Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia will observe its 230th anniversary in 2015, and the UGA Alumni Association will celebrate the occasion by hosting a weeklong series of events, including the 13th annual Founders Day Lecture on Jan. 26 at 1:30 p.m. in the Chapel.
Paul M. Kurtz, associate dean and professor emeritus for the UGA School of Law, will present the lecture, titled “A New York Yankee in Abraham Baldwin’s Court: (Almost) Fifty Years Behind ‘Enemy’ Lines.” The lecture will be livestreamed at http://t.uga.edu/1bu.
“Like Abraham Baldwin, I am a Yankee who has experienced life on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line,” said Kurtz. “On this Founders Day, as we commemorate his role in the establishment of the university which has been my home for most of my life, I look forward to sharing my reflections on the journey I have taken since my arrival in the South in 1964.”
Kurtz was a Georgia Law faculty member for nearly 40 years, specializing in criminal law and family law. He served as the law school’s associate dean from 1991 to 2013 and was named the J. Alton Hosch Professor of Law in 1994. Active in law school and university affairs throughout his career, Kurtz was elected by colleagues to three terms of service on the University Council as well as two terms on the board of the Georgia Athletic Association. Kurtz earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from Vanderbilt University and his Master of Laws from Harvard University.
The student response will be given by Carey Miller, a 2012 UGA alumnus and the current law school student body president.
Jessica Pacheco, a member of the Class of 2015 pursuing a doctoral degree in musical arts, will provide pre-lecture entertainment on the piano, followed by an official welcome by the UGA Alumni Association and university leaders.
The Founders Day Lecture recognizes the date the university was established-Jan. 27. On this day in 1785, the Georgia General Assembly adopted a charter establishing UGA as the country’s first state-chartered institution of higher education. And as part of the celebration, the UGA Charter will be displayed at the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries Jan. 26-27.
The lecture is sponsored by the UGA Alumni Association and the Emeriti Scholars, a group of retired faculty members known for their teaching abilities, who continue to be involved in the university’s academic life through part-time teaching, research and service assignments.
In conjunction with the lecture, the UGA Alumni Association will host an invite-only luncheon on Jan. 26 during which the President’s Medal will be presented to Gary Bertsch, founding director of the Center for International Trade and Security, a UGA-based program conducting international research, teaching and outreach to promote economic prosperity, international peace and security. The President’s Medal recognizes extraordinary contributions of former employees who have supported students and academic programs, advanced research and inspired community leaders to enhance Georgians’ quality of life.
The UGA Student Alumni Association will sponsor a series of free events for students in the days following the lecture. The schedule of those events is as follows:
• Jan. 27, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., UGA’s 230th birthday celebration and T-shirt giveaway on the Tate Student Center Plaza.
• Jan. 28, noon-5 p.m., UGA Career Fair at the Classic Center. Student Alumni Council members will provide information about graduation-related events for seniors and the 2015 Senior Signature campaign.
• Jan. 29, birthday cupcakes in UGA dining halls during lunch and dinner.
• Jan. 29-30, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., 100 Days Until Graduation in Tate Student Center Grand Hall.
• Jan. 30, 9 p.m.-1 a.m., “Larger Than Life” Dawgs After Dark in Tate Student Center.
“It is an honor to be the first state-chartered institution of higher education,” said Meredith Gurley Johnson, executive director of UGA alumni relations. “I encourage the students, university and Athens communities to join us in celebrating our history during Founders Week.”
The UGA Alumni Association
The UGA Alumni Association supports the academic excellence, best interests and traditions of Georgia’s flagship university and its more than 288,000 alumni worldwide. For more information, see www.alumni.uga.edu.