Noah Noel Langdale

Background

Noah Noel Langdale Jr. was born in Valdosta, Georgia, on March 29, 1920. He remained closely associated with Valdosta throughout his early professional life, practicing law there and later serving on the faculty and as a department chairman at Valdosta State College. His early interests combined athletics, law, education, and public service. At the University of Alabama he played tackle for the Crimson Tide football team and participated in Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa, Delta Chi, Jasons Society, and other student organizations. He later served in the United States Navy in the Pacific during the Second World War.

Education

Langdale attended the University of Alabama, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1941 and played tackle for the football team. He subsequently studied at Harvard University, earning a Bachelor of Laws degree from Harvard Law School in 1948 and a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School in 1950. The University of Alabama awarded him an honorary Doctor of Law degree in 1957, with contemporary university material also recording the honorary degree as having been conferred in 1959.

Career

After completing his undergraduate education, Langdale served in the United States Navy during World War II, including service in the Pacific. He later worked as an assistant football coach associated with the University of Alabama and joined the faculty of Valdosta State College, where he taught in the accounting department and became department chairman. He also practiced law privately in Valdosta for seven years, combining legal practice with his academic work. In 1957, at age 37, he was appointed president of Georgia State College of Business Administration in Atlanta. He remained president as the institution developed into Georgia State University, serving through June 1988. During his presidency, enrollment grew from approximately 5,000 to 20,000 students, degree offerings expanded to more than 200 programs, the downtown Atlanta campus grew from two buildings to several blocks, and the institution established a law school, strengthened its business school, and developed a prominent role in urban public affairs. The university’s budget increased from $1.9 million to $118.6 million during his tenure, and the institution changed from a racially segregated college into one of the most diverse institutions in the University System of Georgia. After retiring, he held emeritus and distinguished research professor designations and continued to be associated with Georgia State University. He died at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta on February 23, 2008.

Achievements

• Led Georgia State College and Georgia State University for 31 years, from 1957 through 1988.

• Guided the transformation of Georgia State from a specialized business college into a comprehensive urban university.

• Oversaw the expansion of enrollment from approximately 5,000 to 20,000 students and the growth of degree offerings to more than 200 programs.

• Led the establishment of a law school and the development of a nationally recognized business school at Georgia State.

• Oversaw the expansion of Georgia State’s downtown Atlanta campus from two buildings to several blocks and the growth of the university’s budget from $1.9 million to $118.6 million.

Religion

Methodist.

Membership

Langdale belonged to a broad range of professional, academic, civic, and honorary organizations. His documented affiliations included the American Bar Association, the Georgia Bar Association, the Georgia Bar Foundation, the Sons of the American Revolution, Rotary, the Gridiron Society, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Delta Chi, Omicron Delta Kappa, Jasons Society, Scabbard and Blade, and the Georgia Association of Colleges. He served as president of the Georgia Association of Colleges in 1962–1963 and as a past vice president of the Georgia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. He also served on the NCAA Division I Steering Committee from 1980 to 1982.

• Past vice president of the Georgia organization.

  Sons of the American Revolution , United States

• American Bar Association , United States

• President.

  Georgia Association of Colleges , United States

  1962 - 1963

• Georgia Bar Association , United States

• Life member.

  Georgia Bar Foundation , United States

• Rotary , United States

• Gridiron Society , United States

• Phi Beta Kappa , United States

• Phi Kappa Phi , United States

• Delta Chi , United States

• Omicron Delta Kappa , United States

• Jasons Society , United States

• Scabbard and Blade , United States

• Member.

  NCAA Division I Steering Committee , United States

  1980 - 1982

Personality

Physical Characteristics: He was described as a large, powerfully built former football tackle, approximately 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing more than 250 pounds.

Interests

• Higher education, collegiate athletics, civic service, and philanthropy.

• Sport & Clubs

  American football, especially University of Alabama football.

Connections

Langdale was closely connected with Valdosta, Georgia, where he was born, practiced law, and taught at Valdosta State College. His long association with Georgia State University shaped the institution’s expansion from a specialized business college into a comprehensive university. He and Alice Langdale were associated with the Alice and Noah N. Langdale Jr. Foundation, an Atlanta-based philanthropic foundation supporting educational and charitable causes.

Father:

Noah

Mother:

Jessie

References

• Georgia State University, President Noah Langdale Jr. Institutional biography documenting Langdale’s presidency, education, military service, legal practice, awards, and the transformation of Georgia State under his leadership.
• Digital Library of Georgia, Noah Langdale Jr. Georgia State University archival record identifying Langdale, his dates, institutional role, and associated university materials.
• Harvard Law Bulletin, Noah N. Langdale Jr. ’48 Harvard Law School memorial notice describing Langdale’s legal practice, academic career, Georgia State presidency, honorary doctorate, and Paul W. Bryant Alumni-Athlete Award.
  2008