Oglethorpe is a small liberal arts university in Brookhaven, set among granite Gothic halls modeled on Oxford's Corpus Christi College. It was founded in 1835 and refounded on Peachtree Road in 1915. A basement room on campus holds the Crypt of Civilization, a time capsule sealed in 1940 that isn't to be opened until the year 8113. The school has a free art museum, a 42-bell carillon, and a required core curriculum it has taught since 1944.
About this site
Oglethorpe University is a college & university in Brookhaven, DeKalb County. It is one of 3 colleges & universities documented in DeKalb County, among 143 historic sites cataloged across the county on Georgia Roam.
The site sits at 33.8758, -84.3343 near Brookhaven. The nearest cataloged historic site is Oglethorpe University (historical marker), about 0.3 miles away. Others within a short drive include The Samuel House Plantation, Brookhaven Historic District, and Old Cross Keys.
This record is drawn from Georgia Roam. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
What makes Oglethorpe University different
The Crypt of Civilization, sealed on May 28, 1940, beneath Phoebe Hearst Hall, holds microfilmed books, recordings and everyday objects. It is not to be opened until May 28, 8113. Guinness once called it the first successful attempt to bury a record for future inhabitants. oglethorpe.edu
Franklin D. Roosevelt gave Oglethorpe's 1932 commencement address, calling for 'bold, persistent experimentation' to fight the Depression. presidency.ucsb.edu
Poet Sidney Lanier graduated first in his class at the original Oglethorpe in 1860. oglethorpe.edu
The Lupton Hall tower holds a 42-bell carillon. Since 2005, graduating seniors have signed a registry and rung one of the bells by hand. oglethorpe.edu
In the Petrels of Fire race each February, students try to run all the way around the academic quad before Lupton Hall's noon bells stop chiming. en.wikipedia.org
Lupton Hall, Phoebe Hearst Hall, Lowry Hall and Hermance Stadium were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. en.wikipedia.org
The college closed in 1862 after its endowment, invested in Confederate bonds, was lost, and it was refounded in Atlanta in 1913. oglethorpe.edu
Georgia chartered Oglethorpe University in 1835 as a Presbyterian college named for the colony's founder, James Edward Oglethorpe. It opened in 1838 at Midway, near the state capital of Milledgeville, with four professors and about 25 students. Its best-known graduate from those years is the poet Sidney Lanier, who finished first in the class of 1860. The Civil War shut the college down in 1862: students left for the army, the buildings were taken over for military use, and the endowment, invested in Confederate bonds, was lost. An attempt to restart in Atlanta in 1870 failed within two years.
Thornwell Jacobs, a Presbyterian minister and writer, revived the school. He had it rechartered in 1913, laid a cornerstone on Peachtree Road in 1915, and led it for nearly three decades. The campus was built of granite in the Collegiate Gothic style, modeled on Corpus Christi College at Oxford. Jacobs also dreamed up the Crypt of Civilization, a sealed record of 20th-century life, which was closed in 1940. Franklin D. Roosevelt gave the 1932 commencement address here, calling for 'bold, persistent experimentation' against the Depression.
In 1944, under president Philip Weltner, Oglethorpe introduced a required core curriculum built around the idea that college should teach students to 'make a life, make a living.' Four of its historic buildings joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. Kathryn McClymond became president in 2023, and the U.S. News 2027 rankings placed Oglethorpe #11 nationally for social mobility among liberal arts colleges.
#11 in social mobility among national liberal arts colleges — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
#146 among national liberal arts colleges — U.S. News & World Report, 2027source
Majors & programs
Every Oglethorpe student takes the Core, a required sequence of seminars in the humanities, social sciences and sciences, alongside a major. Business programs are in the Hammack School of Business, which also offers an MBA. This is the program list the university published in September 2026. Some fields are offered only as minors.
Known for
The Core curriculum
A required interdisciplinary sequence rooted in the 1944 'Oglethorpe Idea' of teaching students to 'make a life, make a living.'
Known for
Business Administration and Accounting (Hammack School of Business)
Offered as BBA and BS degrees, with an MBA. Recent graduates have gone to KPMG, Accenture and Bank of America.
Known for
Medical & Scientific Illustration
An unusual art track that combines studio art with the sciences.
Known for
Biopsychology and Biomedical Sciences
Science majors that lead into health careers. Recent graduates have gone on to Emory, Georgia Tech and other graduate schools.
Known for
Engineering dual degree
Students start with the liberal arts at Oglethorpe and finish an engineering degree at a partner university.
Known for
Film and Media Studies
A B.A. with tracks in filmmaking, video and photography, and in media studies.
Sidney Lanier — poet and musician, author of 'The Marshes of Glynn'; first in his class (1860) en.wikipedia.org
Luke Appling — Hall of Fame shortstop who played 20 seasons for the Chicago White Sox (attended) en.wikipedia.org
Joseph Mackey Brown — governor of Georgia, 1909–1911 and 1912–1913 (graduated 1872) en.wikipedia.org
Vincent Sherman — Hollywood director of 'Mr. Skeffington' and other Warner Bros. films (graduate) en.wikipedia.org
Charles L. Weltner — congressman who later received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, and chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court (B.A., 1948) en.wikipedia.org
Earl Blackwell — society publicist and founder of the Celebrity Service and Celebrity Register (journalism degree) en.wikipedia.org
Tom Douglas — Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member who co-wrote Miranda Lambert's 'The House That Built Me' (1975) en.wikipedia.org
Where graduates work
88% of the Class of 2025 were employed, volunteering or continuing their education within six months of graduating. This is Oglethorpe's own figure. It is based on what the university knows about 78% of the class (its 'knowledge rate'). The employers below are examples the career office lists for the Classes of 2024 and 2025. oglethorpe.edu
AccentureBank of AmericaKPMGMercedes-BenzPorsche Cars North AmericaUPSInspire BrandsChildren's Healthcare of AtlantaNorthside HospitalMorgan StanleyFederal Reserve Bank of AtlantaElevance HealthIHG Hotels & ResortsKoch IndustriesCity of AtlantaAlliance TheatreActor's Express
Inside the Crypt of Curiosity: Oglethorpe's 6,000-Year Time Capsule | Travel Tales · GPBOglethorpe Day 2020: Petrels of Fire · Oglethorpe UniversityOglethorpe Day 2024 · Oglethorpe University
Its Collegiate Gothic campus, its required Core curriculum, and the Crypt of Civilization, a 1940 time capsule on campus. U.S. News ranked it #11 in social mobility among national liberal arts colleges in its 2027 edition.
Can you see the Crypt of Civilization?
The crypt is sealed until the year 8113, so there's nothing to see inside. Its stainless-steel door is in the basement of Phoebe Hearst Hall, and the university's website describes what's inside.
How big is Oglethorpe University?
Small: 1,425 students in Fall 2024 (1,396 undergraduates), according to the U.S. Department of Education.
What division is Oglethorpe?
NCAA Division III, in the Southern Athletic Association. The teams are the Stormy Petrels.
Is the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art free?
Yes, general admission is free. The museum is on campus off Peachtree Road. Check museum.oglethorpe.edu for current hours and exhibitions.
Is Oglethorpe in Atlanta?
It's in Brookhaven, a city just northeast of Atlanta, at 4484 Peachtree Road NE.
Who is Oglethorpe's president?
Kathryn McClymond, the 18th president, who took office in 2023.
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