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Young Harris College was conceived in the mind of circuit-riding Methodist minister, Rev. Artemas Lester, and it was through his efforts that this institution became a reality. The College was started in 1886, as the McTyeire Institute, with the purpose of providing the first and only educational opportunities to the residents of this isolated area in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Judge Young L. G. Harris of Athens, Georgia contributed to the financial needs of the school when it became evident, during its initial years, it would not continue without financial support. Even after 1886, Judge Harris continued to contribute substantially to the College.
In 1891, the name of the school was officially changed to Young L.G. Harris College to honor its first great benefactor. The name of the surrounding village was later changed to Young Harris by an act of the Georgia legislature.
In 1931, Young Harris College was accepted for accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). At that time, YHC only offered terminal college diplomas and college prep diplomas for those planning to continue to the baccalaureate level.
Throughout the years, the College has survived by being flexible. It has served as a two (2) year institution and a high school, and it has created and replaced courses and programs as the needs of its students change. In 2007, the Board of Trustees charged the then incoming president, Cathy Cox, with returning the College to a four (4) year institution. In December 2008, Young Harris College received accreditation as a baccalaureate-granting institution, initially offering majors in Biology, Business and Public Policy, English, and Music. In 2018, Young Harris College received accreditation to offer its first Master’s Degree, a Master of Arts in Teaching. Today the college offers 29 majors.
From its beginning, Young Harris College was more than just a school for young men and women of the mountains. Because of its academic standing and Christian tradition, YHC has attracted students from across Georgia, the Southeast, and even foreign countries. Today, its student body is drawn from all over the world. Young Harris College sends back to these places, to quote a graduate, “…men and women able to serve their communities and their God, for in the mountain college of North Georgia they found a place in society and faith to live by.” More information about the history of the College can be found at yhc.edu/about/history.
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