Oglethorpe University Oglethorpe University is a private liberal arts college in Brookhaven , an inner suburb of Atlanta , in the U . S . state of Georgia . It was chartered in 1835 and named after James Edward Oglethorpe , the state ' s founder . History . Oglethorpe University was chartered in 1835 in Midway , just south of the city of Milledgeville , then the state capital . The school was built and , at that time , governed by the Presbyterian Church , making it one of the South ' s earliest denominational institutions . The American Civil War led to the school ' s closing from 1862 to 1866 . The college followed the relocation of the capital to Atlanta . In 1870 , it began holding classes at the present site of Atlanta City Hall . Plagued by financial difficulties , the school closed its doors two years later . Oglethorpe College was re - chartered as a non - denominational institution in 1913 . In 1915 the cornerstone to the new campus was laid at its present location on Peachtree Road in Brookhaven . The person behind rebuilding Oglethorpe was Dr . Thornwell Jacobs , whose grandfather , Professor Ferdinand Jacobs , had served on the faculty of Old Oglethorpe . Jacobs would serve as president for nearly three decades . In the early 1940s Oglethorpe University had a medical school . Under the direction of Dr . John Bernard , the university was given several elephants for research , who had been poisoned by the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus . After the students had finished dissecting the animals they were buried under what is known today as the Philip Weltner Library . Oglethorpe University became Oglethorpe College in 1965 , and reclaimed the designation " university " several years later . Many of Oglethorpe ' s campus buildings were built in a Gothic revival architecture style . This area of the campus is listed in the National Register of Historic Places . Academics . Majors . Majors offered at Oglethorpe University include Accounting , American Studies , Art History , Studio Art , Behavioral Science & Human Resource Management , Biology , Biopsychology , Business Administration , Chemistry , Communication and Rhetoric Studies , Economics , Engineering , English , French , History , Individually Planned Majors , International Studies , Mathematics , Philosophy , Physics , Politics , Psychology , Sociology , Spanish , and Theatre . Accreditation . In December 2009 , The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools ( SACS ) fully reaffirmed the University ' s accreditation . Coat of arms . Oglethorpe ' s collegiate coat - of - arms is emblazoned with three boars ' heads and the Latin inscription " Nescit Cedere , " meaning " He does not know how to give up . " Points of interest . The Conant Performing Arts Center , completed in 1997 , serves as the seasonal home of Georgia Shakespeare . The Oglethorpe University Museum of Art opened in 1984 and is located on the top floor of the Philip Weltner Library . The two galleries , the South and Skylight , and gift shop cover 7 , 000 square feet . Bringing in thousands of visitors each year , the museum has become an important point of interest in Atlanta ' s art community . In 1994 , Lupton Hall , Phoebe Hearst Hall , Lowry Hall and Hermance Stadium were added to the National Register of Historic Places . In addition , a historic district including part or all of the campus was listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Other academic buildings include Goslin Hall , primarily used for science courses , and J . Mack Robinson Hall , primarily used for Communication and Art classes . Oglethorpe University is home to the Crypt of Civilization , the first and most complete time capsule ever created , according to the " Guinness Book of World Records " . Scheduled to be opened in 8113 AD , it is located in the basement of Phoebe Hearst Hall . Oglethorpe University is home to the International Time Capsule Society , a repository of time capsule projects worldwide . Goodman Cafe was added to the university in fall 2011 , and is housed in Goodman Hall . The cafe serves hot and cold drinks and baked goods . It is student - funded by the Student Government Association . In August 2012 , the Emerson Student Center was torn down and a new student center is currently under construction in it place , and is estimated for completion by fall of 2013 . From its opening in 1990 until 2003 , the Seigakuin Atlanta International School was located on the property of Oglethorpe University , in a former public school building . Study abroad . Oglethorpe University promotes the concept of international education and travel as an essential component of an academic education . Oglethorpe University Students Abroad sponsors trips for - credit , short - term , partnerships and agreements . Oglethorpe University offers a selection of opportunities in four divisions : International Exchange Partnerships , Independent Study Abroad - Non Partnerships , Short Term Trips , and Associate Student Programs for Special Study Abroad . For foreign students wishing to study in the Unites States , Education First ] , an International Study Abroad Organization , opened its Atlanta Language Center on the Oglethorpe University Campus in the fall 2012 . Greek life . Fraternities Sororities Events and traditions . " Oglethorpe Day " " Boar ' s Head " " Battle of Bloody Marsh " " Eggs AM Breakfast " " Carillon Ceremony " Athletics . Oglethorpe University teams participate as a member of the NCAA Division III , and competes as a member of the Southern Athletic Association . The Stormy Petrels were a member of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference ( SCAC ) . Men ' s sports include baseball , basketball , cross country , golf , lacrosse , soccer , tennis and track & field ; while women ' s sports include basketball , cross country , golf , lacrosse , soccer , tennis , track & field and volleyball . The school ' s most successful athletic program is its men ' s golf team . Oglethorpe won the national NCAA title in 2009 and again in 2012 . Oglethorpe ' s historic Hermance Stadium is used by the St . Pius X baseball team . Mascot . Thornwell Jacobs chose an unusual mascot to represent Oglethorpe ' s athletic teams : the Stormy Petrel , a seabird said to have been admired by James Oglethorpe for its hardiness and courage . In March 2002 , ESPN ' s David Lloyd named the Stormy Petrel as one of the most memorable college mascot names of all time , second only to the Banana Slugs of UC Santa Cruz .