A Lifetime of Service

In a recent meeting of the Georgia Southern Retirees Association, two distinguished retirees were honored for their exceptional contributions to the community and the field of education. Professors Anne and Sigmund Hudson, a pair of retirees who have dedicated their lives to service, teaching, and scholarship, were recognized for their extraordinary achievements at Armstrong State University.

In a letter of support for the Hudsons’ nomination, Delana Gajdosik Schartner, Ph.D., assistant vice president for Strategic Initiatives at Georgia Southern University, wrote, “Throughout their careers, the Hudsons demonstrated their commitment to academic excellence for themselves, their colleagues, and their students. Both were groundbreakers: Anne as the first woman to receive a doctoral degree in mathematics from Tulane University and Sigmund as one of the very first people to seek a degree and then to teach in the field of computer science.”

Schartner further highlighted the Hudsons’ commitment to community service, stating, “Beyond the classroom, the Hudsons have always modeled what it means to be ‘good citizens,’ actively and proactively engaging with the community at the neighborhood and city level. Many formal community organizations in Savannah have relied on their volunteerism from Union Mission to the Bull Street Main Library to the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home.”

After finishing graduate school at Tulane University, the couple moved to Savannah in the 1970s, where Anne joined the mathematics faculty at Armstrong and Sigmund joined the faculty at Savannah State. Their commitment to community service was evident when they founded the Baldwin Park Neighborhood Association in 1976, a time when such organizations were not widely known.

For over 40 years, the Hudsons have been pillars of their community, welcoming new neighbors, organizing neighborhood festivities, and providing support to the elderly and sick. Their dedication to doing the most good while doing the least harm was evident in their daily lives. Sigmund would ride his bicycle to Savannah State University, while Anne took the public bus to Armstrong, using her commute time to grade her students’ work.

Their commitment to education and scholarship was equally impressive. They launched a weekly mathematics colloquium for undergraduate students in the 1980s, encouraging both faculty and students to present their work. The Hudsons continued to participate in the series even after their retirement in 1996, and it was subsequently named the Hudson Mathematics Colloquium in their honor.

The Hudsons’ service extended beyond the university and their neighborhood. They were involved in many spiritual, cultural and service organizations in Savannah. They tutored children in their neighborhood in math and donated blankets and sleeping bags to the Community of St. Joseph for homeless people.

Anne’s commitment to supporting young people in the field of mathematics led her to serve on the U.S.A. Mathematical Olympiad Committee. She was even selected as one of the coaches to travel with the team in 1994 to Hong Kong, where the team received perfect scores. In recognition of her exceptional teaching, she was named the best college math teacher in the Southeastern Section of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) in 1993 and one of the seven best math professors in the nation by her peers in the MAA the following year.

In a letter of support for the Hudsons’ nomination, David Stone, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at Georgia Southern University, shared his personal experiences with the Hudsons. He wrote, “I primarily came to know the Hudsons through the MAA. We saw each other at regional conferences, often with students in tow, and became friends. She and Sigmund were both engaged and engaging. It was clear that Anne related well to her students and had high expectations of them.”

He also mentioned the Hudsons’ continued involvement with the university even after their retirement, stating, “Anne and Sigmund retired from Armstrong in 1997, but they often returned to hear talks in the colloquium series that now bears their name, before moving to St. Louis a few years ago to be closer to family. When we moved to Zoom, they have attended virtually.”

The Hudsons’ legacy continues to inspire and impact the Georgia Southern community. Their names have been inscribed on a wall in the Alumni Center in Burnett Hall on the Armstrong Campus, and they have made numerous financial contributions to the Department of Mathematical Sciences. Their dedication to service, education and community is a testament to their extraordinary lives and the impact they have had on countless individuals.

“In short, you could not find two more worthy people to hold up as exemplars for our retirees, our in-service faculty and staff, our students, and our alumni than Dr. Anne Hudson and Dr. Sigmund Hudson,” said Schartner.

— Doy Cave