Traveling Tift Cutie Pies

Preserving the Legacy of Tift College

Who are the

Traveling Tift Cutie Pies?

The Traveling Tift Cutie Pies originated in 2012 when five Tift friends reconnected and decided to get together each month for lunch and fun. The pictures posted afterwards on Facebook caught the attention of other Tift College Alumnae who expressed an interest in joining them and thus, in February 2021 Shelia Wade Keener’73 formed the Traveling Tift Cutie pies with their own Facebook page and with the purpose of promoting the legacy of Tift College and alumnae sisterhood throughout the state of Georgia by sponsoring luncheons and other social events during the year. Their first big project was the publication of a Tift Cookbook. The proceeds were used to establish the Tift Legacy Exhibit located in the Conley Building in cooperation with the Monroe County Historical Society. The Tift Legacy Exhibit is filled with memorabilia from Alumnae and honors bestowed Tift graduates.

Who was Bessie Willingham Tift?

Bessie Willingham Tift was born in 1860 in South Carolina. Her family later moved to Albany, GA. In 1878, she graduated from Monroe Female College in Forsyth. After graduating, Bessie married Henry Harding Tift, a wealthy businessman from Tifton, GA. a town he founded.

In 1905, while attending a GA Baptist Convention, the Tifts learned Monroe Female College was in dire need of money to stay open. Bessie and her husband gave the college the $37,000 needed. Monroe Female College was renamed Bessie Tift College in her honor in 1907.

Bessie loved her alma mater and devoted her life and resources to the women in the school. She often funded a poorer girl’s education. She was a religious leader and established clubs and Bible groups all over the state. She was very generous wherever she served.

Bessie was so respected by the students at Tift, that when she entered a room, all the students stood at attention in respect for her. She was a blessing to all who knew her and her legacy lives on today.Bessie died in 1936. In 2024, she was inducted as a Georgia Women of Achievement.

This Video gives insight to the person of Bessie Willingham Tift and her impact on the state of Georgia.

Video is courtesy of Craig Whitley.

Click here to go to her Georgia Women of Achievement page.

Tift Legacy Exhibit

Located in the Conley Building, Forsyth GA

The Conley Building is located next to the Monroe County Historical Society housed in the train depot. The depot across from the Tift College campus. Tift Alumane are very appreciative of the Monroe County Historical Society realizing the importance Tift College played in Monroe County History and allowing us to house our exhibit in the Conley Building.

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Are you a Tift girl?

If you graduated or ever attended Tift, we would love to connect with you. Please click the email link below to be added to our newsletter for events, annual reunion, and what your Tift sisters have been doing. You can also answer a few questions and be part of our Facebook group - The Traveling Tift Cutie Pies.

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