News        from ABAC

Michael D. Chason Director of Public Relations ABAC 30 -- 2802 Moore Highway Tifton, GA 31793-2601 Phone 229-391-5055 Fax 229-391-4781 mchason@abac.edu

IMMEDIATE APRIL 6, 2008

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION HOMECOMING HONORS ALUMNI OF ABAC

TIFTON—As a tribute to its thousands of dedicated alumni and friends, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College ended its Centennial Celebration Homecoming with a bang Saturday night as fireworks exploded over Lake Baldwin.  The Homecoming weekend included reunions, the lighting of the 100^th birthday cake, and the sealing of an ABAC time capsule which will not be opened until 2108.

ABAC President David Bridges addressed the alumni on Saturday morning from a unique position.  He is the only ABAC President to have ever been a student at the college.  A member of the Class of 1978, Bridges actually met his wife, Kim, in Rosalyn Donaldson’s English class.

“Our college has had a wonderful 100 years,” Bridges said.  “Now it’s time for the second century of service.  We want to make ABAC the State College of choice in Georgia.  Together we can make that happen.”    

ABAC also set aside the weekend to recognize alumni and friends who impacted the college in significant ways.  ABAC Alumni Association award winners included Tom McCall, Distinguished Alumnus; Amber Davis Collins, Outstanding Young Alumnus; Ted Cowan, Master Farmer; Sandra Flynt McKinney, Helen B. Sasser award; Anthony L. Williams, J. Lamar Branch award; Dr. Charles Speakman, Outstanding Health Care Professional; Dorsey D. Brooks, Outstanding Educator; H. Frank Sauls, Jr., Outstanding Business Leader; William Turner Family, Family Legacy award; and Dianne Cowart, George and Ailene Graul, and Dr. Charlotte Pfeiffer, Honorary Alumnus awards.

McCall (Class of 1976) is a State Representative for District 30, covering parts of Elbert, Jackson, and Madison counties.  He currently serves as chair of the House Agriculture Committee. McCall received the Georgia Farm Bureau award for Outstanding Service to Agriculture in 2006.  Raised on a farm in Elbert County, McCall is a member of the statewide Water Council.

Collins (Class of 1998) is a Life Scientist in the Pesticides Management Section of the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Atlanta.  She works with Latino farmworker issues and pesticide inspector training.  Collins served in the Peace Corps from 2002 – 2004, working in Honduras.  In  2006, President George W. Bush presented Collins with the President's Volunteer Service Award for her work with the Peace Corps, Hurricane Katrina response, and the Cool Girls, Inc.   She earned a bronze medal from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2005 and an Environmental Justice Award in 2007.

Cowan (Class of 1967) received the oldest award presented by the ABAC Alumni Association, presented annually since 1955.  A farmer since 1971, Cowan is the owner/operator of Colony Peanut and Storage, Inc. He serves as Vice President of the Ben Hill County Farm Bureau, and he’s involved with the Ben Hill Young Farmers Association.  Cowan is on the Advisory Board for the Ben Hill County Extension Service and serves on the Board of Directors for the Colony Bank of Fitzgerald.  He is also a member of the Ben Hill County Development Authority.

McKinney (Class of 1974) serves as the Crisp County Extension Coordinator.  Under her leadership, Crisp County 4-H was one of five groups in the world to receive the Albert Schweitzer International Youth Group of the Year Award for its environmental work in waste management, beautification and education.  The Sasser Award was formerly known as the Master Homemaker Award.

Williams (Class of 1985) has been with Marriott Golf for over 21 years, at Renaissance PineIsle Resort and Golf Club from 1986 to 2005 and at Stone Mountain Golf Club/Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort as golf course superintendent since 2005. His work in pest management and erosion control and his dedication to responsible groundskeeping earned him the Marriott Golf Crystal Achievement Award for Public Relations Excellence.   Williams recently earned his fifth Black Belt in Tenshi GoJu Karate.  He was inducted into the International Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 2001.

Speakman (Class of 1973) is an ophthalmologist with the West Georgia Eye Care Center and the Ambulatory Surgical Center of Columbus.  He devotes time and resources to fundraising for the visually impaired, the Carpenter’s Ranch for Boys, Sound Choices Pregnancy Center, the American Diabetes Association and the United Way.   

Brooks (Class of 1939) started teaching agriculture in 1941 prior to serving in the Navy from 1943 to 1946.  After his discharge, he continued his teaching, coaching and school administration career until his retirement in 1976.  As an ABAC basketball player he was part of the state championship team during the 1936-37 season.  Today, he still touches many young persons through a program at Jefferson Middle School, the JMS Reward Program, which offers at-risk students incentives for improving their standardized test scores. 

Sauls (Class of 1977)  is a senior partner in the accounting firm of Allen, Pritchett and Bassett, where he has worked for 29 years.  He is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed in Georgia and Florida.  Among his affiliations are the Healthcare Financial Management Association and the National Institute For Excellence in Professional Education.    Sauls is a member of the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Club.  He has also served on the boards of the United Way, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the Tift County High School Booster Club. 

The William Turner family from Colquitt County has 19 family members spanning four generations who attended ABAC, from Gladys Klein Turner and Hubert Owen Turner, who were here in 1921 and 1922 to Kraig Hubert Vickers, Class of 2007.  Turner family members contribute to their communities in a variety of professions ranging from homemaking to teaching to military service to agriculture to business. 

Cowart held a number of positions at ABAC from the time of her employment in 1973 until her retirement in 1996.  She was dean of women, director of student housing and worked with the Student Government Association. 

The Grauls served as directors for the Donaldson Dining Hall at ABAC from 1971-1985.  Alumni and guests still recall the elaborate spreads at various meal functions, especially the Georgia Young Farmers Association and the first years of Dollars for ABAC Scholars.  Mr. Graul passed away in December, 2007. 

Pfeiffer taught at ABAC from 1979-2002 as a professor of Speech/English. She served many years as advisor to Phi Theta Kappa, leading the honor society to several national awards. 

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