TOM GAY at Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills in Atlanta, Where He Worked for Five Years

THE IMPACT OF GIVING A LIFETIME OF GIVING Faithful alumnus makes a $2 million estate commitment to endow a chair in ISyE. Few Georgia Tech alumni can boast a relationship His recent estate commitment to Georgia Tech, to with the Institute that is as long and strong as John establish a chair in the School of Industrial Systems and Weitnauer’s. Engineering, is one more way to give back to a school As a Decatur boy, Weitnauer volunteered in the Army that he feels has given him so much. Air Force in 1943, but was not called up until 1944. “Chairs enhance the reputation of Georgia Tech and Between 1943 and 1944, he attended Georgia Tech. help the school attract and retain distinguished faculty,” After the war ended, Weitnauer returned home — and he said. “And that’s going to have a positive impact on to Georgia Tech, graduating in 1949. A year later, after the students.” graduation, he began working as an industrial engineer TOM GAY at Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills in Atlanta, where he worked for five years. Keeping a Promise, Leaving a Legacy A mimeographed sheet of job postings, courtesy of One of Weitnauer’s the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, led Weitnauer to “That was an important outgrowth of my Georgia Tech hobbies — to “keep Rich’s Department Store in Atlanta and a rising career, When the G. Wayne Clough Georgia Tech Promise Scholarship Program was experience,” he recalls. “All those things I did required me out of trouble,” he says — is turning which would culminate in his position as executive vice established in 2007, Tom Gay, IM 1966, was among the first wave of donors to that I form study habits, schedule my time, and manage wooden bowls, which is president. Weitnauer’s career trajectory then took him step up with a gift to get the program off the ground, creating the L. Thomas extracurricular activities. They helped me mature, also a fitting metaphor to Richway Discount Stores, a chain of 31 stores in the DEDICATED SERVICE Gay Georgia Tech Promise Endowment. helped me acquire skills beyond academics, and taught for turning out a Southeast, where he retired 30 years later as chairman. me self-discipline.” Georgia Tech student. Retirement, for Weitnauer, has been more about DISTINGUISHED HISTORY Now, he is adding to his endowment fund with a Under his leadership, his eponymous construction “A piece of wood is like committee and board chairs than rocking chairs. John Weitnauer, IE 1949 significant estate commitment, ensuring that even more company, founded by his father, Logan T. Gay Sr., a person,” he points Both before and after retirement, Weitnauer’s Georgia scholars will have the opportunity to obtain a Class of 1941, has built a long-standing reputation out. “When you first accomplishments include: debt-free Georgia Tech education regardless of their for excellence and has won numerous awards for its see them, you don’t SERVICE really know what’s on •Director and chairman of the Federal Reserve family’s financial circumstances. sustainable LEED-certified projects as well as historic the inside. Then you Bank of Atlanta Member, Presidential Search “I have seen the value of a Georgia Tech education,” preservations. Gay also builds community through gifts start working with them •General campaign chairman and president Committee for G. Wayne Clough says Gay, who has been president of Gay Construction and service to cultural, medical, religious, and civic and soon you find out of United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta Georgia Tech Foundation Board Company for more than 40 years. “I’ve seen the value organizations. He has received the Global Community what’s on the inside, Chairman of Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter for myself and countless other friends and alumni, and I Service Award from Villa International Atlanta and the what the color really • of Trustees (Past President) of American Red Cross want to do all I can to make sure that others will have the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America. is and the grain, and ISyE Advisory Board what’s going to happen •Served on the Boards of Columbia Theological same opportunity in the future.” Scholarship support for deserving students is more with that person or Seminary and Agnes Scott College Vice Chairman of the Georgia Tech The students that Gay supports through Tech Promise important than ever, Gay points out, now that rising Centennial Campaign that piece of wood.” “I’ve also served on several business boards, including might have the opportunity, like he did, to be involved in costs are pricing more and more families out of the life- the John H. Harland Co., where I was interim chairman — the Student Government Association, join a fraternity, changing advantages of higher education in general and and CEO,” Weitnauer said. GIVING or participate in the Navy ROTC program. In fact, he has Georgia Tech in particular. Through the years, Weitnauer’s connection to Georgia never forgotten that a Navy ROTC scholarship enabled “Tech Promise is a wonderful legacy we can leave Founders’ Samuel Inman Club Tech grew stronger. He met the loves of his life through him to attend Georgia Tech. After graduation Gay went that will enable future generations to also have these Georgia tech connections: Peggy, his first wife, from President’s Marion L. Brittain Club on to receive a commission in the U.S. Marine Corps, opportunities,” he says. “It’s a great way to acknowledge whom he was widowed after 49 years of marriage, and The Hill Society where he served for four years. the impact that Georgia Tech has had on our lives.” June, from whom he was widowed after 16 years of John H. Weitnauer Jr. Technology Transfer marriage. He still gets together regularly with lifelong Chair and GRA Eminent Scholar friends from his fraternity, Alpha Tau Omega and Georgia Margaret P. and John H. Weitnauer Jr. Tech. And he has given his time and energy in a number In recognition of his generous philanthropy to Georgia Tech, L. Thomas Gay, IM 1966, is a Faculty Chair, ISyE of capacities as an active alumnus and received many member of Georgia Tech’s Hill Society. He has also provided invaluable volunteer service to the distinguished awards from the Institute (see sidebar). — Institute as a member of the Georgia Tech Foundation Board of Trustees; the Alumni Association Board of Trustees; his 50th, 40th, and 25th Reunion Committees; the Ernest Scheller Jr. College “Someone told me that as emeriti, you can’t AWARDS of Business Advisory Board; and the Alexander-Tharpe Fund Board. He is a recipient of the participate in the discussions, but you can still come to J.M. Pettit Distinguished Service Award Joseph M. Pettit Distinguished Service Award — the highest award given to alumni by the the meetings and eat and drink all you want — I don’t Georgia Tech Alumni Association. think I have missed a meeting since,” Weitnauer said, Engineering Hall of Fame, 1994 with a laugh. ISyE Academy of Distinguished Alumni PHILANTHROPY QUARTERLY • SUMMER 2018 PHILANTHROPY QUARTERLY • SUMMER 2018 THE IMPACT OF GIVING A LIFETIME OF GIVING Faithful alumnus makes a $2 million estate commitment to endow a chair in ISyE. Few Georgia Tech alumni can boast a relationship His recent estate commitment to Georgia Tech, to with the Institute that is as long and strong as John establish a chair in the School of Industrial Systems and Weitnauer’s. Engineering, is one more way to give back to a school As a Decatur boy, Weitnauer volunteered in the Army that he feels has given him so much. Air Force in 1943, but was not called up until 1944. “Chairs enhance the reputation of Georgia Tech and Between 1943 and 1944, he attended Georgia Tech. help the school attract and retain distinguished faculty,” After the war ended, Weitnauer returned home — and he said. “And that’s going to have a positive impact on to Georgia Tech, graduating in 1949. A year later, after the students.” graduation, he began working as an industrial engineer TOM GAY at Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills in Atlanta, where he worked for five years. Keeping a Promise, Leaving a Legacy A mimeographed sheet of job postings, courtesy of One of Weitnauer’s the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, led Weitnauer to “That was an important outgrowth of my Georgia Tech hobbies — to “keep Rich’s Department Store in Atlanta and a rising career, When the G. Wayne Clough Georgia Tech Promise Scholarship Program was experience,” he recalls. “All those things I did required me out of trouble,” he says — is turning which would culminate in his position as executive vice established in 2007, Tom Gay, IM 1966, was among the first wave of donors to that I form study habits, schedule my time, and manage wooden bowls, which is president. Weitnauer’s career trajectory then took him step up with a gift to get the program off the ground, creating the L. Thomas extracurricular activities. They helped me mature, also a fitting metaphor to Richway Discount Stores, a chain of 31 stores in the DEDICATED SERVICE Gay Georgia Tech Promise Endowment. helped me acquire skills beyond academics, and taught for turning out a Southeast, where he retired 30 years later as chairman. me self-discipline.” Georgia Tech student. Retirement, for Weitnauer, has been more about DISTINGUISHED HISTORY Now, he is adding to his endowment fund with a Under his leadership, his eponymous construction “A piece of wood is like committee and board chairs than rocking chairs. John Weitnauer, IE 1949 significant estate commitment, ensuring that even more company, founded by his father, Logan T.

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