Dr. Jacquelyn M. Belcher, president of DeKalb College/Georgia Perimeter College from 1995 to 2005, was recently inducted into the Black Heritage of Rockdale County Hall of Fame.
Dr. Belcher pioneered in several ways at the institution, which consolidated with Georgia State University in 2016.
She was the first Black woman to lead the college, the first Black woman to head any USG institution, and the first black person to head a USG institution of higher education that is not historically Black.
From the Rockdale Newton Citizen:
A native of Missouri who lived in Rockdale County for some two decades, [Dr.] Belcher recalled the atmosphere of unease upon her appointment at DeKalb College, which was established in the late 1950s, was rebranded as Georgia Perimeter College in 1997 and since 2016 has been known as Perimeter College at Georgia State University.
“It was a wonderful time,” she said. “It was not without challenges because people had to get used to someone who was not from that neck of the woods and (they) were very curious about me.
“I came to understand there were (historically black) colleges in the system, but I didn’t know any of that when I first went; (people had to) just get used to me to me being responsible for a college that was not diverse. That was an interesting experience from their point of view and certainly from my point of view. I just had to get to know the community and the college and once we settled in, it was great.”
Today, the students of Perimeter College form part of Georgia State's highly diverse student body, serving students from diverse backgrounds and communities.
To read the full article, click here.