A Legacy of Service

Jack Hill Scholarship Fund Honors Public Servant

A scholarship fund has been established to honor the late State Senator Jack Hill, a distinguished Georgia Southern University alumnus and revered public servant who served 30 years in the Georgia Legislature.

“Southeast Georgia and our Georgia Southern community lost a tremendous servant leader — Senator Jack Hill,” said President Kyle Marrero. “He was a staunch supporter of the University, and to many of us he was also a friend and wise counsel.”

With Hill’s support, Georgia Southern reached new heights as an institution serving the southeast region and the state of Georgia. Hill was instrumental in helping the University expand its programs and build several new state-of-the-art facilities, including the Engineering and Research Building, which will open for classes January 2021. In all, he helped Georgia Southern procure more than $200 million in state capitol funding.

“Senator Hill understood the transformative power a trained workforce can have for a region, and Georgia Southern will continue his vision as we focus on student success and as we prepare the next generation of leaders to impact southeast Georgia,” said Marrero. “This scholarship will continue his support of the Fourth District to whom he dedicated his political efforts and the greater part of his life, and will help students in the district achieve academic success at Georgia Southern.”

Hill’s family members say he was dedicated to his district, and to his hometown of Reidsville, Georgia, where he owned and operated a local grocery store for more than 30 years. He was a beloved member of the community, known for being a good man and for doing the right thing. His passion for community service led him into politics, where he felt he could make a difference.

The late Senator’s family members also say education was a foundational part of Hill’s life, and all three of his children went on to graduate from Georgia Southern. Hill’s wife of 48 years, Ruth Ann, was an educator her entire career — first as a teacher and later as principal of Reidsville Elementary School. He always pushed the fact that education is the key to growing both professionally and personally.

Recipients of the scholarship should be incoming freshmen from Bulloch, Candler, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Screven or Tattnall counties, and will be selected by a committee within the Office of Admissions and the Georgia Southern University Foundation.

Contributions to the scholarship fund can be made at GeorgiaSouthern.edu/JackHillScholarship.