One year ago, we were preparing for the funeral of Dan Magill, perhaps the most iconic Bulldog ever. The entire University was in mourning, and so was the state — from Hahira to Tallapoosa, from Rabun Gap to Tybee Light, as he was wont to say about the far reaches of the influence of the University of Georgia and its people.
He took the greatest delight in identifying the Georgia alumni as the “Majority Party.” He was right, and he worked tirelessly to make sure that UGA maintained its dominance throughout the 159 counties. Today when I crisscross the state, which I often do in the course of a year, I think of Dan and his promotional genius with regard to the Bulldogs. In every county, there are constant reminders of the Bulldog image, principally UGA flags that fly from the porches of houses along with the plethora of mailboxes that reflect the “G.”
When I move about, I think of him — during the time of Georgia’s lowly football status in the 1950s — and his organizing Bulldog clubs in all 159 counties. He worked the phones like an indefatigable campaign manager in a political election, knowing that there were Bulldog aficionados in every town and county. He would find the right leader to organize a Bulldog Club. He often began with the local newspaper editor, knowing that practically all of them were graduates of the Henry Grady School of Journalism.
As a publicist — the term which was the forerunner of “Sports Information Director” — he was the best of the times. He wrote well, and he was prolific. His byline showed up in newspapers across the state, extoling the worth of
Bulldog athletes who were making their mark in Athens. However, he was not just the promoter and publicist, he was the tennis coach. His day began early and ended late, but somehow or other he packed more into his daylight hours than any high-powered executive who had the benefit of staff. Dan only had a secretary.
When I became his first full-time staff assistant in 1964, I concluded without hesitation that I had found my dream job. How could there be any greater professional opportunity than to be working for my alma mater and under the direction of the multifaceted Magill, who realized he had to have help if he were going to build Georgia into a contender in tennis. His tennis accomplishments were nothing less than sensational. There was no budget for him to do what he wanted to do, which was to make Athens “the Mecca of tennis.”
In the 1950s, the Georgia athletic association was struggling financially, but Dan knew where he could find support to move the Bulldogs up to national prominence. Athletic Director Joel Eaves built the grandstands from budget dollars, a very significant contribution. All the while, Magill was thinking big. Georgia needed an indoor practice facility to host the NCAA tennis tournament, which allowed competition to continue inside when there was a spring thundershower. He got his friend Lindsey Hopkins to build it. But there was no seating for the growing fan base. Former player Pierre Howard, then Lt. Governor, took care of that by attaching a rider to some bill that funded the seating, much to the chagrin of the UGA administration.
Singer Kenny Rogers and his wife, Marianne, funded the construction of the Hall of Fame building. Actress Kim Basinger, whose brother learned tennis under Magill, donated the lights for the stadium. Former players and loyal fans of Magill wrote checks for everything from flag poles to pavilions to gardens.
Georgia today is a power in tennis because of Magill. The Bulldogs can compete with the talent-rich West Coast teams. It all began with Magill, who at the outset was the ant moving the rubber tree plant.
Faculty, alumni, and friends became significant contributors — from money to pitching in as volunteers, to ticket buyers and passionate program supporters. This bespeaks the significance of leadership. Dan Magill incorporated energy, humor, and love of alma mater to move Georgia tennis to the head of the class.
On the side, he was an accomplished writer and relentless Bulldog Club promoter. No man ever gave more of himself to his university than Daniel Hamilton Magill, Jr., a man I learned to love, as did countless UGA aficionados who came his way.
A year after he crossed that mystic river, I am still hurting emotionally that he no longer comes into my office and makes my day.
