Published in 1951, College Life at Old Oglethorpe describes the origins and revival of Oglethorpe University, the first chartered denominational school of higher education in Georgia. Oglethorpe University was established in 1835 near Milledgeville and moved to Atlanta in 1870-1872 due in part to economic pressures resulting from the Civil War.

Allen P. Tankersley examines college life in the antebellum South, focusing on the students' interests and activities. The university's faculty were dedicated to the union of education and religion, and students studied to be ministers and leaders in medicine, politics, science, and education.