On April 11, 1881, classes began in the basement of an Atlanta church at what was then known as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary. Sponsored by the American Baptist Women’s Home Mission Society, this modest beginning marked the foundation of what would become Spelman College, one of the nation’s premier institutions for African American women.

Spelman is consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges by U.S. News & World Report and as one of the best women’s colleges by Forbes. The Rockefeller family, especially Laura Spelman Rockefeller, provided significant financial support. In 1924, the school was renamed in her honor.

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