Page 23 - Laker Connection 2014

Bruce Gant Gives Back to Veterans Through Scholarships
Clayton State University Foundation Trustee Bruce B. Gant, Jr., and his wife Vicky Gant, have established a scholarship for veterans at Clayton State University.
The Clayton State Veterans Endowed Scholarship is being established by the Gants in order to support veter- ans through scholarships in perpetuity. Until the endow- ment is fully-funded, the Gants will make an annual contribution so that the scholarship can be awarded as early as next fall. As a medic in the Vietnam War, Bruce Gantt is a veteran and a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Recognizing the supreme sacrifice that veterans make for the nation, this scholarship is a way to give back to those who wish to complete their degree.
A long-time agent – now retired -- for the State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, Gant earned State Farm’s prestigious President’s Club ranking three times in his career and also won Clayton County’s “Small Business of the Year” award in 1999.
Bruce Gant with members of the Clayton State University Student Veterans Association: L-R: Tiffany McGregor, Melissa Thomas, Corey James, Kevin Nguyen, Bruce Gant, Patrick Anderson, Kevin McMullen, Sieu Tran, Dennis Brown and Paul Watson.
After returning from Vietnam where he had served as a Senior Corpsman (medic) with a Marine rifle company, Gant made the tran- sition from saving lives on the battlefront to helping others protect their investments on the home front.
“When I became an insurance agent in 1974, a very wise senior agent gave me the best advice; he told me, ‘If you take care of your clients, they will take care of you – if you don’t take care of them, someone else will,’” says Gant. With a goal of superb customer service strongly embedded in his business ethics, Gant began building a suc- cessful client base that would eventually make him one of Clayton County’s most honored and recognized businessmen.
As part of his commitment to the community whom Gant says “has given me so much,” Gant has served as Chairman of the Clayton County Chamber of Commerce, chaired the Pacesetters Committee, was a member of the Military Affairs Committee, and has served on the Board of Trustees for the Clayton State University Foundation since 1997.
“Being asked to be a trustee on the Clayton State University Foundation was and is one of the greatest honors I have received,” says Gant. “I feel that as a trustee, I can give back to the community and make a positive impact on our future.”
Clearly, serving others has always been a high priority with Gant. When serving in Vietnam in 1968, Gant fought in the Hue City battle for which the USS battleship Hue City – the first and only ship in the United States Navy named for a battle in the Vietnam War – was named. When the ship was dedicated in 1991, Gant and his fellow Marines who fought at Hue City were named honorary crew mem- bers.
Gant thanks his wife, Vicky, for her support over the years and her contribution to both the success of his career and his business. Similarly, future generations of Clayton State student veterans will be thanking the Gants for their contributions to making their dreams real.
Building Naming Committee Recommends
New Names for Athletics & Fitness and Student Center
Following the recommendation of the Clayton State University Build- ing Naming Committee, the Athletics & Fitness Center and the Student Center have new names.
The Student Center is now called Edgewater Hall, and the Ath- letics & Fitness Center is now the Athletics Center. The committee
also recommended that the Student Activities Center keep its current name. The Building Naming Committee consists of Chair Cindy Lauer, Kelly Adams, Dolores Cox, Mike Mead, Nicole Harris, Dr. Jim Braun and Dr. R.B. Rosenburg.
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