Georgia Perimeter College celebrating 50th anniversary

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Georgia Perimeter College, which opened in 1964 as DeKalb College.

The school was the first and only public two-year college in the state controlled by a local school district. The college joined the University System of Georgia 22 years later, and was renamed GPC in 1997.

GPC has grown to include five campuses—Alpharetta, Clarkston, Decatur, Dunwoody and Newton County—and has grown from 763 enrolled students at its founding, to more than 21,000 current students. The college is also the state university system’s largest online program.

The anniversary celebration kicks off Sept. 5 during fall convocation with guest speaker Houston Davis, executive vice chancellor for the University System. GPC administrators will also present the annual state-of-the-college address and a college update.

The convocation begins at 10:30 a.m. in the Clarkston Campus gymnasium, and will be followed by a picnic.