ATHENS, GA. — The University of Georgia announced a significant gift for its upcoming poultry science complex near its main campus.
The Luther and Susie Harrison Foundation pledged $3 million toward the project on Dec. 15, the largest single gift for the building to date.
The foundation was established by R. Harold Harrison, the founder of Harrison Poultry Inc., in 1994 in the name of his parents Luther and Susie.
R. Harold, who passed away in 2001, was an alumnus of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) at Georgia.
“We intend for this gift to enhance the CAES Poultry Science Building and the college’s position as a leader in education and innovation in the field of poultry science,” said Kelley Tison, Luther and Susie Harrison Foundation board member and daughter of R. Harold and Patsy Harrison. “Even today, Harrison Poultry relies on collaboration between UGA research and the business.”
“Mr. Harrison would be thrilled to know that UGA is not only doing a fine job of training the next generation of leaders but also doing it at a high level — and to know that we are supporting it with state-of-the-art facilities,” said David Bleth, president and chief executive officer of Harrison Poultry.
The building, which is scheduled to open in fall 2023, is estimated to cost $54.1 million and will increase the size of existing poultry science facilities in Georgia to more than 70,000 square feet. The complex is designed to modernize instructional and lab space, provide centralized student-focused facilities, and help attract and retain world-class researchers.
“We are grateful for the support of the Luther and Susie Harrison Foundation and look forward to continuing our partnership,” said Nick T. Place, dean and director of the CAES at Georgia. “We are excited to build a facility that enables us to better recruit and develop the next generation of great poultry leaders.”
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UGA receives $3M gift from Harrison Poultry foundation – MEAT+POULTRY
