Myron W. Adams records

Although not formally elected President of Atlanta University until 1923, Dr. Myron Winslow Adams unofficially began his term in 1919, at the time of the illness of President Edward Twichell Ware. Adams was the first person to be elected to the presidency who (1) was not a Yale graduate; and (2) possessed an earned doctorate degree. He was the last President of Atlanta University as an undergraduate institution. Born 27 November 1860, in Gilsum, New Hampshire, Adams acquired an A.B. from Dartmouth in 1881 and Ph.D. from Hartford Theological Seminary in 1895. He came to Atlanta University as Professor of Greek in 1889, served as Dean for twenty-seven years, and Acting President for four years. In addition to the discontinuance of all high school work in the institution during the Adams administration, courses in business and finance were added, Summer School sessions were introduced, and the first classes after regular school hours were held. Also during the Adams administration, significant steps were taken to link Atlanta University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College in a cooperative plan known as the Atlanta University System. Under this plan, Atlanta University discontinued all undergraduate work and devoted its resources to graduate and professional education, while Morehouse and Spelman operated on a college level.

Seventy-two days following the end of the Civil War, the American Missionary Association (A.M.A.) began formal educational work for African Americans in Atlanta. Edmund Asa Ware, the Educational Director of the A.M.A. in Georgia, promoted the idea of establishing a university to provide educational opportunity for the recently freed slaves and refugees of the war. Atlanta University opened on 13 October 1869.

The University offered training fro students of all ages including kindergarten, grade school, normal industrial, academy and college. In 1894, all pre-high school level work ceased, and during the first two decades of the twentieth century, the University phased out its high school courses. In 1929, Atlanta University affiliated with Morehouse and Spelman in a cooperative plan known as the Atlanta University System. Among the features of this system was a division of labor between the schools to eliminate unnecessary duplication of educational efforts. Under this plan, the University discontinued all undergraduate work and devoted its resources to graduate and professional education, while Morehouse and Spelman operated on college level.

The Atlanta University Schools of Social Work, Library and Information Studies, Arts and Sciences, Education, Business Administration, and Library Services were all established between 1920 and 1946. On 1 July 1988, Atlanta University and Clark College consolidated to form Clark Atlanta University.