Jim Cripps ’58  UGA Class of 1958 Reunion
Jim Cripps (BS’58) has already reserved his room for the 50 year reunion of the Class of 1958 April 18, 2008 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education.
Cripps, one of Florida’s most recognized organists, actually holds two degrees from UGA. He first majored in banking and finance while studying the organ with Dr. Hugh Hodgson. He received the Wall Street Journal award for being the highest ranking graduate in his major and was elected to membership in Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi.
Cripps says at Honors Day, Dr. Hodgson told my parents that if I ever got my head on straight I could be an outstanding musician, He enjoyed a successful career in business, but after five years went with his heart and returned to Graduate School to major in music.
While in Athens he was organist at First Presbyterian Church and after college served for 32 years as organist and Director of Music at the First United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, Fla. He retired in 2001 and says, ''I now run around filling in for musicians as a substitute.'' After the Class reunion April 18, he will return to Florida where he will play for three services on Sunday, April 20 at Christ Episcopal Church in Ponte Vedra, Fla., one of the largest Episcopal churches in the U.S. with more than 6,000 members.
In May, he will be in China. Cripps, now 73, affirms ''I love playing, traveling and working out at the Y. I had a marvelous and busy time in Athens and have remembered the University in my will and am a member of the Heritage Society.''
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