History of Toccoa Falls College
In 1907 a man dared to dream. One man believed that following the vision God had put in his heart was the most important work his life could accomplish. That same man, despite overwhelming obstacles, established an academic institution devoted to preparing God's people to flesh out their call.
Today, Toccoa Falls College is that institution and a dream come true for founder and past president Dr. Richard A. Forrest. Maybe your personality, talents, or even your commitment to Christ has made others call you a dreamer much as they did Dr. Forrest. If so, then join the heritage of great men and women who have dared to completely open their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ. Join those who have dared to dream. Join Toccoa Falls College.
In the fall of 1907, Dr. Richard A. Forrest founded the Golden Valley Institute at Golden, North Carolina, to provide educational opportunities for young people in the South who had been educationally deprived. The institute offered general and biblical studies to prepare dedicated persons for Christian ministries and service.
Realizing the need to be nearer a railroad for easier access, on January 1, 1911, Dr. Forrest purchased the Haddock Inn and 100 acres of land including the beautiful Toccoa Falls, near Toccoa, Georgia. On October 19, 1911, the institute moved from Golden Valley to Toccoa. Reorganized and enlarged, Toccoa Falls Institute which had existed in embryo in Golden Valley became a reality. Since many early students of Toccoa Falls Institute had not had the opportunity for a secondary education, general and vocational high school courses were offered along with biblical and theological training.
Under the direction of Dr. Forrest, the school kept pace with the advancement of educational standards in the United States. In 1928, the State of Georgia fully accredited the Toccoa Falls High School. This established a cooperative relationship with the county educational system that continued until the academy closed in 1976.
In 1937, a four-year Bible college program was initiated by adding to the biblical and theological studies a number of courses in the field of general education. The Legislature of the State of Georgia chartered the college division in 1939 and authorized the institute to grant the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Education. In 1957, the college was accredited by the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges and on December 13, 1983, by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
During the history of the institution, there have been six presidents: Dr. Richard A. Forrest, Founder; Dr. Julian A. Bandy; Dr. Kenn W. Opperman; Dr. Paul L. Alford; and Dr. Donald O. Young, and Dr. W. Wayne Gardner. In October 1975, in order to keep abreast of the current usage of terms, the Board of Trustees changed the name from Toccoa Falls Institute to Toccoa Falls College.
Dr. Forrest often referred to the school as a “tree of God’s planting.” The tree has expanded and has borne much fruit. It has also been severely tested on several occasions. In 1913, Haddock Inn, which housed all the school facilities, burned to the ground. In 1950, fire destroyed LeTourneau Hall, the women’s dormitory. In 1958, the music building burned.
The severest trial of all came on November 6, 1977, when the dam holding back the lake above the falls burst and 40 acres of water surged across the lower campus leaving in its wake 39 dead, 60 injured, and millions of dollars in property damage. When the news of the tragedy spread, thousands of people responded. Local, state, and federal agencies, churches, colleges, businesses, and private individuals gave personal, material, and financial aid. With their help the college has recovered. God has been faithful. Though tried by fire and water, His “tree” continues to flourish.
The college has always maintained a fellowship with evangelical Christian organizations. Dr. Forrest was affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance for over half a century. He pastored the First Presbyterian Church in Toccoa for 25 years and upon his retirement became pastor-emeritus. An evangelist of national reputation, he preached regularly in churches of many different denominations and personally desired that the ministry of Toccoa Falls College be as broad as the wide fellowship of Christian believers. His heartwarming biography is told in the book, Achieving the Impossible--With God, by Lorene Moothart. The larger story of Toccoa Falls is found in A Tree God Planted by Troy Damron.
Toccoa Falls College, an independent, nonprofit educational institution, trains men and women for vocational and professional Christian ministries and works with many evangelical and Bible-believing Christian groups. Toccoa Falls College is an affiliate college of the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination. Graduates serve in places of Christian leadership throughout the United States and in most nations of the world. The college functions under a Board of Trustees that sets policy and an administration and faculty that implement the policy.
TFC is focused on students who are dedicated to Christ and aspire toward academic excellence in preparing to invest their lives either in full-time Christian ministry or in ministry through their secular employment. TFC currently has 21 majors and 34 minors in nine different schools: Arts & Sciences, Bible & Theology, Business Administration, Christian Education, Communication, Counseling, Music, Teacher Education, and World Missions.