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College of Veterinary Medicine
The University of Georgia

College of Veterinary Medicine
The University of Georgia

"This solid brick institution with giant tree trunk Ionic columns is flanked by long-established oaks.
Originally commissioned by UGA Veterinary Dean, Keith Prasse, now retired.

The first veterinary program at the University of Georgia was created in 1915 as part of the College of Agriculture. Veterinary students attended classes in Hardman Hall and other locations around campus until the program was eventually discontinued in 1932. More than a decade later, with the rise of the livestock industry in the Southeast, came a growing need for veterinary skills, and a new college specifically designed for veterinary medicine was established at the University in 1946. The architectural design for the College of Veterinary Medicine included all departments, laboratories, classrooms, and teaching hospital under one roof, a plan unique among veterinary colleges of the time. Construction of the building was impeded by several topographic factors, including springs feeding Lake Kirota, the presence of marsh and sand under a portion of the proposed site and hard granite under other areas. It was necessary to sink heavy pilings and pour many tons of concrete to insure a firm foundation. In 1949 the building was successfully completed and has since continued to grow with the additions of a south side annex in 1973 and a modern teaching hospital in 1979. Today the veterinary-medicine complex has expanded to cover the block between D.W. Brooks Drive and East Campus Road.