ABAC Interim President Homer A. Day earned the Honorary Alumnus Award. Other award recipients included R. A. "Rusty" Griffin, Jr., Distinguished Alumnus; Charles F. Coker, J. Lamar Branch Award; Joy Barber Dutton, Helen Brown Sasser Award; J. Daniel Bledsoe, Master Farmer; Dr. James T. "Jay" Phillips, Outstanding Young Alumnus; Dr. W. Worth Bridges and Dr. Joseph J. Day, Jr., Honorary Alumni. The Family Legacy Award was presented to the Milford Brown Family.
Dr. Homer Day served as ABAC's Director of College Services and Coordinator of Federal Programs before being appointed interim president on August 1, 2000. He joined the ABAC staff in 1972 as the Assistant Director of Financial Aid. He has served as the Director of the Cooperative Education Program, Director of the Career Planning and Placement Center, Director of Financial Aid and Veterans Services, Assistant to the Academic Dean, and Interim Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs. A past president of the Tifton Rotary Club, Day currently serves as chair of the Tifton Housing Authority and on the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce Education 2000 Committee. He is also a member of the Tiftarea Adult Education Coalition and the Tift County Community Health Committee. Day and his wife, Caroline, have two children, Sean, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, and Sherri, who received her graduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley.
Griffin, a 1964 ABAC alumnus from Valdosta, is the chief executive officer of Griffin, LLC (a joint venture with DuPont) of Valdosta, a manufacturer of crop protection and specialty chemicals. He took over the family business in 1970 at the age of 26 after completing his education at ABAC and UGA. Today, the company, which was founded in 1935, operates nationwide and in over 80 foreign countries. Griffin and his wife, Barbara, are members of First United Methodist Church in Valdosta. They have three daughters and one granddaughter.
Coker, a 1954 ABAC alumnus from Albany, has devoted his life to agriculture administration, including 18 years with USDA Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service and another 22 years with the Georgia/Florida/Alabama (GFA) Peanut Association. In 1989, the Georgia Peanut Producers Association presented Coker with the Fletcher Thompson Award. He retired as GFA manager in January, 2000. Coker and his wife, Sue, have three children and five grandchildren and are members of the Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany.
Dutton, a 1966 ABAC alumna from Albany, is the quintessential homemaker, devoting her life to her family, her church, and her community. After completing her education at ABAC and UGA, she married her childhood sweetheart, Bob, and began working for the Department of Family and Children Services. When her children were born, she decided to become a "stay-at-home mom." A mother of two, she is now the grandmother of three. Dutton has been a very active 4-H volunteer and is a member of the First Baptist Church of Albany. An avid supporter of ABAC, she and her husband are also members of the President's Club.
Bledsoe, a 1967 ABAC alumnus from Hawkinsville, practices strip till conservation on his farm in Bleckley and Pulaski Counties. He and his son, Blake, a 1996 ABAC alumnus, operate the farm with the help of two employees. In 1986, Bledsoe was named Soil and Water Conservationist of the Year. Amadas Industries recognized him in 1990 for his outstanding contribution to the peanut industry through his willingness to field test new equipment. Bledsoe and his wife, Janice, have two children and are members of the Liberty Baptist Church.
Phillips, a 1988 ABAC alumnus from Tifton, returned to his hometown after completing his education at Valdosta State University and the Medical College of Georgia. He is currently a partner with James M. Langenfeld, DDS, PC and the Lenox Dental Clinic. He has served as first and second vice president of the Southwest District Dental Association. Phillips has also worked with the Migrant Health and Headstart Programs, providing preventative, operative, and emergency treatment. He and his wife, Leigh Beard Phillips, a 1991 ABAC alumnus, are active members of Northside Baptist Church in Tifton.
Bridges came to the ABAC campus in 1967 as the Dean of Men and Student Activities. In 1972, he became the Dean of Students. He retired in June, 1995 after 28 years of service to ABAC. Bridges has served as president of the Mental Health Association of Georgia and Tift County, president of American Association of State Counseling Boards and charter member of the American Association of Counseling and Development. He annually supports Dollars for Scholars and the ABAC Club for Athletics. He and his wife, Hazel, have two children, Steve, a 1972 ABAC alumnus, and Robin.
Dr. Joseph Day was an "institution" in ABAC's Division of Science and Mathematics from September, 1965 through June, 1989. Hundreds of students have profited from his instruction and advice in the area of mathematics and engineering. Upon his retirement, Day was awarded emeritus status for his 24 years of service to ABAC. He and his wife, Martha, are members of ABAC's President's Club and are annual Dollars for Scholars patrons. They have one son, J. Jerome Day, III, a 1978 ABAC alumnus.
The Brown Family of Worth County has 22 family members spanning three generations who have attended ABAC, the first of whom was Charles Brown, who attended Georgia State College for Men (1929-33) when the college was a four-year school. The late Helen Brown Sasser was the first female to register for classes when the college became ABAC in 1933. She was also the first female president of the ABAC Alumni Association. Two family members--Helen and Frances--are members of ABAC's President's Club. Three members have received the Master Homemaker Award, later renamed the Helen Brown Sasser Award. Several members of the Brown Family are regular contributors to the Century Club and Dollars for Scholars.
Other Homecoming activities included a speech by Representative Saxby Chambliss, groundbreaking for the Red Hill Athletic Center, and a retirement dinner honoring wildlife professor Dick Payne.
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