ATLANTA - Olympic gold medalist Sam Graddy joined Oglethorpe University, Atlanta’s only highly selective coeducational liberal arts institution, as director of annual giving in early December. Graddy oversees the $1 million Oglethorpe Fund, which rose above the halfway mark in December.

“I’ve always been intrigued by this university, growing up in Atlanta,” he said. “I wanted to work for a university that really makes a difference.” Previously, Graddy spent nine years working for the Boy Scouts of America, most recently as endowment director.

Oglethorpe’s core curriculum, small class sizes and athletic reputation were a big draw for Graddy, as was the university’s Atlanta location. In his first month on the job, Graddy has been getting to know the Oglethorpe community by visiting with alumni, attending basketball games and meeting with community leaders. He looks forward to meeting more alumni during Homecoming and Alumni Weekends.

Graddy, a graduate of the University of Tennessee, was a member of the U.S. Track & Field Team in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, winning gold in the 4 x 100-meter relay and silver in the 100-meter sprint. After college, he was a receiver in the National Football League for seven years: two with the Denver Broncos and five with the Los Angeles Raiders. Graddy is a member of Victory World Church in Norcross and a board member of Sports Champions of Greater Atlanta. He and his wife Cincotta live in Stone Mountain and have two sons, ages 18 and 21.

Oglethorpe University, founded in 1835, is a member of the Annapolis Group, an organization of America’s 100 most selective liberal arts institutions, and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, a ten-member association dedicated to high academic standards. Oglethorpe is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.