James May-June 2025 web - Flipbook - Page 67
ercer University was
founded in 1833 as the
Mercer Institute before
shortly gaining university status in 1837, which makes it the
oldest private university in Georgia.
With more than 9,000 students— including campuses in Atlanta, Columbus, Savannah and its home base in
Macon— the university continues to
expand, adding programs and making
a bigger and bigger impact both in
central Georgia and across the state.
IMPACT IN METRO ATLANTA
Many people in Atlanta are probably not aware that a campus is even
there. Tucked into 200 wooded acres
inside the Perimeter in unincorporated DeKalb County, it is home to the
Cecil B. Day Graduate and Professional
Campus and the Pharmacy School,
the College of Health Professions, the
School of Theology and the College
of Nursing among others. All together
there are more than 3,000 students
that are part of the Atlanta campus.
“You get back in the middle of that
and you would never guess that you’re
smack in the middle of Atlanta, Georgia,” said Mercer President William
Underwood. “There are all kinds of
interesting wildlife out there and birds,
amazing wetlands. I lived in Dallas,
Texas, for several years and you don’t
see that kind of thing in Dallas.”
Geographically the campus is
larger than Mercer’s campus in Macon.
Underwood believes the most beautiful
building at Mercer is the pharmacy
building in Atlanta. The campus has
added more housing on the campus
and done some extensive renovations.
Not only is the campus a tremendous
asset for Mercer but it is also a tremendous asset to the Atlanta area.
MACON MUSIC
The last time James featured
Mercer, the university had recently
purchased Capricorn Studios in Macon,
made famous by several artists from
central Georgia— notably the Allman
Brothers and Otis Redding. Mercer had
begun restoration of the historic studio
and today it is a busy commercial
recording facility, including having several albums produced in the last year.
Henry County native and Atlanta-based
artist Eddie 9V (pronounced 9 Volt) hit
number one on the blues charts with
an album appropriately named Capricorn, because that’s where he recorded
it. After years in decline and neglect,
Mercer’s acquisition and renovations
have produced a very active recording
studio. And now the school is beginning to train students in music production out of that great and historic place.
“That was my music when I was
in high school. The Allman Brothers
were big,” reminisces Underwood.
Indeed, for many people across the
state and country, Capricorn Studios is the reason
they know Macon. Its
rejuvenation is both a
major win for Macon
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