The beginnings of the Robinson College of Business are actually rooted in Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia and, ultimately, a mining engineering program that never quite got off the ground.

Georgia School of Technology's Evening School of Commerce 1913-1933

In 1913, Tech hired Wayne S. Kell to start the mining program. When it sparked little or no interest, Kell switched gears and decided to offer a broader business-oriented curriculum by founding the Georgia Tech Evening School of Commerce. This program was a success and remained in place until 1932 when, shortly after the creation of the State Board of Regents, the school became an independent unit of the University System of Georgia. In 1947, the Regents decided the school should be part of UGA and named it the Atlanta Division of the University of Georgia (UGA). George E. Manners became the first dean of business administration.

Wayne S. Kell

In 1955, the school regained its independence and became the Georgia State College of Business Administration. Recognizing the expanding offerings of the school, the name was changed to Georgia State College in 1961 and in 1969 to Georgia State University with the business college remaining a key element. In 1997 Sidney E. Harris became Dean of the College of Business Administration as it was known. In 1998, under Harris' leadership, the College was renamed the J. Mack Robinson College of Business after a well-known Atlanta businessman and philanthropist. In the early '90's the College began appearing in some of the nation's leading rankings publications. In 2001, Robinson reached a pinnacle by having its "part-time" of Flex MBA program ranked first among public universities and fifth among all universities by U.S. News & World Report. The school repeated that performance in 2001. Under Dean Harris, the College programs have gained an unprecedented 16 separate rankings by eight different national publications.