that he settled the debt on the property. His wife, Laura Spelman Rockefeller; her sister, Lucy Spelman; and their parents, Harvey Buel and Lucy Henry Spelman also supported the school. The Spelmans were longtime activists in the abolitionist movement. In 1884 the name of the school was changed to the Spelman Seminary in honor of Laura Spelman Rockefeller and her parents. Rockefeller donated the funds for the oldest building on campus, Rockefeller Hall, which was built in 1886.
Packard was appointed Spelman's first president in 1888, after the charter for the seminary was granted. She died in 1891, and Giles was the president until her own death in 1909. A diploma granting institution in its early years, Spelman awarded its first college degrees in 1901.
=== Growth ===
From 1910 to 1953 the seminary had a substantial amount of growth and transition. After Giles' death, Lucy Hale Tapley became president. Although the college was somewhat progressive, neither the founders nor the current administration were …
