Dooley professorship
By Kim CretorsUniversity of GeorgiaThe University of Georgia Athletic Association has announced anew professorship in horticulture that, if approved, will bearthe name of outgoing athletic director Vince Dooley.UGA President Michael F. Adams, chairman of the AthleticAssociation board, announced the professorship during the group’sannual spring meeting.With the University System of Georgia Board of Regents’ approval,the Vincent J. Dooley Professorship in Horticulture will beestablished during the 2004-2005 academic year.Nonathletic renown”Over the years, Vince Dooley has pursued a personal interest ina number of areas beyond intercollegiate athletics,” Adams said.”He has achieved renown in his own right for his knowledge andpractice in the field of horticulture. The creation of this namedprofessorship is especially appropriate given his passion forgardening and is a step that will strengthen our academicprograms in this area.””I was very surprised, yet very grateful,” Dooley said of theannouncement. “Over the years, I’ve enjoyed auditing courses atthe university in a variety of disciplines, but my latest suchventures have been in horticulture. Due to the enthusiasm of somegreat teachers like (UGA horticulture professors) Michael Dirrand Allan Armitage, I developed a real passion for gardening. Forthat reason, the endowed professorship is very meaningful andspecial to me.”‘Dooley’ bloomsDooley has a hydrangea variety (Hydrangea macrophylla’Dooley’) named after him.The plant is a “remarkable, cold-hardy, mop-headed selectiondiscovered in the garden of Coach and Mrs. Vince Dooley,” reportsDirr’s Web site (www.nobleplants.com). After an early Marchfreeze in 1996, the site notes, the only hydrangea plant in thearea with significant flowers was “the 6- to 7-foot-high, robustplant in Coach Dooley’s garden.”Starting in 1999, Dooley helped secure a designation for theentire UGA campus as an arboretum. He chaired the committee thatled to a campus tree tour and a set of plaques that identify manytree and plant species.The Athletic Association has designated $250,000 from recentcontributions to establish the professorship. The association hasgiven more than $2 million to a fund that supports nonathleticacademic programs at UGA.”We’re particularly pleased the Athletic Association designatedresources to establish a professorship honoring Coach Dooley,”said Gale Buchanan, dean of the UGA College of Agricultural andEnvironmental Sciences.”Such a professorship honors a man of many talents,” Buchanansaid. “While his many accomplishments in athletics are widelyknown, this professorship recognizes his commitment andlong-standing support of academic pursuits.”(Kim Cretors is the news bureau manager with the University ofGeorgia Office of Public Affairs.)