The University of Georgia Alumni Association has announced the establishment of the 1961 Club, which will seek to better engage the more than 14,000 living African American alumni of the university. On January 9, 1961, Hamilton E. Holmes and Charlayne Hunter-Gault became the first African-American students to register for classes at the University of Georgia.
The new fundraising initiative was launched earlier this month by the Alumni Association’s Black Alumni Affinity Group. Money raised by the 1961 Club will be earmarked for need-based scholarships for undergraduate students. The alumni association is asking University of Georgia graduates to give a monthly gift of $19.61, or a one-time gift of $196.10 or $1,961, to support the 1961 Club.
Raymond Phillips, president of the Black Alumni Leadership Council, said that “it is imperative for Black alumni to donate to the scholarship because it provides students with a community of support and opportunities to grow. Youth are the future. Our students are at the precipice of achieving their dreams and it is important for alumni to reconnect, guide and support them, so they can continue the legacy that was started in 1961.”
