Origins
ORIGIN OF THE FUQUA SCHOOL NAME
From the time he graduated from nearby Prospect High School in 1935 until August 1993--when he so generously donated to our school--J.B. Fuqua has had a dream. As a young man ready to set out on his own, he had a vision of seeing the world and making an impact on it. As a well-established businessman, he put that dream into action. Mr. Fuqua's understanding of the importance of education, of obtaining the skills necessary to compete in today's rapidly changing world, and of uncompromised excellence are unmatched as is his commitment to the development of personal character. We as a school community are fortunate to reap the benefits of his vision, his many ideas, and his rich experience.
Mr. Fuqua retired as Chairman of the Board of Fuqua Industries, Inc. and currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Fuqua Companies and Fuqua Enterprises, Inc. (listed on the NYSE).
He has served in many other capacities throughout his career including four terms in the Georgia Legislature - 3 in the House and 1 in the Senate. He also was Chairman of the Georgia Democratic Executive Committee and of the Democratic Party of Georgia from 1962 to 1966. He has served and continues to serve on numerous Boards. He is Trustee Emeritus at Duke University and a former member of the Board of Trustees of Hampden-Sydney College and the Georgia State University Foundation, to name only a few. Mr. Fuqua's awards and accomplishments are also numerous. In 1979, he was named the Georgia Pioneer in Broadcasting. In 1984, he received the prestigious Horatio Alger Award and in 1987, the Business Statesman Award from the Harvard Business School Club of Metropolitan Atlanta. In 1980, Duke University's School of Business was named in his honor, and in 1993 he received the Philanthropist of the Year Award from the National Association of Fund Raising Executives. He holds honorary degrees from at least ten institutions of higher learning.
Mr. Fuqua's philanthropic endeavors are outstanding. Not only has he endowed numerous existing institutions, but he has also provided the creative vision and personal effort to initiate multiple programs to improve the world in which we live. These initiatives include, among others, the establishment of a center at Duke University for training top soviet managers, the support he has given our own institution, an endowment to the Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta in support for heart research and treatment, and most recently, the Fuqua International School of Christian Communications in Garden Grove, California.
In addition to his many good works and accomplishments, he is married to a very special and talented woman, Dorothy Chapman Fuqua.
