Annex at GHC named for George Pullen
AS SEEN ON WRGA ONLINE:
A prestigious honor for a man who meant so much to Georgia Highlands College and the Rome Community.
The former F-Wing at Georgia Highlands College’s Rome campus was officially renamed the W. George Pullen Annex during a ceremony held Friday.
GHC President Dr. Donald Green said he didn’t know Pullen, but he can see the results on his work.
“Thank you to Dr. Pullen for his passions for Civil Rights and social justice, affordable excellence, a global perspective and community outreach. They have made us what we are today.”
Carla Patterson with the Humanities Division at GHC said Pullen’s lesson of fairness should be a model for students who walk through the college doors.
“There is no better question than to encourage students to ask themselves when they are evaluating their actions and their decisions than ‘Is it fair.’ I think that’s what George has left us and we are better off because of it.”
The ceremony concluded with comments from Pullen’s wife Ann.
“He certainly loved the City of Rome and, of course, he was also a downtown businessman with his beloved bicycle shop. He did many things. So, thank you very much.”
Dr. Pullen passed away Jan. 31. He was an original faculty member of the college when it opened in 1970 as Floyd Junior College. He was a professor of history. He then became chair of the social science department. He later became chair of the division of extended learning before his retirement in 1997.
Pullen also served as chair of the Rome City Commission.
FOR THE FULL STORY: http://wrgarome.com/common/page.php?feed=1&id=59511&is_corp=1
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MORE ABOUT PULLEN:
Dr. William George Pullen graduated from LaGrange College. In 1963, he received his Bachelor of Divinity Degree from Duke University and thereafter served for several years as a Methodist minister in the South Georgia Conference. His commitment to fighting social injustice and oppression led to his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement in southwest Georgia during this time. He received a Master’s degree in history from Florida State University and, in 1971, his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.
George was a charter member of the faculty of Floyd Junior College (now Georgia Highlands College) in Rome, joining the institution in 1970. He chaired the Division of Social Sciences from 1971-1993 and in 1994 became Chair of the Division of Extended Learning. In this position, he oversaw the beginning of Floyd College Television, which is now GHTV. He retired in 1997 and was named Professor Emeritus of History. In his academic career, he authored a book and articles on U.S. economic policy and other topics, including a history of the City of Rome in the online New Georgia Encyclopedia.
In 1980, George ran successfully for the Rome City Commission, on which he served for 23 years. He served as Chairman of the Commission (now Mayor) from 1992-1998; in that role he was instrumental in the planning and construction of Rome’s 1986 downtown Streetscape and helped lead the effort for the new building for the Rome-Floyd County Library in the late 1980s. While on the City Commission, George served for a number of years on the Board of the Georgia Municipal Association.
*brief excerpt from Hometown Headlines. “Obituary for George Pullen…” (posted Feb. 4, 2014)