The University of Georgia

UGA Alumni Association
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298 S. Hull Street
Athens, GA 30602

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Stories of Alumni Legacies and Troops, Campus History and the Greatest Generation

 Browsing Campus Lore Stories

Candler Hall

Candler HallCandler Hall is named for the man who was serving as governor when the state appropriated funds for its construction.

Governor Allen D. Candler was born in Auraria, GA (Lumpkin, County) in 1834 and elected governor in 1898, serving two terms. He had previously as Secretary of State for Georgia and a county in the southeastern part of the state is named for him.

A veteran of the Civil War, he is most known for the preservation of Colonial and Confederate records.

He is author of three volumes of the Encyclopedia of … continue reading »


Clark Howell Hall

Clark Howell Hall is named for an illustrious Georgia graduate who had tremendous influence upon the University and the entire state as a journalist, business man, and politician.

Clark Howell graduated in 1833 and headed up an alumni legacy that stretched over five generations. He served as UGA alumni president, member of the Board of Trustees and was active in fund raising for the institution.

He was editor and owner of the Atlanta Constitution and served as a member of the House of Representatives and the State Senate.

As editor/owner of The Constitution, he hired three of the South’s most famous writers … continue reading »


Denmark Hall

Names – All over campus you find them – names of persons on buildings, plaques, auditoriums, galleries, dormitories. Who were these people who have been so honored and why? Each represents a segment of University history and campus lore, and we need to know about them to understand how we became who we are. That’s why we have begun this new series which seeks to share their identity and the contributions they have made to the history of The University of Georgia.

DENMARK HALL

“Who was Denmark and why was that building named for him?” a student asked, referring … continue reading »


Founders’ Memorial Garden

garden1smNear the heart of the University of Georgia’s old north campus is a special memorial that honors 12 prominent Athens women who in 1891 began a national phenomenon by forming the first garden club.

On a cold January morning the women held their first meeting in the E.K. Lumpkin home on Prince Avenue. The restored house built, in 1859, is now part of the facilities of the Young Harris Methodist Church.

In 1936 the National Council of State Garden Clubs acknowledged the Athens Ladies Garden Club as the first garden club. To commemorate … continue reading »


George Peabody

Two men named George Peabody have been generous benefactors to the University of Georgia and neither were graduates of the institution.

The first George Peabody was a wealthy New England philanthropist who was interested in education in the South and established the Peabody Education Fund from which the University received $40,000. These funds were used to build the college of education, completed in 1913 and named for Peabody. The building today is home to the philosophy and religion departments.

The second benefactor by that name was George Foster Peabody who became one of the University’s major contributors. His association … continue reading »


Gilbert Hall

At the 140th commencement exercises in 1943, The University of Georgia received a special gift when Judge Price Gilbert presented faculty and students with Gilbert Infirmary.

The new building provided much needed medical facilities and was given in honor of Judge Gilbert’s son and father and named for them.

Judge Gilbert was a retired member of the Georgia Supreme Court and a regent for the University system. A native of Columbus, GA, he was a graduate of Vanderbilt University and received his law degree from Yale University. He returned to his native state to practice Law and served on the … continue reading »


Go Dawgs

TAMPA – In Busch Gardens to participate in UGA Alumni Day on the eve of the Outbowl Game, it was exciting to see the thousands of Georgia fans wandering around the gigantic botanical Garden.

Needing a brief rest, I sent the grandchildren, their mother and my wife on their way and found a quiet, beautiful place between one of the large theaters and the main throughfare.

As I sat down on my comfortable bench placed before a lush, colorful tropical planting away from the teeming throngs, I noticed I was adjacent to a special smoking area. An old man I judged to … continue reading »


Herty Field

herty_sm“Few other graduates and members of the faculty of the University of Georgia have received such widely recognized acclaim as Charles Holmes Herty,” is the bold affirmation of UGA historian Robert Preston Brooks.

Herty, ‘86 BPh., is remembered as “the father of football” at UGA and was an internationally acclaimed chemist. A native of Milledgeville, Ga., he earned his doctorate at John Hopkins University in 1890, spent a year as an assistant chemist with the Georgia Experiment Station, and then returned to campus to teach Chemistry. He introduced the sport to … continue reading »


Hirsch Hall

“Harold Hirsch was THE most loyal and generous alumnus of the University.” This was the affirmation of former Board of Regents Chairman Marion Smith at the dedication of the UGA Law School in 1932 when it was named for Hirsch.

Captain of the Bulldog football team in 1901, Hirsch was the son of German immigrants who settled in Atlanta. After graduation from UGA, he earned his law degree at Columbia University in New York.

He became general counsel and vice president of the Coca-Cola company and was nationally known. He was president of the UGA Alumni Society and active … continue reading »


Joe Brown

Joe Brown Hall, built in 1932, is named for one of the most interesting characters in Georgia history. Joseph Emerson Brown greatly influenced our state in politics, business and education.

He was elected governor four times and served in that office during the War Between the States. As a member of the U.S. Senate in 1880, he was the first Georgia official to advocate public education for all children.

He served on the Board of Trustees for the University of Georgia and in 1882 established a $50,000 trust fund at UGA, which was, at that time, the largest single gift … continue reading »


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