The College of Management (COM) at the Georgia Institute of Technology was established in 1934, and is consistently ranked in the top 30 management programs in the nation. It draws its distinction from its roots in a world-renowned technical university. Georgia Tech's management program began in 1912 with the creation of a School of Commerce. In 1933 this school was moved to the University of Georgia during the newly created Georgia Board of Regents' decision to consolidate Georgia's system of higher education. It would later become Georgia State University. To meet the need for management training in technology, an Industrial Management degree was established in 1934, with a Master's Degree in the subject becoming the first professional management degree offered in the state 11 years later. The PhD program began in 1970. In 1989, the College of Management combined with social sciences, humanities, and economics departments to form the Ivan Allen College of Management, Policy and International Affairs. In 1998, the School of Management was spun back into its own college, leaving the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. In 1996, Georgia Tech alumnus and restaurateur Thomas E.