Focusing on Philanthropy
Gratitude Gala Celebrates Georgia Southern’s Exceptional Donors
An audience of alumni, donors, faculty, staff and other guests gathered for a celebration recognizing four individuals, a foundation and a corporation that have demonstrated longtime support for Georgia Southern University. The annual Gratitude Gala honoring these key recipients was held Feb. 29 at the Mansion on Forsyth Park in Savannah.
“We are honored to recognize alumni and friends of the University who have made it their priority to not only improve Georgia Southern but to also promote education,” said Vice President for University Advancement Trip Addison. “It is important that we show how grateful we are to all who have helped the University along the way.”
The 2020 honorees who received special recognition are listed below.
2020 Legacy Award: Bruce and Kathryn Grube
It has been a decade since Bruce Grube, Ph.D., served as the president of Georgia Southern, but he remains a loyal supporter of the institution. From 1999 to 2009, the University experienced exponential growth under his leadership. During Grube’s presidency, Georgia Southern became a Carnegie Doctoral/Research university and experienced record-breaking enrollment. His wife, Kathryn Grube, was a fixture in Bulloch County as she volunteered in countless organizations and held numerous positions. Georgia Southern honored the Grubes for their deferred charitable commitment to the University Honors Program, the Recreation Activity Center and multiple student leadership scholarships.
2020 President’s Ambassador Award: E.G. and Lynn Meybohm
E.G. and Lynn Meybohm are members of the Class of 1965 and remain devoted supporters of Georgia Southern athletics. E.G. Meybohm, an inductee into the Athletics Hall of Fame, led the Georgia Southern baseball team to capture their first NAIA National Championship in 1962. In 2019, the Meybohms generously supported the renovation of the W.S. Hanner Fieldhouse, a facility critical to Georgia Southern student-athletes. The Hanner Fieldhouse is a state-of-the-art home for basketball and volleyball programs, the Biodynamics and Human Performance Center and University fans. Georgia Southern University awarded the Meybohms the President’s Ambassador Award for their unwavering support of University athletics.
2020 President’s Innovator Award: Dot and John Mooney Foundation
Founded in 1977, the Dot and John Mooney Foundation is a nonprofit charitable extension of Willingway Hospital of Statesboro, Georgia, that specializes in the treatment of alcoholism and drug addiction. At Georgia Southern, this foundation supports over 40 students a semester as they master sobriety and their courses through the Center for Addiction Recovery within the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health. The program has a 90% graduation rate and graduates have gone on to earn doctoral degrees in pharmacy, physical therapy and psychology, among others. The Dot and John Mooney Foundation was honored for its commitment to the well-being of our students and their futures.
2020 President’s Visionary Award: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
Although Allen E. Paulson never attended Georgia Southern, he and his company, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, became one of the University’s biggest supporters in 1984 when a check was written to pay for the football stadium. Since then, Gulfstream has become an important ally, turning the company’s support to engineering students through scholarships, career development opportunities, internships and co-op programs. Over the years, Gulfstream partnered with Armstrong State University as well, with both relationships having a vested interest in the development of Savannah area students. Georgia Southern continues to honor the passion Gulfstream has for engineering, the University and the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing.