{"675111":{"#nid":"675111","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Long-time School Supporter Homer C. Rice  \u2018Transformed\u2019 School of History and Sociology","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECelebrated Georgia Tech Athletic Director Homer C. Rice passed away this month at 97, but he leaves an enduring legacy at Georgia Tech, the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, and the School of History and Sociology.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022His vision for fusing liberal arts with sports studies transformed the School,\u0022 said Johnny Smith, the Julius C. \u0022Bud\u0022 Shaw Professor of Sports History. \u0022By sponsoring the\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hsoc.gatech.edu\/sports\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E Sports, Society, and Technology program\u003C\/a\u003E, Homer carved a path for me to join the faculty at Georgia Tech and fulfill my dream of teaching the history of sports at a great research university. I will remain forever grateful for his friendship.\u0022 \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERice is well-known in college athletics as a successful player, coach, and director who not only led the rejuvenation of Georgia Tech\u2019s then flagging football program into a national champion, but also was a driver of and contributor to many significant movements at the intersection of sports and society over the past century. These include desegregation, gender equity, and athlete empowerment. While a coach at the University of Kentucky, he recruited the first Black football player to sign with an SEC institution. He\u2019s also known for elevating women\u0027s sports, including at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmong Rice\u2019s many \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ramblinwreck.com\/georgia-tech-mourns-the-loss-of-dr-homer-rice\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eaccomplishments\u003C\/a\u003E, his greatest is perhaps the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ramblinwreck.com\/totalpersonprogram\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETotal Person Program.\u003C\/a\u003E The initiative encourages student athletes to lead \u201ca balanced life that encompasses academic excellence, athletic achievement, and personal well-being.\u201d The NCAA later adopted the program for its Life Skills Program now in use across college athletics. The most prominent national award for the college athletic director of the year also is named in his honor.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile he retired in 1997, Rice continued his service with Georgia Tech, teaching a leadership fitness course, sponsoring a long-standing graduate student scholarship in the School of History and Sociology, and endowing the Homer C. Rice Chair in Sports and Society.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the interdisciplinary Sports, Society, and Technology program, Georgia Tech students explore history, politics, gender, race, immigration, and more through courses such as \u003Cem\u003ESoccer \u0026amp; Global Politics \u003C\/em\u003Eand \u003Cem\u003EThe Sociology of Sports.\u003C\/em\u003E The program also supports Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts faculty research, including publications on Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X, Michael Jordan, the concussion crisis, and the WNBA. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHomer has reminded us throughout his career that the ultimate goal of intercollegiate athletics is to help student-athletes grow fully as people,\u201d Georgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera said. \u201cAt a time of profound changes in athletics, Homer\u2019s message and legacy of excellence is more important than ever.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMary McDonald, the Homer C. Rice Chair of Sport and Society and director of the SST program, said Rice embodies the Georgia Tech ethos of living our values every day.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022He was an incredible role model with a life-long reputation for being a person of integrity while serving as a thoughtful leader and mentor. He has had a tremendous impact on Georgia Tech and is a legend within college sports more broadly. To me, his greatest legacy is as the ultimate educator, committed to facilitating learning and growth while embodying positivity and a generous spirit.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EHomer C. Rice received the\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/community\/distinguished-alumni-awards\/deans-appreciation\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E Dean\u0027s Appreciation Award\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E at the 2016 Ivan Allen College Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=EDqG-dzixiw\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWatch the tribute video here\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E or read more about Rice\u0027s impact in athletics:\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ramblinwreck.com\/georgia-tech-mourns-the-loss-of-dr-homer-rice\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E Georgia Tech Mourns the Loss of Dr. Homer Rice\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECelebrated Georgia Tech Athletic Director Homer C. Rice passed away this month at 97, but he leaves an enduring legacy at Georgia Tech, the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, and the School of History and Sociology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Celebrated Georgia Tech Athletic Director Homer C. Rice passed away this month at 97, but he leaves an enduring legacy at Georgia Tech, the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, and the School of History and Sociology. "}],"uid":"35766","created_gmt":"2024-06-13 20:37:55","changed_gmt":"2024-06-13 20:41:08","author":"dminardi3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-06-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-06-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"407151":{"id":"407151","type":"image","title":"Homer Rice","body":null,"created":"1449254168","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 18:36:08","changed":"1475895132","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:52:12","alt":"Homer Rice","file":{"fid":"202135","name":"rice_homer_at_desk.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rice_homer_at_desk_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/rice_homer_at_desk_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":475538,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/rice_homer_at_desk_0.jpg?itok=W3ZU3Mzb"}}},"media_ids":["407151"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1288","name":"School of History and Sociology"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:dminardi3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EDi Minardi\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dminardi3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}