It was standing room only inside the Tom McCall Agricultural Arena at the Elbert County Campus of Athens Technical College (ATC) March 31.
State and local dignitaries, local citizens and family and friends filled the space to help support and honor the building’s namesake as the Tom McCall Agriscience Complex was dedicated.
The complex includes two new buildings “which totaled over $8.5 million, and include labs for horticulture, poultry science, animal science, agricultural mechanics and wildlife conservation. A separate greenhouse complex was built for horticulture instruction,” according to a press release from the college.
Seated on the floor of the arena included the guest of honor – Tom McCall – along with his wife, Jane, and speakers Georgia District 120 Rep. Houston Gaines (Athens), Georgia District 123 Rep. Rob Leverett, former Governor Nathan Deal, ATC President Andrea Daniel, the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) Commissioner Greg Dozier and Georgia Agricultural Commissioner Tyler Harper.
U.S. House District 10 Rep. Mike Collins, along with a representative from Gov. Brian Kemp’s office and other Georgia House of Representatives members, including Alan Powell and former Rep. Terry England, were also in attendance.
Leverett praised McCall for his long-time service in the Georgia House and for the work he continues to do for the state and the agricultural industry as Georgia Farm Bureau President.
Gaines, who Daniel said helped advocate for the facility, echoed Leverett’s sentiments and said he looks forward to seeing ATC’s agricultural program, which originally began in Athens, continue to grow at the Elberton campus.
Harper, who knew McCall during his time as a State Senator, brought laughs to the crowd as he recounted the story of when McCall brought a “pre-school chair” to the House floor for Harper to sit in during his visits.
“It’s awesome to...just [have] an opportunity to spend some moments to celebrate an individual and someone who deserves – who will tell you he deserves no recognition – but deserves all the recognition in the world for the service that he has given to our state,” Harper said.
Dozier, who took Daniel’s proposal to name the building after McCall to the entire TCSG board, said it was “one of the easiest decisions.”
“Easy decisions come very few, and they’re very rare, but naming this facility was one of those,” Dozier said.
Gov. Deal said he “couldn’t think of anyone more deserving” than McCall to earn the building dedication and commented on the importance of the new buildings, and the programs housed within, to the current and future state of agriculture.
Daniel said McCall, along with his wife, Jane, “has always been there” for ATC, and that she wouldn’t be in her position without him.
“Tom was a supporter of technical education prior to me ever being employed at Athens Technical College. Tom has always taken our needs under consideration. If I needed a graduation speaker, he has been there. If we needed him to take a look at something, to give us advice, to help us navigate, Tom and Jane have been there. He understands our importance and the important role we have in workforce development...I know that Tom supported me, has supported our college, and we would not have all the resources that we have – to serve our wonderful students, to serve our companies. I know quite frankly Tom McCall works to make the world a better place, and he has worked to make Athens Technical College a better place, and a better arm for workforce development.”
After hearing from all the speakers, McCall received a standing ovation as he addressed the crowd.
“Y’all are sitting on the most beautiful – I think college campus, not just technical college campus – in the state of Georgia, and we’re going to keep improving it,” McCall said. “Hopefully, we’re going to start turning out a whole lot of agricultural-thinking, new-idea minds here.”
McCall became emotional when talking about Jane, who he said is “the reason I’m able to do what I do,” and recognized his children – Al McCall and Katie McCall Archer – and his grandchildren, Winn and Wilkes McCall and McCall Kate Archer.
He also recognized his former “family” in the Georgia House, the new “family” he’s gained through Georgia Farm Bureau, the “family” he has through the Elbert County community and those that work for ATC.
“Thank all of y’all that came today. Thank you for what you do out in this state and out in this area,” McCall said. “But above all, above all, thank you for your friendship to Jane and me through the years and into the future. Thank y’all very much for this. It is a much, much undeserved honor to have my name on the side of the brick out there. I appreciate it more than I can stand here and tell y’all.”
Prior to the ribbon cutting with the Elbert County Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Daniel Graves read and presented a proclamation to McCall.
“My favorite thing about being mayor is getting to celebrate the best of what makes Elbert County and Elberton special, Graves said. “Athens Tech and Tom McCall and the rest of the McCall family certainly fit that bill. Tom, I know you don’t like pomp and circumstance and names on walls, but I hope that you’ll find some comfort on knowing that your name is on that wall for the right reasons. It wasn’t the size of your billfold, it wasn’t the family name. Your name is on that building because your fingerprint is on 90 percent of this room right here. Everything we try to be as farmers, everything we try to be as a politician – we’re looking at you and we have looked at you. We look at you and think ‘That’s what we want to be.’ That’s why your name is on that building.”