The Georgia Southern community is mourning the loss of Dr. Nicholas L. Henry, the 10th President of Georgia Southern University.
Nick was a beloved president who served the second-longest term (1987-1998) at Georgia Southern, during which time he helped to transform the University into a regional force. During his administration, Georgia Southern was the fastest-growing university in the United States for seven years.
His most consequential achievement was leading Georgia Southern to achieve University status from the Board of Regents in 1990. That same year, he invited his friend Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to campus to speak at commencement, an event faculty and alumni recall as one of the most significant at the University.
His tenure was marked by national and international recognition for Georgia Southern. He supported efforts to establish the Smithsonian Institution and National Institutes of Health National Tick Collection at the University, which launched our national reputation for research. He also established educational outreach centers, including the Center for Wildlife Education and The Lamar Q Ball, Jr. Raptor Center — which paved the way for our bald eagle mascot, Freedom — and the Georgia Southern Botanic Garden.
Nick believed southeast Georgia needed engineering to improve the economic development outlook for the region. Though he didn’t get to see its realization as president, he lived to see the result of his advocacy for the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing.
He was a friendly soul who left a legacy of beauty at Georgia Southern. His landscape plan still drives the gorgeous flowers and greenery on campus today, and he garnered $125 million in funding for new buildings and a standard architectural style for the University. It’s difficult to look around the Statesboro Campus without seeing his influence at work.
There is so much more that Nick accomplished in 11 years as president. He was an advocate for students, staff and faculty. He raised the bar for what a University president could do for the community, region and state. He will be sorely missed by all of Eagle Nation.
— Dr. Kyle Marrero, President of Georgia Southern University
