New Plaza Constructed

At the entrance to the Wheatley Administration Building, the University added a new and unique welcome to visitors of campus. A new plaza was constructed that surrounds the flagpole which includes a set of hedges that spell “GSW.” On the back side of the hedge within the brick-paved plaza, President Jimmy Carter’s signature in cement is on display with a plaque that reads: “On February 13, 1942, four freshmen identified as possessing strong leadership skills etched their names in the wet cement of the newly constructed driveway of the Wheatley Building: Bill Davis (DeSoto), John McCrea (Atlanta), Bob Logan (Quitman) and Jimmy Carter (Plains).

Jimmy Carter would later become the 76th Governor of Georgia and the 39th President of the United States. In 2014, the cement etching was removed from the driveway to preserve it for future generations of Georgia Southwestern State University students.”