Charles B. Knapp served as president of The University of Georgia from 1987 through this past June, leaving to become president of The Aspen Institute, an educational institution for policymakers based in Washington, D.C. Before departing, he wrote this column for the Georgia Center Quarterly.
...about Walter Barnard Hill, the visionary and dynamic chancellor who led The University of Georgia into the 20th Century. Hill, who served from 1899 until his death in 1905 at age 54, initiated a number of significant improvements for the University, including strengthening the College of Agriculture, expanding the law school curriculum, starting the colleges of pharmacy and forestry, increasing funding, and creating an innovative summer school program.
But Hill's most important legacy is his great success in making the University an agent for positive change in this state. A native Georgian and an 1870 UGA graduate, Hill believed the University had an obligation to use its resources to help the state overcome economic and educational shortcomings.
Breaking with the traditional view of a university as aloof from the rest of society, Hill argued that universities should "look after social and economic conditions." He promised that the University of Georgia in the 20th Century would "connect its activities more closely with the business and life of the people."
In the nearly 100 years since Hill set this agenda, the University of Georgia has fulfilled his vision. With a talented cadre of workers trained in everything from agriculture to art and business to child care, our public service program reaches into every county in Georgia--and to many other states and nations--helping people solve problems and improve their lives.
If Chancellor Hill could return to the University today, he would be pleased by the vast and vigorous service program he helped spawn. One element of that program that he probably could not have foreseen--but of which he would be most proud--is the Georgia Center for Continuing Education.
I have great respect for Chancellor Hill's vision, and I take great pride in the Georgia Center's leadership role over the past 40 years in improving the conditions of society. By helping more than 140,000 citizens acquire knowledge and enhance skills every year, the Center significantly advances the goals of lifelong learning that are central to our public service program.
Over the past 10 years, I have admired and personally benefitted from the services and offerings provided by the Center. I have participated in numerous educational and cultural programs that have increased my knowledge, enlarged my views, and enriched my life. I have appreciated the use of the Center's fine facilities, especially Masters Hall and Mahler Auditorium, and I am grateful for the excellent support I have received from the many friendly and helpful Center staff members, who are wonderful goodwill ambassadors for the University.
Among the most memorable and meaningful programs I have attended at the Center are the annual public service and outreach conferences. I have enjoyed helping present the Walter Barnard Hill Awards for Distinguished Achievement in Public Service and Outreach, which were established in 1992, and hearing the Walter Barnard Hill Distinguished Lecture, which was begun in 1995.
I feel privileged to have followed in the pioneering footsteps of Walter Hill, the person most credited for the start of the University's outreach efforts. And I commend the many dedicated people and outstanding service units that keep Chancellor Hill's legacy alive.
The Georgia Center is a jewel in the crown of our public service program. I extend warmest congratulations to the Center on its 40th anniversary, and best wishes for continued success. I will always count my association with the Center and its staff as one of the highlights of my time at the University of Georgia.
Web administrator: webmaster@gactr.uga.edu All contents copyright © 1997 University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education. All rights reserved. Last revised: Thu, Sep 18, 1997, 2:12:02 PM URL: http://www.gactr.uga.edu/GCQ/gcqsum97/ibt.html