Dr. Thomas Y. Whitley was born January 4, 1916 in Irwin County, Georgia. He lived on a farm until he was 10 years old. Gardening was very important to him, which led to his special interest in the landscaping at the college. Dr. Whitley had two degrees from the University of Georgia, and earned a doctorate in junior college administration at the University of Texas. He served in the Army Air Corps as an engineering and operations clerk.
From the description of Oral history interview with Dr. Thomas Y. Whitley, 1982 Nov. 19 / conducted by Dr. Craig Lloyd. (Columbus State University). WorldCat record id: 630133672