 Mercer adopted its present name in 1838 and graduated its first university class, of three students, in 1841.In 1871, Mercer moved to Macon, a center of transportation and commerce in Georgia.The School of Law was established in 1873 and was named the Walter F. George School of Law in 1947 in honor of Mercer alumnus Walter F. George, class of 1901, who served as a United States Senator from Georgia and as President "pro tempore" of the United States Senate.