Georgia Tech Alumni Association

Last updated
Georgia Tech Alumni Association
Georgia Tech Alumni Association logo.jpg
Type Alumni association
EstablishedJune 20, 1908;116 years ago (1908-06-20)
President Dene Sheheane
Location
Atlanta
,
Georgia
,
USA
Colors White and Gold   
Affiliations Georgia Institute of Technology
Website gtalumni.org

The Georgia Tech Alumni Association is the official alumni association for the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Originally known as the Georgia Tech National Alumni Association, it was chartered in June 1908 and incorporated in 1947. [1] [2] Its offices have been in the L. W. "Chip" Robert, Jr. Alumni House on North Avenue since 1979. [3]

Contents

Its first presidents (starting in 1921) were William H. Glenn, followed by L. W. Robert, Jr. and Y. Frank Freeman. [4] The current president of the alumni association is Dene Sheheane. [5] [6] Sheheane succeeds Joseph Irwin who previously held the position since 1999. [7] Other notable presidents include Cherry L. Emerson, Bobby Jones, and Frank A. Hooper. [4] [8] [9]

As of September 2019, there were approximately 166,000 living alumni of Georgia Tech. [10] Since 2006, Georgia Tech alumni have given between $30 million to $40 million a year, providing about 30 to 40 percent of the institute's development funds. [11] Georgia Tech is ranked third in alumni giving among public universities, and 26th overall. [12]

History

The L. W. "Chip" Robert, Jr. Alumni House, the office for the Georgia Tech Alumni Association since 1979. L. W. "Chip" Roberts, Jr. Alumni House.png
The L. W. "Chip" Robert, Jr. Alumni House, the office for the Georgia Tech Alumni Association since 1979.

Georgia Tech was founded in 1885 and opened in 1888, and the first two graduates matriculated in 1890. Attempts at forming an alumni association had been made since 1896, until a charter was applied for by J. B. McCrary and William H. Glenn on June 28, 1906, and was approved two years later by Fulton County on June 20, 1908. [13] [14] The organization published its first annual report in 1908, but was largely dormant due to the pressures of World War I. The organization played an important role in the 1920s Greater Georgia Tech Campaign, which consolidated all existing alumni clubs and funded a significant expansion of Georgia Tech's campus. [13] [14] [15]

In 1923, the alumni association created one of its most popular programs, an alumni placement service. In 1932, the service was reorganized and run by Dean George C. Griffin and Fred W. Ajax until budget cuts returned forced the program's return to the alumni association in 1949. [14] The alumni association's placement service is now known as "JacketNet Jobs". [16]

In 1947, prompted by the Georgia Board of Regents' critical lack of funding for the school, the association organized the annual Alumni Roll Call, which asked graduates to donate according to their ability; the fundraiser continues to this day. [13] [17] The association won numerous awards for the performance of the Roll Call from the American Alumni Council; this included the organization's highest award, the Alumni Service Award, in 1967 for the development and operation of the Joint Tech-Georgia Development Fund. [14]

Also in 1947, the association polled all existing alumni on whether the school should change its name from the Georgia School of Technology to the Georgia Institute of Technology; the alumni voted 5,113 to 1,495 in favor of the change, a result that Georgia Tech president Blake R. Van Leer took to the Georgia Board of Regents to convince them to allow the name change. [14] The alumni association (and association president Fred Storey in particular) was influential in the finding and selection of Georgia Tech president Edwin D. Harrison in 1957. [14]

Publications

The Fall 2002 cover of the Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine Fall 2002.png
The Fall 2002 cover of the Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine

The alumni association produces a monthly magazine that chronicles the accomplishments of Georgia Tech, its faculty and its alumni. Initially founded in 1923 as the Georgia Tech Alumnus under editor Albert H. Staton, who left to work in industry; his place was taken by R. J. Thiesen who was editor of the magazine until 1951. [13] [14] In 1969, the publication had a circulation of 20,000. [14] The publication is now the Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine. [18] A companion publication to the Alumni Association Magazine was established in 1965 as a quarterly newsletter and named Tech Topics. This publication won national Newsletter of the Year in 1967. [14]

The organization is the sole subject of a published book, Ramblin' Wrecks from Georgia Tech: A Centennial History of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association. [1] [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

Joe Amisano (1917–2008) was an American architect, especially known for his work in Atlanta. Born in New York, he graduated from Pratt Institute in 1940 and won a Prix de Rome in 1950. He joined the Atlanta firm that became Toombs, Amisano and Wells in 1954.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Alexander (American football)</span> American football player and coach (1889–1950)

William Anderson Alexander was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1920 to 1944, compiling a record of 134–95–15. Alexander has the second most victories of any Tech football coach. Alexander's 1928 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have been recognized as national champions by a number of selectors. Alexander was the first college football coach to place his teams in the four major post-season bowl games of the time: Sugar, Cotton, Orange and Rose. His teams won three of the four bowls. The 1929 Rose Bowl win, which earned his team the national championship, is the most celebrated because of the wrong-way run by California's Roy Riegels. Alexander was also the head basketball coach at Georgia Tech for four seasons from 1919 to 1924. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1951.

The Georgia Tech Athletic Association is a non-profit organization responsible for maintaining the intercollegiate athletic program at Georgia Tech. The Athletic Association is overseen by the Georgia Tech Athletic Board. The Georgia Tech Athletic Association sponsors varsity intercollegiate athletics competition in the following sports:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur G. Hansen</span> American academic administrator

Arthur Gene "Art" Hansen was a philanthropist and former chancellor of several American universities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyman Hall (academic)</span> American academic administrator

Lyman Hall was a professor and president of the Georgia School of Technology. Hall's administration introduced degrees in electrical engineering and civil engineering in December 1896, textile engineering in February 1899, and engineering chemistry in January 1901.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Tech Campus Recreation Center</span> Athletic arena for university in Georgia, US

The Georgia Tech Campus Recreation Center is part of the Georgia Tech campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blake R. Van Leer</span> American engineer and university president (1893–1956)

Blake Ragsdale Van Leer was an engineer and university professor who served as the fifth president of Georgia Institute of Technology from 1944 until his death in 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaac S. Hopkins</span>

Isaac Stiles Hopkins was a professor and the first President of the Georgia Institute of Technology (1888–1896) as well as pastor of the First Methodist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traditions of the Georgia Institute of Technology</span> Aspect of Georgia Tech culture

Numerous Georgia Tech legends and traditions have been established since the school's opening in 1888, some of which have persisted for decades. Over time, the school has grown from a trade school into a large research university, and the traditions reflect that heritage. One of the cherished holdovers from Tech's early years, a steam whistle blows every weekday at various times to mark the changing of classes. It's for this reason that the faculty newspaper is named The Whistle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Georgia Institute of Technology</span>

The history of the Georgia Institute of Technology can be traced back to Reconstruction-era plans to develop the industrial base of the Southern United States. Founded on October 13, 1885, in Atlanta as the Georgia School of Technology, the university opened in 1888 after the construction of Tech Tower and a shop building and only offered one degree in mechanical engineering. By 1901, degrees in electrical, civil, textile, and chemical engineering were also offered. In 1948, the name was changed to the Georgia Institute of Technology to reflect its evolution from an engineering school to a full technical institute and research university.

Edwin Davies Harrison was the sixth president of the Georgia Institute of Technology, from 1957 to 1969. It was in Harrison's honor that the first 'T' was stolen from the face of Tech Tower. His administration also tackled the difficult issues of integration and competitive pay for faculty members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marion L. Brittain</span> Georgia Institute of Technology University president

Marion Luther Brittain Sr. was an American academic administrator and longest serving president of the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1922 to 1944. Brittain was born in Georgia and, aside from a brief stint at the University of Chicago for graduate school, spent most of his life serving the educational community there. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from Emory College in 1886, Brittain worked his way up the ranks from principal of an Atlanta high school to superintendent of education for the entire state of Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George C. Griffin</span>

George C. Griffin (1897–1990) served in various positions at his alma mater, the Georgia Institute of Technology, most notably as dean of men from 1946 to 1964. He was known variously as "the best friend of all Tech men" and "Mr. Georgia Tech."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets baseball</span> College baseball team

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets baseball team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Georgia Tech athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Yellow Jackets play their home games in Russ Chandler Stadium and they are currently coached by Danny Hall.

Michael Edward Thomas was a university administrator and professor of industrial engineering, and was the acting president of the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1994. Thomas was instrumental in the restructuring of Georgia Tech's colleges during the administration of John Patrick Crecine. Thomas was also instrumental in the creation of the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women's basketball</span> Womens college basketball team

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women's basketball team represents the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in NCAA Division I basketball. The team plays its home games at McCamish Pavilion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Tech</span> Public university in Atlanta, Georgia, US

The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it is part of the University System of Georgia and has satellite campuses in Savannah, Georgia; Metz, France; Shenzhen, China; and Singapore.

Dorothy Murray Crosland was the long-time head librarian of the Georgia Tech Library at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Initially appointed as Assistant Librarian in 1925, she was promoted to Librarian in 1927 and Director of Libraries in 1953, a title she would hold until her retirement in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Main campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology</span> Buildings in Atlanta, Georgia, United States

The main campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology occupies part of Midtown Atlanta, primarily bordered by 10th Street to the north, North Avenue to the south, and, with the exception of Tech Square, the Downtown Connector to the East, placing it well in sight of the Atlanta skyline. In 1996, the campus was the site of the athletes' village and a venue for a number of athletic events for the 1996 Summer Olympics. The construction of the Olympic Village, along with subsequent gentrification of the surrounding areas, significantly changed the campus.

References

  1. 1 2 Dunn, John; Goettling, Gary (2008). Ramblin' Wrecks from Georgia Tech: A Centennial History of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association. Georgia Tech Alumni Association. ISBN   978-0-615-16888-3.
  2. ↑ "Alumni Association". Georgia Tech Fact Book. Georgia Institute of Technology . Retrieved 2011-11-05.
  3. ↑ "L. W. "Chip" Robert, Jr. Alumni/Faculty House Dedication Records". Georgia Tech Archives & Records Management. Georgia Tech Library . Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  4. 1 2 Brittain, Marion L. (1948). The Story of Georgia Tech. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press. pp. 262–271.
  5. ↑ "Dene Sheheane Named President of Alumni Association". Georgia Tech Alumni Association. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  6. ↑ "Association Staff". Georgia Tech Alumni Association. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  7. ↑ "Irwin Retiring from Georgia Tech Alumni Association". www.news.gatech.edu. Retrieved 2019-09-02.
  8. ↑ "Bobby Jones President of Georgia Tech Alumni". Boston Globe . Boston, MA. 1931-05-13. p. 24. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
  9. ↑ "Frank A. Hooper, Jr., 1932-1932". Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia. Archived from the original on 2020-10-17. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
  10. ↑ "Geographical Distribution of Alumni". Georgia Tech Fact Book. Georgia Institute of Technology. Archived from the original on 2012-03-24. Retrieved 2011-11-09.
  11. ↑ "Development/Sources of Support". Georgia Tech Fact Book. Georgia Institute of Technology. Archived from the original on 2012-04-20. Retrieved 2011-11-09.
  12. ↑ "Alumni Giving Highlights" (PDF). U.S. News & World Report 2011 Rankings. Alumni Locators. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-26. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
  13. 1 2 3 4 McMath, Robert C.; Ronald H. Bayor; James E. Brittain; Lawrence Foster; August W. Giebelhaus; Germaine M. Reed. Engineering the New South: Georgia Tech 1885-1985. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Wallace, Robert (1969). Dress Her in WHITE and GOLD: A biography of Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech Foundation.
  15. ↑ "Freeman is Head of Tech Alumni; High Praise Is Given Leaders in Recent Drive for $5,000,000 Fund for Big Institution". The Atlanta Constitution . Atlanta, GA. June 14, 1921. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
  16. ↑ "JacketNet Jobs". Georgia Tech Alumni Association. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  17. ↑ "Roll Call". Georgia Tech Alumni Association. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  18. ↑ "Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine". Georgia Tech Alumni Association. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  19. ↑ "Store". Georgia Tech Alumni Association. Retrieved 2011-11-06.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.