Judge gets college's 1st honorary degree
May 9, 2009
Drums rolled, the Golden Isles Community Concert Band played "Pomp and Circumstance" and graduates filed into the filled-to-capacity gymnasium Friday for the first commencement ceremony of College of Coastal Georgia as a four-year college.
But the graduation class wasn't the only first for the college. For long and faithful service to his country and community, U.S. District Judge Anthony Alaimo became the first person to receive an honorary doctorate from the now baccalaureate college. Alaimo, 89, of Sea Island, also delivered the commencement address.
Flash bulbs lit up the gym, and families and friends waved from the stands as students of various ages walked down the aisle in pairs before taking their seats.
Coastal Georgia's 2009 commencement - the college's 44th, beginning with its predecessor Coastal Georgia Community College - will be one of the last to feature only associate degrees, certificates or technical certificates. The first group of baccalaureate degree programs in education, nursing and business administration will begin this fall.
All totalled, 406 men and women from both the Brunswick campus and Camden campus of the college received diplomas.
University System of Georgia Regent James Bishop introduced Alaimo, his longtime friend and mentor as a lawyer.
"No person has been a stronger voice for our community than the man we honor here tonight," Bishop said.
Alaimo, who received an honorary doctorate of public service, began his judicial service in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia in 1971, served as chief judge of the district for 14 years and moved from active to senior status in 1991. He was appointed to the bench by President Richard Nixon.
Alaimo is recognized for a myriad of precedent-setting decisions, including his landmark decision in Guthrie v. Evans. That case is widely acknowledged as one of the most significant prisoner rights cases of the 20th century, setting the standard for prison reform across Georgia and the nation.
The crowd stood as Alaimo stepped to the podium to give the commencement address and again when he received the honorary doctorate, which he called an "unusual degree."
"It represents my service to Glynn County as a county commissioner, area commissioner and later as judge," Alaimo said after the ceremony. "I'm deeply honored to receive this degree."
During his commencement address, Alaimo asked graduates to take with them the high ethical and moral standards necessary to sustain a just civilization. He noted the tough economic conditions, but said it was a chance not only to achieve material success, but an opportunity for direct economic and social change.
"You are bonded by shared experience and have the opportunity to begin to restore and emphasize the rules of yesteryear: honesty, honor and integrity," Alaimo said. "Your future is limited only by the failure to follow your dreams."