How Did Seney Contribute To The Development Of Emory College

Since the creation of Emory University in 1836, many notable individuals associated with its inception and construction have passed on to leave legacies and histories that are still remembered today. One such individual, George I. Seney, played an instrumental role in the development of Emory in the midst of its financial crisis caused by the Civil War. Moved by the Thanksgiving Sermon by 1880 College President Atticus G. Haygood, Seney provided a huge amount of funds to a collapsing, faltering Emory College with the aim of reconstruction, restoration, and expansion. A Brooklyn banker, George Seney invested large amounts of money to restore a dying college back to its original vigor. It is Seney’s act of investment and sheer belief in Emory College that I admire the most. At the time, Emory was in huge debts and was likely to collapse due to complete financial instability; however, at this time, a wealthy Northern banker decides to invest more than a quarter million dollars to establish a better, newer Emory college. The

After all, it would be not be wrong to say that if Emory College were not able to pay off its debts that had been amassing since the end of the Civil War, it would not exist today. The legacy of George Seney is Emory University and its Oxford College branch; their establishment was arguably due to him and his investments alone. Having recognized his contributions, Oxford College built Seney Hall, a large, beautiful building sporting quaint Victorian-Gothic architecture right in the center of its campus. The tallest academic building in the campus, it is no doubt that Seney Hall’s size and empowering presence on campus effectively reflects the size and impact of Seney’s original investments towards Emory College in the