Gifts
By Beth Smith
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” William James
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commitment to become one of the top engineering programs in the country is no small undertaking. It takes
great effort on the part of many people, both outside and within the college. As the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering works to take its place among the nation’s premier institutions, there are those among us who believe that their participation makes a difference. Sam Ginn, ’59 industrial management, and Walt Woltosz, ’69 and ’77 aerospace engineering, along with their wives Ann and Ginger – who are equally committed to the success of the college – have made significant gifts to help ensure Auburn Engineering’s continued success. Sam and Ann Ginn began giving back to Auburn early in their married life with a gift of $25. Their giving, as well as their involvement, has grown steadily through the years, culminating in the college’s largest private gift in its history in 2000 – a $25 million investment that put the college
Samuel L. (Sam) Ginn Sam Ginn has more than four decades of experience in the telecommunications industry. Following his service with the Army Signal Corps, he built a 27-year career with AT&T beginning as a student engineer in 1960. In 1977, he was appointed vice president of network operations for AT&T Long Lines. After the Bell Systems breakup, Ginn joined Pacific Telephone in 1978 as vice president – Los Angeles, going on to serve as chairman and CEO of Pacific Telesis from 1988 until 1994. He then launched AirTouch, a pioneer in the cellular industry.
Sam and Ann Ginn
28 Auburn Engineering
In 2012, the Secretary of Commerce named Ginn the inaugural chairman of the board of directors for First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet). The organization works to develop a nationwide broadband network to enable public safety officials to communicate more effectively. Ginn served on the board for two years, laying critical groundwork during FirstNet’s formative years. During his time