Both of these historic structures are named for the man who, more than any other president, guided and shaped the destiny of the college – our second president, Marvin McTyeire Parks (1872-1926). Parks successfully battled to turn the then teacher's school into a four-year degree granting institution known as Georgia State College for Women. Parks was both revered and feared by his students, and his untimely death in 1926 shocked the college and community as few events have. Parks Hall (1911) was named for him in 1913 while he was still president. The Parks Memorial Nursing Building (1928) was erected with donations from alumnae to commemorate this beloved president.
By Dr. Bob Wilson, University Historian
