I am saddened to pass along the news of the death of Mr. Tyus Butler, a 1935 UGA grad who served his beloved University of Georgia for more than 40 years.  Mr. Butler joined the Grady College of Journalism as an assistant professor in 1939 and led the Alumni Association from 1956 until his retirement in 1983.  Services for Mr. Butler will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 2 at St. Stephen’s Anglican Church in Athens.  I know your thoughts and prayers go out to the Butler family.

Here’s a sampling of alumni events for the first weekend in May:

-Fenway Park Dawg Day with the Boston Alumni Club Sunday, May 3.  Join other Bulldogs and tour historic Fenway Park in the afternoon and stick around to watch the Red Sox take on the Tampa Bay Rays that evening.  Click here for all the details.

-It’s our pleasure to support UGA’s Russell Library and its 2009 Unnatural Causes Film & Discussion Series.  On Sunday, May 3, the library will screen “Collateral Damage,” a documentary film that compares social inequality and stress levels.  This free event will be held on campus at 3 p.m. in the Paul Coverdell Center.  Details can be found at the Russell Library’s web site.

-Volunteers are needed to work at the Charleston Dog Show Saturday, May 2 at Marion Square on King Street in historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina.  Click here for more information.

We hope you’ll take advantage of all the great things going on at the UGA Alumni Association.

With nearly 500 UGA graduates in Northeast Alabama, we are forming an Alumni Association Club in the greater Huntsville area, and are having an interest meeting Thursday night (April 30) at the Liberty Knoll pool clubhouse in Madison, Al.  There is no cost to attend but, if you’re a Bulldog, we hope you’ll consider attending this meeting that’s crucial to having a UGA presence in this area.  I want to thank Club President Rudy Weber ‘01, ‘06 for spearheading our effort.  Click here to get all the information about the newly-forming Huntsville Alumni Club.

We hope you’ll join us tonight for an alumni gathering at Gnat’s Landing in Athens.  The festivities get underway at 5:30.  Gnat’s Landing, located at 1080 Baxter Street, is well known for its delicious fried shrimp as well as other delectable morsels.  Click here for all the information.  See you tonight.

Gov. Sonny Perdue has named several Bulldogs to posts and commissions throughout the state.

-Milbree Lankford has been appointed to the Georgia Public Service Commission’s Advisory Committee as a Water and Sewer Authority representative.  Milbree is from Winston (Douglas County) and earned a law degree from UGA in 1994.  She is general counsel for the Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority

-Ben Copeland, of Marshallville (Macon County), was reappointed to the Georgia Seed Development Commission.  He is Vice President of Patten Seed Company and currently serves as President of the Georgia Crop Improvement Association.  Ben graduated in 1994 with a landscape grounds degree.

-Julia Bernath, of Atlanta, will serve on the State Professional Standards Commission as a District Seven Representative.  Julie is currently Chairwoman of the Fulton County Schools Pension Board and President of the Georgia School Boards Association.  She earned an ABJ from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication in 1975. 

Congratulations to all.

Congratulations to the UGA women’s tennis team on winning their third consecutive SEC title beating the University of Tennessee over the weekend.  The Lady Dogs are 23-2 on the season and ranked #3 in the country.  Senior Monica Dancevic was named tournament MVP.  Up next for Jeff Wallace’s team is the NCAA tournament that begins May 8.

I reported earlier this week that our Gym Dogs and Equestrian teams each won national titles last weekend.  I am also proud to pass along some great UGA golf news.  Our #1-ranked men’s team has captured yet another SEC Championship title…running away from the closest competition, Arkansas, by 13 strokes!  This is the 27th such title for the Bulldogs, the last coming in 2006.  Congratulations to Coach Chris Haack and his Golf Dogs!

Kudos are in order for UGA freshman Silva Zamora as she shot a 3-under par to claim the individual title at the women’s SEC Championships in Columbia, South Carolina.  She is UGA’s 8th individual title champion.  Yesterday, Silva was named SEC Freshman of the Year for women’s golf and named First Team All-SEC.  Congratulations to Silva for this magnificent accomplishment!         

The Jackson County Alumni Chapter has “adopted” a stretch of Ga. Highway 124 to keep that part of the roadway clear of litter and debris.  This is a great way to enhance our physical surroundings while enjoying the company of other Bulldogs.  Click here for all the details about Saturday’s road clean-up.

I invite all women to join the Alumni Association for a Women of UGA Lunch Group Friday, April 24.  We’ll have two going on at one time…one at Azio in downtown Atlanta and the other at Baraonda in Midtown.  This is a great opportunity to network and socialize with other Women of UGA.  We hope to see you there.

If you’re looking for something unique to do this weekend, let me offer up the suggestion of volunteering at the Atlanta Steeplechase.  One of the beneficiaries of the event is UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine.  You can sign up for just Friday or Saturday, or both days…whichever suits your schedule.  The races will be held at Kingston Downs in Bartow County near Cartersville.  Click here for all the details about how you and other fellow Bulldogs can enjoy the day outside and work for a great cause.