodPEC, alongside the George W. Woodruff Residential Center.

Notable alumni and faculty

Notable alumni include former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who teaches at The Carter Center, which is affiliated with the university; novelist Salman Rushdie; former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson; and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Natasha Trethewey. The faculty and affiliated researchers have included Nobel laureates such as Muhammad Yunus and Peter Agre, as well as famed surgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Other distinguished figures are former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn and civil rights leader Vernon Jordan.

Category:Universities and colleges in Atlanta Category:Private universities and colleges in Georgia (U.S. state)