Shorter began in 1873 as a Baptist college for women on a hill in downtown Rome. It moved in the early 1910s to a larger hilltop west of town, a campus students still call simply "the Hill." Music has been part of its identity for most of that time: Shorter joined the National Association of Schools of Music in 1934, and it counts opera star Jamie Barton among its former students. Today it is a coeducational Christian university.
About this site
Shorter University is a college & university in Rome, Floyd County. It is one of 3 colleges & universities documented in Floyd County, among 160 historic sites cataloged across the county on Georgia Roam.
The site sits at 34.2587, -85.1918 near Rome. The nearest cataloged historic site is Shorter University�s Arnold ART Gallery (museum), about 0.3 miles away. Others within a short drive include Myrtle Hill Cemetery, Ellen Louise Axson Wilson, and Here Lies in Honored Glory an American Soldier.
This record is drawn from Georgia Roam. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
What makes Shorter University different
It started as a women's college: the Cherokee Baptist Female College, founded in 1873 by a Rome Baptist pastor and renamed for benefactors Alfred and Martha Shorter in 1877. georgiaencyclopedia.org
Its first campus was a turreted Victorian building on Shelton Hill downtown. After Shorter moved west of town, that building served as Rome High School from 1911 until it was torn down in 1980. en.wikipedia.org
Shorter joined the National Association of Schools of Music in 1934, and music and theatre are still among its best-known programs. georgiaencyclopedia.org
In 2005 its trustees tried to break away from the Georgia Baptist Convention, and the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that they didn't have the authority to do it. en.wikipedia.org
In its final NAIA season, 2011–12, Shorter finished second in the national Learfield Directors' Cup and won national titles in softball and men's outdoor track and field. en.wikipedia.org
Thornwood, the house Alfred Shorter finished in 1854, was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1936 and is now part of the university. commons.wikimedia.org
In 1873 the Rev. Luther Rice Gwaltney and members of Rome Baptist Church founded the Cherokee Baptist Female College. Four years later Alfred and Martha Shorter paid for its first major buildings, and the school took their name. Its turreted Victorian buildings on Shelton Hill in downtown Rome taught girls and young women at primary, preparatory and college levels. After more gifts, the college moved in the early 1910s to its present hilltop west of the city, and the old downtown campus became Rome High School. Under President Azor Van Hoose, Shorter concentrated on college education for women. It earned regional accreditation in the 1920s and joined the National Association of Schools of Music in 1934.
Men were admitted in the 1950s, and the renamed Shorter College started intercollegiate athletics in the NAIA. Randall Minor, president from 1958 to 1982, tied the college to the Georgia Baptist Convention. In 2005 Shorter's trustees tried to cut that tie, but the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that they lacked the authority to do so. In 2010 the business school moved into a new building as the Robert H. Ledbetter College of Business, and the college became Shorter University. A faith and lifestyle statement required of employees from 2011 led to a wave of faculty departures.
Shorter now enrolls about 1,300 students on the Hill and online. It moved its athletics into NCAA Division II in the early 2010s and joined Conference Carolinas in 2024. Donald Dowless is president.
#275 among master's universities (national list) — Washington Monthly, 2025source
#113 in 'Best Colleges for Your Tuition and Tax Dollars' – Southeast — Washington Monthly, 2026source
Majors & programs
Shorter offers liberal arts and professional degrees on the Hill, and business, education and other programs online. Its fine and performing arts programs have a conservatory-style focus, and education has long been one of its largest departments. For the full list, see the official catalog.
Known for
Music (including Music Education and Worship Leadership)
Shorter has been a member of the National Association of Schools of Music since 1934, and its chorale has performed at national choral conventions.
Known for
Theatre
Taught in the School of Fine and Performing Arts, which offers performance opportunities starting in the first year.
Known for
Nursing (BSN)
Offered by the Ben and Ollie Brady School of Nursing on Shorter's Thornwood campus.
Known for
Education
Teacher certification tracks in elementary, special, middle-grades, secondary math and history, and music education, plus an MAT and an M.Ed.
Known for
Business
The Robert H. Ledbetter College of Business offers a BBA, an MBA, a Master of Accountancy and accelerated bachelor's-to-master's options.
All degree programs at Shorter University (6)
Robert H. Ledbetter College of Business
Majors include Accounting, Computer Information Systems, General Business, Management, Marketing and Sport Management; graduate degrees include the MBA, Master of Accountancy and Master of Management
School of Education
Elementary Education, Elementary and Special Education, Middle Grades Education, Secondary Math and History Education, Music Education; MAT and M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Majors include Christian Studies, Communication, Criminal Justice, English, History, Political Science and Psychology
Ware School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Six Bachelor of Science degrees in the natural sciences and mathematics · BS
School of Fine and Performing Arts
Music (performance, music education, music and worship leadership) and Theatre, with minors in art and dance
Shorter University Chorale · NationalACDAJohn Smoltz interview- Shorter University President's Gala 2025 · Shorter UniversityFormer UN Ambassador Andrew Young speaks at Shorter University · romenewstribuneHighlights: Shorter vs Chowan | GSC Football 2024 · FloCollege | Football
The Shorter Hawks compete in NCAA Division II. Most teams play in Conference Carolinas, which Shorter joined in 2024, and track & field competes in the Peach Belt Conference.
Is Shorter University a religious school?
Yes. Shorter is a private Christian university affiliated with the Georgia Baptist Convention.
How big is Shorter University?
It had 1,318 students in Fall 2024 (1,203 undergraduates), according to the U.S. Department of Education. The main campus is a hilltop of roughly 150 acres west of downtown Rome.
What is Shorter University known for?
Music and theatre, which have strong traditions going back to its years as a women's college. It is also known for teacher education, nursing and business, and for its hilltop campus overlooking Rome.
Was Shorter a women's college?
Yes. It was founded in 1873 as the Cherokee Baptist Female College and became coeducational in the 1950s.
Why is it called 'the Hill'?
Since the early 1910s the campus has stood on a hilltop west of downtown Rome, and students and alumni have long called it the Hill. The college's first home was a different hill downtown.
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