UWG News Item
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UWG receives 1 million gift

October 10, 2003

CARROLLTON, GA - The University of West Georgia has received a $1 million gift, the second largest cash gift in the history of the institution, from local philanthropist Alice Richards to establish the National Excellence Fund.

Dr. Beheruz N. Sethna, UWG president, expressed his gratitude on behalf of the University.
“I thank Alice Richards for her generous gift to the major gifts campaign,” Sethna said. “Mrs. Richards has long been a strong contributor to the University, and this gift is a shining example of her friendship and active support. We are very grateful to her.”

Scott Huffman, interim vice president for University advancement, said that in recognition of this leadership gift from Richards, an appropriate naming opportunity on the UWG campus will be identified.

The National Excellence Fund will be an endowment fund that will provide much-needed dollars that are not restricted to any particular University program but may be used where the need is greatest. The interest earned each year from the endowment fund will be made available to support programs of excellence at UWG that require funding sources other than tax dollars.

Huffman noted that other donors can add to the growth of this endowment fund by restricting the use of their contributions to the National Excellence Fund.

In addition to being a lifetime member of the West Georgia Foundation Board of Trustees, Richards has served on 18 boards of directors for such organizations as the Georgia Council of the Arts, Southwire Company, Ossabaw Island Foundation, CB&T Bank, the High Museum of Art, and Tanner Medical Foundation.

Richards is a recipient of the UWG Founders Award and was awarded an Honorary Degree in 2002. West Georgia’s criteria for an honorary degree recipient is notable achievement in an academic field, the arts and letters, the professions, or public service.

Richards was married to the late Roy Richards, Sr., founder of Southwire Company. She is the mother of seven children and lives in Carrollton.

For more information concerning the National Excellence Fund, contact the West Georgia Foundation at 770-836-6582.

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