Shorter College is going out of business this week. Established in 1873, its charter ended. In November 2002 a group entered a lawsuit proposing to remove the school from its roots as a Baptist institution and make it an independent college. After three years in the courts the Georgia Supreme Court ruled in favor of the representatives of the Georgia Baptist Convention and opened the way for reorganization and a new board of trustees to be appointed.

As the new chairman of the trustees, I envisioned it becoming Georgia's premier Christian college.

However, on June 1, Shorter College will cease to exist. On that day at 10 a.m. its new charter will go into effect and it will become Shorter University. This prestigious university is listed in the "Princeton Review" as "A Best Southeastern College" and in "US News and World Report" as "One of America's Best Colleges in 2010."

A school of nursing has been established, the business school has added 40,000 square feet of administrative and classroom space. A new dorm has been built and all buildings renovated.

An artificial turf practice field has been put in. Of it Phil Jones, the football coach said, "This is not a football field, it is not a soccer or lacrosse field, it is a mission field." Lacrosse and wrestling are being started in the fall as varsity sports.

The school, in cooperation with the city of Rome, hosts the NAIA National Football Championship and is negotiating to host the NAIA Track and Field Championship. In only their second year of competitive cheerleading, the school has won consecutive National Championships.

Enrollment has virtually doubled. Banners on all lamp posts herald, "A Christian College Committed to Excellence in Education." Though it is a Baptist Institution with a distinctive Christian atmosphere, students of all faiths and no faith are welcomed. Students from 31 nations and numerous states comprise the student body.

I am taking 50 student athletes and coaches to "Two Moose Ranch" on the Big Hole River in the high desert of Montana for a week of Christian leadership training. One of the field trips will be to nearby Yellowstone National Park. The ranch is the size of Hilton Head Island.

The purpose of the trip is to teach Christian leadership principles and cultivate traits needed to be leaders on their campus and in society throughout their lives.

By the way, anyone wanting a place to invest in the lives of young people and develop tomorrow's leaders should look at Shorter: Georgia's premier intentionally Christian college is a good place.

A debt of gratitude is owed many for making this possible. Among those are the persons who have fought to keep this land free. On this Memorial Day it is appropriate to acknowledge our fallen warriors collectively. Lest we forget their totals are:

Revolutionary War - 25,324

Civil War - 498,332

French/Indian - War 2,789

Spanish American War - 1,862

World War I - 116,710

World War II - 407,316

Korean - 54,546

Viet Nam War - 58,098

Persian Gulf War - 146

Iraq War - 4,401

Afghanistan War - 1,083

The Rev. Dr. Nelson Price is pastor emeritus of Roswell Street Baptist Church. Contact Price at nlprice@aol.com.