Overview
- The University of Georgia said he died Jan. 25 after a brief illness at age 77; he is survived by his wife Mary Lynn, sons David and Taylor, and three granddaughters, and funeral plans are pending.
- He served as UGA’s 21st president from 1997 to 2013, during which enrollment rose from about 29,700 to 35,000 and federal research expenditures nearly tripled.
- Campus investments exceeded $1 billion, adding major facilities such as the Miller Learning Center and the Coverdell Center while launching new colleges and the Augusta University medical partnership.
- Private giving doubled as the endowment grew from $249.4 million in 1997 to $745.8 million by 2011, and UGA added year‑round study‑abroad sites in Oxford, Cortona, and Costa Rica.
- His tenure remained polarizing over the 2003 decision not to renew Vince Dooley’s contract, which led to a foundation-commissioned audit, a faculty no-confidence vote, and a Regents review that ultimately cleared him.