Berry College

 

Small College - A VERY BIG Campus That Tops the Rankings For Size

  It is a mid-April Easter weekend, but here the weather remains bad and the landscape still barren. Last week, some of us seeking sunny relief turned to television and the Masters where sunshine was sure to be, along with beautiful flowers. The weather there also was disappointing, but I will present here another Georgia destination where I am sure you will be pleased to spend some time on these cloudy days.

   I have often thought that it would be interesting to tour the United States and visit the colleges and universities found in small towns. There are many of them. Usually the campuses serve as oases where green spaces and Gothic buildings offer some relief from the asphalt and malls that are adjacent to the Interstate Highways. Berry College is about 75 miles from Chattanooga or Atlanta and an exit to it from Route 75 would be well worth taking if you decide to wait no longer for good weather and head to Florida. 

   Berry is big as you will see from the caption above. The 'bigness' of a campus is hard to define and often includes the population contained on it. Often, as well, the 'bigness' is exaggerated if it appears on the college brochure, since most things are. In addition, what constitutes a 'campus' can be expanded quite a bit to include all the campuses of all the branches of, say a state university system.
   Close by, the central campus at Western consists of about 420 acres, which, over the years, have become less Gothic and green. One can also include the campuses of what used to be the Affiliated Colleges, which have graduated to become universities. There is also Spencer Lodge and the Research Park and the Elginfield Observatory and the campuses of the Ivey Business School in Toronto and Hong Kong. 

   Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh has a campus in Qatar. 

  Small Berry College has a very big campus in terms of area if not population. It is said to be the largest in the world and probably is. It is certainly the largest on this continent. Two of the military academies in the U.S. (Air Force and West Point) occupy a lot of space, but neither approaches 27,000 acres. In Canada, B.C. is often said to be the largest in terms of area, but it is probably second to the University of Saskatchewan ( 1,508 acres to 2,925 respectively.) By the way, the Wikipedia entries for colleges and universities, usually provide campus size by area as well as the population. 

What About the Beauty Ranking?

  Such a ranking is more subjective, but I am confident that Berry is near the top.  If you take a virtual tour of the campus, you can decide for yourself and the other sources provided will give you something to do during what is predicted here to be a rather grim weekend. 

Have a Look

   The Berry story is an interesting one, by the way, and on the 27,000 acres you will find some impressive buildings and the largest hard court tennis facility in the United States. There are also trails and forests and they moved the location of their stadium to accommodate some eagles which you can view on one of their EAGLE CAMS. 

   You can begin your tour at Berry College, but I would start at the Oak Hill and the Martha Berry Museum, where you will find a useful timeline as well as pictures. Rome is nearby and looks like an interesting college town.  Tourism Georgia also promotes Berry and its nature trails. 

Additional Sources:

   In terms of beauty, Berry is listed as second after Stanford in: "America's Most Beautiful College Campuses," Travel + Leisure, June 24, 2021. 
   See also: "South's Most Beautiful Colleges 2020," by Jennifer Chappell Smith, Southern Living, Sept. 11, 2020.

"The Ford Complex, inspired by Oxford University’s Christ Church in England, gives Berry College a touch of British grandeur in the midst of its rural Georgia setting, and its Neo-Gothic architecture inspires serious study. On this 27,000-acre property, the formal Ford Complex gives way to pastureland, hills, lakes, log cabins, and the Mountain Campus, where an old mill and waterwheel make a great spot for a photo op. Miles of split-rail fences are maintained by the students, who not only study here but also work to keep it beautiful. In fact, 90% of Berry students work on campus in some capacity during their academic tenures. “We believe that beauty nurtures the heart just as academic studies mold the mind, and work experience trains the hands,” explains Berry College president Stephen Briggs. “[Founder] Martha Berry believed that beauty is an integral part of education.” She created an institution where both can flourish."

But What About Sewanee?

  I anticipate that loyal readers of Mulcahy's Miscellany will ask  that question. As they will know, I produce a series of posts under the clever title "Periodical Ramblings." The very first one was about The Sewanee Review which is produced at Sewanee which is really the University of the South. I happened to mention that the campus at Sewanee is both serene and VERY BIG  and the 'Domain', as it is known, also occupies thousands of desirable acres. If you do take that drive south, before you get to the exit that will take you towards Rome, take the one near Chattanooga that will put you close to Sewanee, TN. 

  Sewanee also ranked high on Southern Living's list of most beautiful campuses in the South. Here is the accompanying description:

Collegiate Gothic architecture defines The University of the South, aka “Sewanee,” which is tucked into a rural, forested perch atop the Cumberland Plateau. Just a mile away from downtown Sewanee, the campus feels like a retreat. Laurie Saxton, an alum who now works at the university, points to some of its most striking features: Abbo’s Alley, a natural spring and creek, runs near the center of campus and is lined with daffodils in spring. Dorm-side lakes offer spots for recreational fishing. The woods inspire professors to take students out for “labs” that usually involve hiking and listening to lectures under the trees. In the heart of campus, the iconic All Saints’ Chapel rises on the central Quad. “We think of it as the living room on the Quad,” says Saxton, “and it’s open to people of all faiths or no faith.”

The Bonus: Thinking About Retiring (to someplace warmer and sunnier)?

   Premium subscribers to Mulcahy's Miscellany will know that it contains the most comprehensive guides to retirement communities near or on college campuses. They were designed for those who are demented enough to think they would be welcomed back to their, or someone else's, alma mater and that they would have long to stay.  The first one is: Retiring Back to University: Bucolic College Towns and the second: Lifelong Learning: University-Based Retirement Communities. 

To those exhaustive lists, you can add this new one: The Spires at Berry College: Lakeside Senior Living - An Extraordinary Setting For Your Next Chapter.