2010 Georgia Hall of Fame
Ernest Benson
Legacy
Dr. Benson was born July 22, 1939, in Evansville, IN. He graduated from Lincoln High School in Evansville and earned degrees from the University of Evansville (BA, Biology); Indiana University, Bloomington, IN (MA, Zoology) and the University of Georgia, Athens (PhD, Microbiology).
Dr. Benson was a member of Hines Memorial C.M.E Church. He was retired from Albany State University as a teacher, mentor, professor and Chair of the Department of Biology before he was appointed Vice President for Academic Affairs. In 2001 the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia conferred Vice President Emeritus status upon Dr. Benson.
Dr. Benson served as a member of the board of directors for several organizations, including the YMCA, Albany Football Officials Association, Boys and Girls Club of Albany, Bank of America, Ritz Cultural Center, Phoebe Putney Hospital, Phoebe Putney Hospital Foundation, Salvation Army, American Red Cross and American Cancer Society. He had also served on the Albany/Dougherty County Hospital Authority. Other affiliations include the Criterion Club and the Delta Boulé of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity. As an official with the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1974, Dr. Benson officiated over 250 regular season games and 26 bowl games, including two Orange Bowls. He was a crew chief and a recipient of the 1996 Joe Long Service to Officiating Award for dedicated service, as an official and to the Association. Dr. Benson also received the 2002 Commissioner’s Award which is the highest recognition given to an ACC official.
Under Dr. Benson’s leadership, The Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs of Georgia became a productive reality generating millions of dollars for Georgia youth. In 2004 Dr. Benson was awarded the C.A.R.E Award (Children are Reasons for Excellence) from the Georgia Area Council and the 2007 Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Area Council Liaison of the Year Award, during the National Conference in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Benson passed away in 2008.
Claude Grizzard, Sr.
Lifetime
Claude H. Grizzard, Sr. is an icon in the direct response fundraising profession. Through his effective leadership of the Atlanta-based firm, Claude has successfully implemented programs for: The American Red Cross, Humane Societies, the Salvations Army (United States, Canada, South America, and the Caribbean), State Sheriffs’ Associations and Rescue Missions nationwide.
Claude’s dedication to the success of non-profit organizations keeps him an active volunteer in his native Atlanta. He currently serves as a trustee of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, the Kiwanis Club Foundation, and Global Health Actions. His work for the Kiwanis Club includes reading to children at an Atlanta-area Head Start program and teaching Junior Achievement’s "Our Region” program to fourth graders. Claude’s work nationally with Boys & Girls Clubs of America resulted in the revival of the National Area Council, which serves to promote national area councils across the Movement and foster board volunteer education.
Claude has received numerous awards for his volunteer and charitable work including The Salvation Army’s William Booth Award and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Silver Keystone Award. His leadership and significant investment at the local level of Boys & Girls Clubs resulted in the establishment of new clubs and outreach to kids "who need us most” in the Metro Atlanta Area and all over Georgia.
Among his many professional awards, is the Direct Marketing Association’s 2000 Fundraising Achievement Award. He also was selected as Atlanta’s first Direct Marketer of the Year. Still, Claude considers his biggest achievement convincing Elizabeth Woodruff to marry him 46 years ago. The couple has three children and several grandchildren.
Claude received a bachelor’s degree in business and advertising from Florida State University and was honorably discharged from the US Army in 1968 after eight years of active and reserve service.
Ronald Osborne
Lifetime
Ron Osborne exemplifies the best of Boys & Girls Clubs professionalism. He is widely recognized by his peers for his leadership and relationship-building skills. He is considered among the top of the class of successful Boys & Girls Club leaders.
Ron comes from a family embedded in servant leadership. His parents and brother served as lifetime career Salvation Army regional and national leaders. As a club professional, beginning in 1954 through 1994, Ron has been an athletic director, program director, associate executive director, and executive director in successful and growing organization in Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina, New York City, Tennessee and Georgia.
Ron served as the Chief Professional Officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta from 1979 until 1994. During his tenure Ron established a successful endowment program, revitalized corporate and unit advisory boards, and developed a strong, trained professional staff which developed, managed and conducted outstanding programs. Ron will tell you that one of his greatest satisfactions are the many professionals he brought into his organizations, who have successfully continued to serve the Movement as Chief Professional Officer’s across the nation or who are now on the national staff.
Ron has received many prestigious awards. He is most grateful for the national Herman Prescott Award for his work in promoting advancement of minority professionals in the Movement, the Robert Sykes Professional of the Year Award, Boys & Girls Clubs of Chattanooga Legacy Award, and the Distinguished Service Award, from the Atlanta Kiwanis Club. In 1981 the National Father’s Day Committee selected him, along with Bobby Dodd as Southeast Father of the Year.
Ron received his undergraduate degree from High Point College and attended Boys Club Administration, an Urban Studies program at NYU.
Ron is married to Ruth Osborne a highly successful and dedicated youth professional in her own right. The Osborne’s have three sons, including one who is in the Boys & Girls Clubs Movement. They enjoy time with grandchildren and extensive travel in the US and abroad.
Errol Sewell
Lifetime
Boys & Girls Clubs have been a lifelong passion for Errol Sewell, who joined his local Boys Club in Valdosta, Georgia in 1945. Throughout his 42-year career with the Movement, Sewell served in professional posts where ever he was needed, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Panama City, Florida, and points beyond. Errol joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of America staff in 1969 as a Regional Service Director with the Southeast Service Center, later serving as Director of Training, Associate Regional Vice President and Regional Vice President for the Southeast Region. In 1986 he was promoted to Vice President of Field Services and soon was promoted again to Senior Vice President of Field Operations.
Errol has demonstrated an unmatched commitment to service, outstanding enthusiasm and a great capacity for recognizing Clubs’ needs and helping them meet up with opportunities to be successful. As Senior Vice President of Field Services at Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Sewell was responsible for the coordination and direction of ongoing technical assistance to more than 750 affiliated organizations that served some 2.4 million youth. Under his leadership, more than 1,200 Clubs were established and major grants from the Gilder Foundation, MetLife and the Woodruff Foundation was secured.
In recognition of his outstanding work and dedication, the annual W. Errol Sewell Leadership Award was established to honor professionals for outstanding achievement in the area of field services. This award is presented each year at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Conference.
Errol earned his undergraduate degree from Valdosta State College and attended graduate school at the University of Milwaukee. Errol is married to the former Jackie Humphries of Valdosta; they have three grown children and several grand children and great grand children.
Barnett Woodruff
Legacy
For over 50 years, J. Barnett Woodruff has played a pivotal role in the growth of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley. As a servant leader, he dedicated his efforts to the Movement and served the local organization in all facets, assuming the role of volunteer, board member, president, trustee and advisor. In 1959 he was distinguished nationally when the organization honored him with the National Silver Medallion for outstanding service to boys and girls. Twenty years later, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America would recognize his unwavering devotion with one their highest honor - the National Medallion. He was also the recipient of the Bronze Keystone Award on multiple occasions. These accolades were further complimented in 1997 when he was awarded the position of Life Trustee on the Board of Governors.
J. Barnett Woodruff’s commitment to the Boys & Girls Clubs on a national and regional level has had an impact on the Clubs in Georgia. A more significant impact has been felt in Columbus where his family donated 32 acres of land to establish the first club facility in Columbus. Secondly, Barnett Woodruff, along with long-time board member John Flournoy, began an endowment that has continued to grow which directly benefits the operations of the Columbus organization.
No matter how far our Movement has advanced, whether it be with technology or trying to increase the number of youth served, Mr. Woodruff’s main focus was to make the "boys club” a safe place where caring adults made children feel a sense of belonging.
He not only gave his financial support to the local organization, but he found the time to demonstrate his love of the mission by the many unexpected visits to the local Boys & Girls Club. Barnett wanted to see first-hand that quality efforts were underway to serve the children who needed him most.