Reinhardt University is a small United Methodist-affiliated school in the Waleska foothills of Cherokee County. It began in 1883 in a converted cabinet shop. Now it's a wooded campus of about 525 acres that holds two regional landmarks: Georgia's official Frontier and Southeastern Indian Interpretive Center, and a concert hall that brings touring musicians to town. It enrolls about 1,200 students, and its Eagles have won four straight conference football titles.
About this site
Reinhardt University is a college & university in Waleska, Cherokee County. It is one of 43 historic sites cataloged in Cherokee County on Georgia Roam.
The site sits at 34.3198, -84.5534 near Waleska. The nearest cataloged historic site is Refuge Baptist Church Cemetery (cemetery), about 2.1 miles away. Others within a short drive include McFarland Cemetery, Hopewell Cemetery, and Hightower Church Cemetery.
This record is drawn from Georgia Roam. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
What makes Reinhardt University different
Reinhardt Academy opened in January 1884 with 40 students in a converted cabinet and wood shop. georgiaencyclopedia.org
The Funk Heritage Center on campus is Georgia's official Frontier and Southeastern Indian Interpretive Center, and it is a certified National Park Service Trail of Tears interpretive site. funkheritagecenter.org
Blanche Hagan Chapel serves both the university and the congregation of Waleska United Methodist Church. catalog.reinhardt.edu
Frank Gordy, who founded Atlanta's Varsity drive-in, went to Reinhardt before Georgia Tech. en.wikipedia.org
Reinhardt dropped football in 1920 and brought it back in 2013. By 2017 the Eagles were playing in the NAIA national championship game. en.wikipedia.org
The Falany Performing Arts Center runs a public concert season of Americana, bluegrass, classical, jazz and tribute acts. thefalany.com
Reinhardt grew out of a Confederate veteran's plan for his home valley. In 1883 Capt. Augustus M. Reinhardt and John J. A. Sharp founded a school in Waleska with support from the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Reinhardt named it for his father, Lewis, who had settled there in 1833. Reinhardt Academy opened in January 1884 with 40 students in a converted cabinet and wood shop. Its main job was training teachers and preachers for the north Georgia hills.
In 1891 the legislature chartered it as Reinhardt Normal College, and it had about 200 students by then. In 1920 it became a junior college, and its first college graduates finished in 1921. For most of the 20th century Reinhardt was a two-year Methodist college. The Burgess Administration Building, which opened in 1951, became its front door.
Reinhardt offered its first bachelor's degree in 1992 and was accredited for four-year programs in 1994. The Funk Heritage Center opened on campus in 1999 and was later named Georgia's official Frontier and Southeastern Indian Interpretive Center. The school became Reinhardt University in 2010, added graduate programs and online degrees, and revived football in 2013 after a 93-year break. Mark A. Roberts, a poet and scholar of Appalachian culture, became the 21st president in 2021.
Reinhardt offers more than 40 undergraduate majors, concentrations and tracks, nine master's programs, and online degrees for working adults. Its academic units are the College of Humanities, Sciences and Technology (which includes the Price School of Education), the McCamish School of Business and Professions, the Cauble School of Nursing and Health Sciences, and the School of the Arts. The list below follows the 2026 catalog.
Known for
History (with a Certificate in Museum Studies)
History students can earn a museum studies certificate. The campus has its own museum, the Funk Heritage Center, which is Georgia's official frontier and Southeastern Indian center.
Known for
Music (BA, BM in Performance, BME)
Music students rehearse and perform in the Falany Performing Arts Center, the campus concert hall that also presents a professional season.
Known for
Criminal Justice
An optional law-enforcement concentration lets qualified students earn Georgia basic peace officer (P.O.S.T.) certification while completing the degree.
Known for
Creative Writing (BFA and MFA)
Reinhardt offers creative writing at both the bachelor's (BFA) and master's (MFA) level.
Known for
Nursing (BSN and MSN)
Taught in the Cauble School of Nursing and Health Sciences, which President Roberts helped create.
Frank Gordy — founder of The Varsity, the Atlanta drive-in restaurant chain (attended Reinhardt before Georgia Tech) en.wikipedia.org
Terry Coleman — former Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives (associate degree) en.wikipedia.org
Sachi Koto — CNN news anchor for 16 years (communications degree, summa cum laude) en.wikipedia.org
James C. Davis — eight-term U.S. congressman from Georgia (attended) en.wikipedia.org
Peggy Gaddis Dern — prolific writer of romance and 'nurse novels' (graduate) en.wikipedia.org
Jenny Beth Martin — co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots (1990) en.wikipedia.org
Athletics: Reinhardt Eagles
NAIA · Appalachian Athletic Conference
BaseballBasketballCheerCross countryFlag football (women)FootballGolfLacrosseSoccerSoftballTrack & field (indoor and outdoor)VolleyballWrestling (men)
NAIA football national runner-up in 2017, in only the program's fifth season since football returned en.wikipedia.org
Four straight Appalachian Athletic Conference football championships (2022–2025) en.wikipedia.org
Men's lacrosse won three straight NAIA National Invitational titles, the last in 2019 en.wikipedia.org
Home venues: Ken White Field at University Stadium (football, soccer, lacrosse) · Brown Athletic Center (basketball) · Ken White Baseball Field · Ken White Softball Field
Reinhardt College History at 125 Years Old · RUVidProfIntertwining Gold, Religion and Education in Northern Georgia - "Understanding the Intertwinings" · Reinhardt UniversityUSF Football 24 vs Reinhardt 13 | National Championship Highlights · Saint Francis Cougar Athletics
In Waleska, a small town in the foothills of northern Cherokee County, about an hour north of downtown Atlanta.
How big is Reinhardt?
Small. Federal data counts 1,233 students in Fall 2024, and they study on a wooded rural campus of about 525 acres.
Is Reinhardt a religious school?
Reinhardt is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, and its chapel doubles as the home of Waleska United Methodist Church. It admits students of all backgrounds.
What division is Reinhardt in?
The NAIA. The Eagles play in the Appalachian Athletic Conference in more than 20 sports. Football won four straight conference titles from 2022 to 2025 and reached the NAIA title game in 2017.
Can you visit the Funk Heritage Center?
Yes. It's open to the public on the Reinhardt campus from Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is charged, so check funkheritagecenter.org for current hours before you go.
What is Reinhardt known for?
Small classes, education, business, music and the arts, and two campus landmarks: the Funk Heritage Center and the Falany Performing Arts Center.
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