Alumni Magazine - Summer 2008 - (Page 48) About 51,000 Georgia Tech graduates have shaken hands with Wayne Clough at commencement ceremonies. “Fourteen years add up to a lot of memories. All of my graduations were fun, but the first and last were special,” he said. The dinner — hosted by Clough, Sutterfield and Herky Harris, chair of the Georgia Tech Foundation — celebrated many of the Institute’s achievements during the past 14 years, including ranking as the No. 7 public university in the country, increasing the number of faculty in national academies from 12 to 30 and inaugurating Tech’s biomedical engineering program, which went from nonexistent to second in the nation. Clough noted that the 51,000 graduates during his tenure equate to nearly 35 percent of the total 146,656 graduates who have received degrees from the Institute since 1890. On a personal note, Clough said, “Fourteen years add up to a lot of memories. All of my graduations were fun, but the first and last were special. Our students provide a large stock of fond recollections, and Anne and I have enjoyed getting to know so many of these special folks.” Clough added that many of the building projects were “painful to bring to fruition, but the positive part is to see them in use.” He highlighted the Olympic residence halls, Technology Square, the Campus Recreation Center, the Biotechnology Complex, the Student Center Commons and a child care center. Among the occasions for celebration were his 1994 inauguration, the successful completion of the Campaign for Georgia Tech and the opening of the renovated Bobby Dodd Stadium. Somber observances included the tragedies of 9/11 and the shootings at Virginia Tech, he said. “Many fun moments over the past 14 years revolved around athletics. It was nice when people began calling me for tickets to football games after nobody called in my first year when we went one and 10,” Clough joked. “Two particularly special times were watching our women’s tennis team win our first NCAA national championship last year in Athens and following our men’s basketball team to the championship game in 2004,” he said. Noting the Presidents’ Dinner is a tribute to leadership donors, he said, “In my 14 years, Roll Call contributions have totaled over $99 million. “Reunion classes have contributed an overall total of almost $175 million, and their giving 48 Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine • Summer 2008
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