Whose House? Building Names at Georgia Southern: Marvin Pittman Administration Building

The Marvin Pittman Administrative Building, built in 1907, houses many important offices at Georgia Southern University, including that of the university president. Located on Sweetheart Circle, this 42,577 square foot building provides a bit of history, as well as beauty, to Georgia Southern's pristine campus. Before serving as an administrative building, the Marvin Pittman Building served as the Marvin Pittman Laboratory School for professors' students as well as Statesboro residents.

Dr. Marvin Summers Pittman, a teacher, coach, and principal-turned president of South Georgia Teachers College, is remembered for his unique outlook on education and its role in rural areas. His life’s work revolves around bringing the poor farm boy from the cotton fields into the classroom. Pittman’s legacy is also remembered as a victim of the Cocking Affair, in which Governor Eugene Talmadge worked to remove several high-ranking college officials across the state due to political differences. This stain on Georgia's higher education system is depicted in Michael Braz's opera A Scholar Under Siege (2007) in which Dr. Pittman has a historic confrontation with Governor Talmadge. Pittman’s goal was to provide education to all people of South Georgia regardless of race or socioeconomic status, which cements his legacy as one of the most influential people in Georgia Southern’s history. 

Altman, Pamela Frost, "Marvin S. Pittman: A Historical Inquiry of His Life, Legacy and Leadership" (2007). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 262. 

Cook, James. "Cocking Affair." New Georgia Encyclopedia, last modified Nov 8, 2013. 

Harrison, J. (2013). "New Historical Marker honors Georgia Southern Predecessor". Statesboro Herald. Accessed 4/2022.

Novotny, Patrick, "This Georgia Rising" (2007). Mercer University Press. 

Dreid, Nadia, “Georgia Southern’s Road Toward Integration” (2015). The George-Anne. (8741).