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The history of Altamaha Technical College began on January 3, 1985, when a contingent from Wayne County made what was to be the first of many trips to Atlanta seeking a technical school for the area. In December 1985, the State Board of Postsecondary Vocational-Technical Education officially voted to build an Appling-Wayne area postsecondary vocational-technical school - Altamaha Technical Institute. The state legislature appropriated $5.4 million for the new school in the state's 1987-88 budget and the value of private donations for the school exceeded $2 million. The institution's first president, Dr. C. Paul Scott, reported for duty December 1, 1988 and began staffing, furnishing, and equipping the school. By late spring 1989, the nucleus of the curriculum was in place. The Jesup LPN program was transferred to Altamaha Tech from Waycross-Ware Tech in July 1989, the school opened, and plans were made to open additional programs in the fall. Off-campus programs were offered to serve the Jesup, Baxley, and Hazlehurst markets. By 1992, Altamaha Tech successfully gained accreditation from the Council on Occupational Education. As years passed, new campuses evolved in Appling County and Jeff Davis County and facilities and services were expanded in Long County and Wayne County. In early 2000, Altamaha Tech was approved by the State Board of Technical and Adult Education to offer Associate of Applied Technology (AAT) degree programs.
Altamaha Technical Institute was re-named Altamaha Technical College in September, 2000. The name change did not alter the mission of the college. It more accurately reflects the status of the school as an institution of higher learning and aids the image of the institution.
The Dodecahedron has been chosen as the official symbol of Altamaha Technical College. This twelve sided figure was also chosen as the design for the deep space probes in the Carl Sagan book, Contact. It was believed that the shape of the dodecahedron would allow the probes to manage their way through space more efficiently than any other geometrical shape.
The twelve faceted sides are pentagons that represent the multi-facets of technical education. It is our reminder to stay focused on the future and to be multi-faceted in our programs and service to our communities.
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