| 1822-1844 | ||
| 1844-1876 | ||
| 1876-1893 | ||
| 1893-1906 | ||
| 1906-1931 | ||
| 1931-1958 | ||
| 1931-1934 | ||
| 1934-1953 | ||
| 1953-1958 | ||
| 1958-1988 | ||
| 1988-Future | ||
| School of | ||
| Allied Health Sciences (1968) | ||
| Dentistry (1965) | ||
| Graduate Studies (1965) | ||
| Nursing (1956) | ||
1934-1953
On February 1, 1951, President Kelly’s dream of MCG having its own hospital came true when Gov. Herman Talmadge, son of Gov. Eugene Talmadge, signed a bill authorizing building a state hospital in Augusta. A few months later, the General Assembly approved naming the hospital after the late Gov. Eugene Talmadge. During spring 1951, the school modified teaching practices to be more practical for third- and fourth-year students. This modification resulted in students attending large classes for didactic courses and smaller classes for lectures. The curriculum’s alteration also provided more opportunities for working in hospitals and clinics. In November 1951, the hospital officially opened the new heart laboratory. A grant from the National Heart Institute provided funding, and the facility was under the direction of Dr. Hamilton. The 1951 commencement saw the college bestow the first Master of Science degrees, one in medical art and the other in medical microbiology.
 Political Protest of 1945 |
 Hospital 1951 |
Dr. George Lombard Kelly (1890-1972)
Dean, 1934-1950
President, 1950-1953
Dr. George Lombard Kelly, a native Augustan, withdrew twice from medical schools because of illness before he
received his MD degree from the Medical Department of the University of Georgia in 1924. Before he graduated, he
started teaching at the school in 1918 as assistant professor of anatomy. Dr. Kelly earned his BS in Medicine in
1921 and MD degree in 1924. The school promoted him to professor of anatomy five
years later. In 1934, the Board of Regents named Dr. Kelly acting dean of the institution, and in 1935, they
appointed him dean. Dr. Kelly embarked on a 20-year mission, not only to save the school from extinction,
but also to put it on a strong foundation that would assure its continued existence and growth. He developed
a master plan that included establishing a state owned and controlled teaching hospital in Augusta to
replace the city owned and controlled University Hospital.
In 1950, Dr. Kelly became the first president of the school, after the regents separated the institution from the University of Georgia and renamed it the Medical College of Georgia. He continued to teach anatomy and the history of medicine. In March 1953, Dr. Kelly announced he would retire at the end of the fiscal year to devote his time practicing reproductive physiology. One month after his retirement, construction started on the state hospital. Dr. Kelly was President Emeritus of the Medical College of Georgia until his death in 1972.
University Hospital
Completed in January 1935, University Hospital's Milton Antony Wing, named for MCG’s founder, cost $86,500. Funds for this project
included $64,875 from the city and county and $21,625 from the federal Public Works Administration. The Antony Wing
remained unoccupied until October 1935 when a donation of $18,000 from Mrs. John W. Herbert, a winter resident, funded
equipment for the building. The first floor was an outpatient clinic, and the second floor was for patients with
communicable diseases. The Jennings Wing, named for Dr. William D. Jennings, an MCG graduate and former mayor, was
completed in 1945 with 42 private patient rooms. This addition gave University Hospital a 350-bed capacity.
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Dugas Building
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Murphey Building
Occupied in 1939, the Murphey Building was named after Dr. Eugene E. Murphey, professor
of medicine and commissioner of public health for Augusta and Richmond County. The Public Works Administration
funded construction of the Murphey Building. Having undergone several additions and renovations, the Murphey Building
currently houses the Department of Pathology.