Savannah State University has recognized 20 donors and donor couples whose lifetime contributions to the institution exceeded $100,000, naming them the inaugural members of the Richard R. Wright, Sr. Giving Society. Together, the group has contributed $4,738,405 to the university, funding scholarships, academic initiatives, and institutional development.
Honoring the Founder by Funding the Future
The giving society is named for Richard R. Wright Sr., the university’s founding president, and the recognition program honors donors whose cumulative philanthropic support has reached at least $100,000. The structure is deliberate: by celebrating lifetime generosity rather than single gifts, Savannah State is telling its alumni and friends that sustained commitment matters more than any one check.
“The extraordinary generosity of these inductees directly transforms the lives of our students,” said Adrian Scott, the university’s vice president for university advancement. “By investing in Savannah State, our donors are not only honoring the vision of President Wright, but they are also building a bridge to opportunity for the next generation of Tiger leaders.”
A Star in the Inaugural Class
Among the 20 inductees is Shannon Sharpe, the Pro Football Hall of Famer and Savannah State alumnus whose public pride in his HBCU roots has made him one of the most visible advocates for Black college philanthropy in the country. His presence in the inaugural class gives the new society instant visibility, and signals to other high-capacity alumni that giving back to Savannah State is something to be celebrated publicly.
The full inaugural class spans alumni, couples, and longtime friends of the university: Curtis Anderson, Robert and Monica Burgess, Lemuel and Beatrice Campbell, Donnie Cochran, Arthur and Vivian Davis, James Densler, Wilburn Eason, Cyrus Jackson, Robert Jepson, Patricia Kabela, John Kane, Percy Mack, Nancy McCabe, Henry Nash, Clark Price Jr., Jacquelyn Stephens, Marilyn Taylor, Willie Walker, and Clemontine Washington.
Why It Matters
New giving societies are infrastructure. They create a ladder for donors to climb, a public honor that encourages the next gift, and a permanent record of who believed in the institution early. For HBCUs competing for philanthropic dollars in an increasingly crowded field, that infrastructure is everything.
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