The University of North Georgia (UNG) continued to celebrate its 150th anniversary with a Corps of Cadets review by Gov. Brian Kemp at Liberty Plaza across from the State Capitol in Atlanta on March 7. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue and Maj. Gen. Dwayne Wilson also attended the event.

A day before UNG's visit, legislative leaders approved $1.3 million in design funds for UNG's Military Science Center expansion in the amended Fiscal Year 2023 budget. Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch, a UNG graduate, helped secure the funding.

UNG President Bonita Jacobs received a commendation from Kemp and Georgia Senate and House of Representatives resolutions in honor of the university's Sesquicentennial Celebration. 

"We need more young minds like you in our society. And that is why I'm glad to know the University of North Georgia will continue to grow and thrive in its next 150 years," Kemp said. "It is a place of patriotism, and today we celebrate not only that great history, but also its exciting future."

Perdue lauded the way UNG develops leaders through its Corps of Cadets. 

"I'm delighted that we still have young men and women who are committed to the safety of our nation," Perdue said. "The culture of leadership development at UNG is one of the best in the nation."

UNG's Sesquicentennial serves as an opportunity to honor the university's heritage, celebrate its present achievements, and focus on where it will lead next.

"As we seek to produce future generations of military leaders, I am very grateful to the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, to our state legislators, and to Governor Kemp for their ongoing support and commitment to our plans to expand and modernize our Military Leadership Center so that we can continue to support our outstanding cadets," Jacobs said.

Wilson, a 1993 UNG alumnus, serves as commanding general for the Georgia Army National Guard. About 200 UNG cadets serve annually in the Georgia Army National Guard while in college, and 40 of them per year commission as second lieutenants when they graduate. Wilson noted that more than half of the Georgia Army National Guard's company and battalion commanders are UNG alumni.

"Thank you for your willingness to serve and to lead," Wilson said. "I know you are up for the challenges ahead."

Gooch earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in management and a Master of Public Administration from UNG. He has seen first-hand the university's impact in his district.

"UNG has made a difference in our region for generations," Gooch said. 

Three alumni who are flag officers attended the review: retired Maj. Gen. Bil Johnson, '72, retired Lt. Gen. Burke Garrett, '81, and retired Gen. Stephen Townsend, '82.

In addition to Gooch, a large contingent of state legislators attended the celebration on Liberty Plaza. Among those lawmakers were Sen. Max Burns, former dean of UNG's Mike Cottrell College of Business; Sen. Shelly Echols, '02; Rep. Stan Gunter, '81; and Rep. Will Wade, '01. 

For more information on UNG's 150th anniversary, visit the Sesquicentennial Celebration website.