1950s George Mathews
Charles E. Allen Sr., IM 55, of Marietta, Ga., on Oct. 8. Alpha Tau Omega. Army. Korean War. Insurance Sales. Byron S. “Bart” Bartholomew Jr., ME 55, of Springfield, Va., on Oct. 25. Navy. Korean War. Hunter Fan. Atlantic Research Corporation. Senior vice president, corporate officer, VSE Corporation. Joe H. DeLany Jr., IM 59, of Atlanta, on Nov. 12. Georgia Tech Football. Phi Delta Theta. College football official. George Gardner Award. Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Thomas Daniel Efland, MS Text 56, of Lexington, S.C., on Nov. 10. Army Corps. WWII. Flight Engineer Wings. J.E. Sirrine Foundation professor in textiles and Dean, Clemson University. Head of Clemson’s Textile Research Department. Consultant, World Bank in Africa. Eugene Vincent Ellis, Arch 55, of Atlanta, on Oct. 21. Lambda Chi Alpha. Owner, Eugene V Ellis Architect/Builder. L.I. “Chip” Harris Jr., EE 56, of Sarasota, Fla., on Sept. 26. Beta Theta Pi. Navy (Lt.). Southern Bell. AT&T. Hospital chaplain, Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Adjunct professor. Daughter: Lynda Helon Humm, IM 86. Son: John Humm, Cls 88. Edward Kornahrens Jr., IE 59, of Johns Island, S.C., on Nov. 15. Navy Reserve (Cmdr.). Facilities engineer, Genuine Parts Company. Son: Scott Kornahrens, BC 82. Joseph K. Pinnell Sr., ME 57, of Orange Park, Fla., on Nov. 7. Delta Tau Delta. Supply Corps, Navy (Cmdr.). Navy Marine Corps Relief Society.
BUSINESSMAN AND FOOTBALL STAR GEORGE WILLIAM MATHEWS JR., IM 48, OF ATLANTA, ON JAN. 2.
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athews was a star athlete who leaves lasting memories in Georgia Tech’s football history. At Tech, Mathews served as president of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Society and the ANAK Society. As a student athlete, Mathews lettered twice in basketball and four times in football. Under football coaches William Alexander and Bobby Dodd, Mathews played in two Orange Bowl games and was selected for the 1947 College All-Star game. Mathews garnered national attention for his 96-yard fumble recovery returned for a Georgia Tech touchdown against national powerhouse Navy in 1946. That day, Mathews not only gave the Yellow Jackets an improbable win but also set a Tech record. Upon graduating in 1948, Mathews was recruited by the New York Giants but chose instead to pursue an M.B.A. at Harvard Business School. With that degree, he began his business career in 1950 at Bluebird Body Company in Fort Valley, Ga. He served as executive vice president for the Columbus Iron Works division of the W.C. Bradley Company in his hometown of Columbus and then as vice president in charge of operations at Peachtree Door Inc. in Atlanta. In 1971, after purchasing Columbus Iron Works, Mathews started Columbus Foundries Inc. As chairman and CEO, Mathews transformed that single plant into Intermet Corporation, the world's largest independent manufacturer of ductile iron parts, with foundries in Europe and Asia as well as the United States. In 1992, Mathews received the Peter L. Simpson Gold Medal Award from the American Foundry Society "for a lifetime of dedication to the growth of the foundry industry through his leadership, management and motivation of people." He was elected to the Georgia Tech and State of Georgia athletic halls of fame. Mathews served on the boards of the Georgia Tech Athletic Association, the Georgia Tech Foundation and Wesleyan College in Macon. He was a co-founder of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award. He generously supported not only educational and charitable institutions but also many individuals who came to him in need.
GTALUMNIMAG.COM VOLUME 92 NO.1 2016
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