Spring 2013 - Oglethorpe University

alumni
alumni
Dr. G. Malcolm Amerson
Life Sciences Professor
Enjoys Lively Retirement
By Sydney Mobley Moss ’59
“
Education’
I’ll take ‘Liberal Arts
for a $1000.”
How do retired college
professors spend their time?
According to Dr. G. Malcolm Amerson, they’re
just like any other retirees. But upon further
investigation, we find that Dr. Amerson is anything
but typical.
Dr. Amerson spent his entire teaching career
at Oglethorpe University, starting in 1968—on
September 1 to be exact. But when he arrived at
the school, the campus was deserted and only
then did he realize it was the Labor Day holiday!
This unforgettable start was the beginning of an
even more memorable career.
the Donald C. Agnew Award for Distinguished
Service. This award is presented annually by
members of the Oglethorpe Student Association
and is chosen by that body to honor the person
who, in their opinion, has given distinguished
service to the university. Dr. Agnew served as
President of Oglethorpe University from 1957
to 1964.
In his retirement, Dr. Amerson has chosen to stay
in Atlanta and has continued to make numerous
contributions. A year after retiring, Dr. Amerson
organized a retired faculty club at OU that meets
in September and March each year on campus.
Current faculty and staff are often asked to present
an educational program for the club. On average,
Hosta beds and feasted on them. As a result, Dr.
Amerson looked for a different type of plant that
wasn’t so appetizing to voles. He now has several
varieties of fig trees, large and small, which thrive
under his care. He makes fig preserves, fig cakes
and even chocolate fig cakes, which he enjoys
sharing with friends and family.
A graduate of Berry College in Rome, Ga., Dr.
Amerson earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at
Clemson University after spending two years in
the U.S. Army. His family includes his wife Jo, son
Todd in Orlando, Fla., and daughter Jennifer in
South Bend, Ind. Dr. Amerson keeps an online
journal for his grandchildren, recording significant
(or amusing) events in their lives.
(above) Dr. Amerson, shown relaxing in
his Oglethorpe office, and at an Oglethorpe
event, post-retirement with Steve Malone ’73.
flexibility that retirement allows him: he can now
plan his schedule on his own terms. How fortunate
we are that Dr. Amerson appeared on campus on
that Labor Day in 1968! He continues to enrich
the Oglethorpe community in retirement as he did
while a professor.
In the last year, three Oglethorpe alumni appeared
on Jeopardy!, the popular game show that requires
its contestants to have a broad base of knowledge.
Congratulations to Natalie Knowles ’92, Tom
Conn ’93 and Dave Leach ’97, who all successfully
showed off their liberal arts education! Dave appeared in
the Tournament of Champions in February 2013.
Dr. Amerson retired in August 2003 after teaching
biology and related subjects for 35 years. While
at OU he advised the Georgia Eta chapter of
Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE), the oldest and largest
fraternity on campus. SAE honored him in 2006
with the Order of Minerva Award in recognition
of leadership, dedication and loyal service. Dr.
Amerson received many other honors, including
80 percent of all faculty retirees attend these
meetings, allowing them to stay involved and keep
up with what’s new at Oglethorpe.
Dr. Amerson’s background in biology continues to
shape how he spends his time. Upon retirement,
he became very interested in gardening and
traveled extensively to collect various species of
Hosta plants. Unfortunately, voles discovered his
Dr. Amerson has taught Sunday school for many
years at Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church in
Alpharetta, Ga. He organized a “breakfast club”
for the members of his class, which meets twice a
month at a nearby restaurant.
Although he is just as busy now as he was as
a professor at Oglethorpe, he does enjoy the
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