1961 Club
1961 Club is a special group of donors, named for the year of desegregation at the University of Georgia, who share a passion for ensuring undergraduate student success.
Members of the 1961 Club support the Black Alumni Scholarship Fund with a gift of $19.61, $196.10, or $1,961. By working to eliminate financial obstacles, the 1961 Club removes barriers to education and keeps the doors open for students to attain a quality education.
Benefits of Membership
Member Benefits:
- All donors receive the quarterly Black Alumni e-newsletter.
- Donors receive a 1961 Club lapel pin and the quarterly Black Alumni e-newsletter.
Donors of $1,961 or more are automatically members of the Presidents Club Bronze Leadership Level and privy to the benefits of that society. They will also receive a video thank you email from a Black Alumni scholarship recipient.
On January 9, 1961, the University of Georgia changed forever.
Hamilton E. Holmes (BS ’63) and Charlayne Hunter-Gault (ABJ ’63) became the first African American students to register for classes at UGA. They were later joined by Mary Frances Early (MME ’62), the first African American student to graduate from the University. Twenty years after they stepped onto campus, professor James Simmons, Jr. and Horatio Lanier (ABJ ’77) established the Black Alumni Scholarship Fund with the support of numerous alumni, faculty and friends. Today, the UGA Alumni Association Black Alumni Affinity Group carries the torch through 1961 Club, ensuring that students, regardless of socioeconomic status, have access to a college education.
1961 Club launched in January 2018 with the support of nearly 1,000 charter members. The contributions of these individuals and organizations marked a new era of philanthropy at the University of Georgia.