George C. Griffin (1897–1990) served in various positions at his alma mater, the

Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

, most notably as dean of men from 1946 to 1964. He was known variously as "the best friend of all Tech men" and "Mr. Georgia Tech."

Biography

Student

Griffin was born in Savannah, Georgia, and attended Tech from 1914 to 1918. He signed up to serve in World War I; he then attended from 1920 to 1922, receiving a degree in civil engineering in 1922. Griffin was part of the Tech team that is known for the biggest rout in college or professional football, against Cumberland University. Griffin carried the ball four times for 56 yards and two touchdowns. He was a member of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity.

Faculty

In addition to his other roles, Griffin served as a math instructor, assistant football coach, and coach of tennis, track, and cross-country during his career. He would later serve as "placement officer, alumni club ambassador, emergency loan officer for students, raconteur, recruiter, and any other job that needed doing." From the 1920s to his retirement in the 1980s, many students utilized Griffin's "Hip Pocket Fund," an unofficial loan slush fund financed by area businessmen. "Instead of sending the money back to where it came from, he would dole it out again to whomever he had on his waiting list," allowing the program to become a sort of need-based scholarship. As assistant dean of men, Griffin established a central placement office in the early 1930s.

Dean of men

In March 1941, Griffin was called to active duty as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the Naval Reserve during World War II and was temporarily replaced by

Fred W. Ajax Fred may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Frederico Ro ...

. Griffin became dean of men when Floyd Field retired from the position on July 1, 1946. In a subsequent reorganization of the institute by Blake R. Van Leer, Griffin was given the duties of "the coordination of religious affairs, the YMCA, the infirmary, and campus director of health." Griffin earned a master's degree in

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in 1957. Griffin was a popular speaker and wrote a book entitled ''Griffin, you are a great disappointment to me''. The title is from the following anecdote:

Legacy

Griffin received numerous awards and honors. Most notably, several places and events were named after him, including the "Student Galleria" (which consists of the Student Services Building, the

Ferst Center for the Arts The Ferst Center for the Arts, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is Georgia Tech's theater and arts center and is adjacent to DramaTech, the student-run theater. It contains a 950-seat auditorium that features a proscenium stage, orchestra pit, and ...

and the plaza connecting them) and a track arena. He received the 1955 Alumni Distinguished Service Award and was posthumously inducted into the Pi Kappa Phi Hall of Fame. Upon his retirement, there was a celebration and Georgia Governor

Carl Sanders Carl Edward Sanders Sr. (May 15, 1925 – November 16, 2014) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 74th Governor of the state of Georgia from 1963 to 1967. Early life and education Carl Sanders was born on May 15, 1925 in ...

declared May 16, 1964, to be "Dean George Griffin Day." "Dean George Griffin Day" was celebrated again on May 14, 1999. The Pi Mile Road Race was named after him in honor of his tenure as a track and cross country coach.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Griffin, George C. 1897 births 1990 deaths Georgia Tech alumni Georgia Tech faculty