Press Release

National Alumni Association Announces 2007 Award Winners

ATLANTA – Oglethorpe University's National Alumni Association announced the 2007 alumni award winners, which will be presented during Alumni Weekend March 30-April 1.

ONE, Two, Trois Owner Honored  

Local restaurateur Bob Amick ’72 has been awarded the Spirit of Oglethorpe Award by the Oglethorpe University National Alumni Association.

Mr. Amick owns a number of Atlanta area restaurants, including Trois, Pie Bar, Two Urban Licks and One Midtown Kitchen.The Atlanta-based restaurant designer and operator is also the co-owner of Concentric Hospitality Solutions.

The Spirit of Oglethorpe Award is presented to Oglethorpe University alumni who live by the Oglethorpe motto, Make a life. Make a living. Make a difference., demonstrating the attributes of a liberal arts education by exhibiting creativity, purposefulness and a commitment to improving the quality of their community.

Magbee Honored by Oglethorpe University  

Long-time Atlanta resident Tia Magbee ’56 has been posthumously honored with Oglethorpe University’s National Alumni Association’s Talmage Award. The recipient of this award is recognized for a contribution of time, talent or financial resources to the university and/oris distinguished in the business or professional world.

Mrs. Magbee served on the Board of Trustees for Oglethorpe University for 14 years. She was also involved in a wide variety of community activities and held leadership positions in many. These included positions in the Friends of the National Archive, Georgia Genealogical Society and The Westminster Schools Alumni Board. Over the years, she and her husband James hosted many receptions and events for people in the Oglethorpe community and stayed deeply involved with the university.Tia Magbee passed away in 2005.

Gwinnett Educator Honored  

Gwinnett County resident Glenn Jones ’44 has been awarded Oglethorpe University’s National Alumni Association’s School Bell Award. This honor is awarded to Oglethorpe alumni who have made lasting contributions to the field of education.

Mr. Jones began working for Gwinnett County schools when he was 18, hauling coal into the two room schoolhouse to keep it warm.For 41 years he continued to work in the schools as a teacher, bus driver, principal and coach. While working, Mr. Jones obtained a Bachelors degree from Oglethorpe and a Masters from the University of Georgia.He recently celebrated his 96th birthday in the Buford City middle school that bears his name.

Marietta Resident Honored  

Marietta resident Dr. Irwin Ray has been awarded Oglethorpe University’s National Alumni Association’s School Bell Award. This honor is awarded to past or present Oglethorpe faculty who have made lasting contributions to the field of education.

Dr. Ray has been a member of Oglethorpe's faculty for over two decades. As director of musical activities, his responsibilities include conducting all campus choral and instrumental performances, teaching conducting, accompanying, voice, choral literature and music and culture and supervising the music scholarship program.He holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in conducting and has studied with internationally respected conductors such as Donald Hustad, Julius Herford, John Nelson and Robert Shaw.

Selma Student Success Story  

Monique Anderson ’99, from Selma, Alabama, has been named the 2007 Young Alumnus of the Year by Oglethorpe University’s National Alumni Association.

While at Oglethorpe, Monique majored in biology and after graduation went on to Harvard Medical School.At Harvard she received a national award from the Department of Health and Human Services for her work on cardiovascular disease.She also started an education program at a local church on diet and exercise, and has been involved with the Jackson Heart Project, the largest study on cardiovascular disease in African Americans. Monique is currently doing her residency at Vanderbilt.