In what has become one of the University of Georgia’s most anticipated yearly activities, President Jere W. Morehead welcomed nearly 900 honored guests to the Grand Hall of the Dean William Tate Student Center on Sept. 18 for the Presidents Club Reception.
This annual event is an invitation-only celebration that includes donors, UGA senior administrators, and representatives from the Arch Society and the Student Alumni Council. The Presidents Club Reception offers an opportunity for university leadership to recognize donors and to personally express appreciation for their contributions to the institution and the positive impact resulting from their generosity.
Donors who make gifts to the university of $1,000 or more in a given year earn membership in the Presidents Club and receive an invitation to attend the annual event where they enjoy fellowship with others who share a strong commitment to supporting academic excellence at the University of Georgia.
Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Kelly Kerner and University of Georgia Student Government Association President Johnelle Simpson offered opening remarks, welcoming donors to the reception and thanking them for their support.
Simpson then introduced President Jere W. Morehead, who expressed appreciation to donors for the important role they are playing in advancing the institution.
“Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for your loyalty. And, thank you for your dedication to the mission of this great university,” Morehead said. “Together, we are reaching new heights of excellence.”
Donors were treated to an outstanding video presentation (above) highlighting the tangible benefits of private support for UGA students, faculty and staff.
In tribute to the Presidents Club’s most generous benefactors, the Presidents Club Garden was created in 1973 and today is one of the most beautiful spots on UGA’s historic North Campus adjacent to Old College. The garden’s walls bear the names of Founding Presidents Club Members, donors who share a special lifetime distinction of having joined in the first twenty years of the program. These donors made substantial gifts to support the university’s academic mission and further enhance its standing as one of the nation’s leading institutions of higher education.
A recent renovation project created space for the university to list the names of UGA’s Cumulative Giving Societies on the right wall in the Presidents Club Garden. These individuals have given a cumulative lifetime total of $1 million or more. Their generosity is recognized on three levels: the 1785 Society ($1 million), the Abraham Baldwin Society ($5 million), and the Crystal Arch Society ($10 million).
