Milestones and Events
The first 50 years
1918
The Coastal Plain Experiment Station (CPES) – now UGA-Tifton – was established in Tifton by an act of the Georgia General Assembly.
1937
The Agricultural Research Building (far left) was built with a $50,000 grant from the Public Works Administration.
1944
Over 35 scientists conducted research on over 5,000 acres. Departments included: Agronomy, Animal Husbandry, Animal Diseases, Ag Engineering, Entomology, Horticulture, Plant Pathology, Nematology and Soils.
1945
Peanut harvesting combine was developed by Mr. James Shepherd. This same year, peanuts became the #1 cash crop in south Georgia.
1952
Branch stations increased in importance. We see the first mention (in the 1952 Annual Report) of branch stations in Reidsville, Plains and Alapaha.
1955
The original Administration Building was built for $290,000.
1960
93% of the state's sweet potato crop planted with two station-bred varieties: GA Red and Earlysweet.
1962
Diagnostic services for animal diseases attracted statewide support and gave the station recognition in livestock circles.
The second 50 years
1970
Construction began on the Rural Development Center.
1974
The swine center was responsible for boar production becoming more efficient. Compared to the mid-1920's, pigs were reaching ideal market weight at half the time.
1987
The first annual Georgia Peanut Tour visited campus.
1987
For the first time, the Coastal Plain Experiment Station was represented at the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition in Moultrie, Ga.
1987
Dr. Gloria McCutcheon was the first African-American female to receive a Ph.D. in Entomology in the United States. Dr. Jim Todd served as her major professor.
1992
The CPES campus continued to expand with the National Environmentally Sound Production Agriculture Laboratory (NESPAL) and the Vidalia Onion Research Facility.
2003
The first undergraduate students began classes at UGA-Tifton.
2004
The first four students graduated from the University of Georgia Tifton Campus.
2004
The Cotton MicroGin was built. It was the only one in the U.S. designed to assess effects of growing techniques, environmental conditions, pest pressures and ginning on fiber quality.
2009
The Future Farmstead Project – UGA's Water, Energy and People Efficient model home – was begun.
2010
TifSport, developed by Wayne Hanna in 1997, was used for World Cup soccer games in South Africa.
2013
Plant DNA sequencing is being conducted by the Ozias-Akins Laboratory.