Brenau University| The Women's College

Founded as a private institution for the education of women, Brenau began life in 1878 as Georgia Baptist Female Seminary. W.C. Wilkes, the institution's first administrator, is credited with building many of the historic buildings that still stand today.  In 1900 H. J. Pearce purchased the institution and renamed it Brenau, a linguistic blend formed from the German word brennen, "to burn", and the Latin aurum, "gold". Its motto is "As Gold Refined by Fire".

Brenau College remained privately owned until 1911 when a board of trustees assumed stewardship of the college, as remains the case today. In 1928, Brenau created a female, residential, college-preparatory school serving grades 9 through 12, and in the late 1960s, Brenau began offering evening and weekend classes to both men and women through what was known as The Evening And Weekend College.

Brenau College became Brenau University in 1992 by a vote of the Board of Trustees, a name change that reflected the comprehensive programs of study, the diverse student body, new and stricter employment criteria for professors, and the scope of available graduate programs.

In 2002, Brenau's Online College was formed using internet technology to reach students who because of professional or personal responsibilities are unable to attend classes on campus.

Today, Brenau's vibrant structure continues to attract students from a large number of venues: