Dr. William A. Bloodworth, Jr.

William A. Bloodworth Jr., who in his 18-year tenure as president of Augusta College/Augusta State University transformed the institution, died on Monday, August 29 at the age of seventy-nine. He changed a campus that still bore the imprint of its military history one with buildings and facilities for the 21st century while carefully preserving its historical and architecturally significant structures. From the beginning of his presidency, Bloodworth embraced the institution’s mission as Augusta’s College. He understood that the students represented many age groups, were often working full or part-time jobs, and were sometimes the first generation of the family to attend college. Most of the students were from the local area and planned to spend their careers here, teaching the next generations of students, caring for the sick, running businesses, serving in local and state government, and serving on the boards of charitable and philanthropic organizations. Bloodworth understood that the mission could be accomplished only through the talent and dedication of the faculty and staff, all of whom he knew by name, from the most senior professors to those who planted flowers to beautify the campus.

Bill Bloodworth was born in San Antonio, Texas, to William A. Bloodworth Sr. and Ellan Oma Gatliff. In 1954-55 he attended a small four-room school with eight grades in Wilson, Texas, where he was inspired by Dain Higdon who taught all subjects in the 7th and 8th grades. In his inaugural address as president, Bloodworth said, “he taught me the nobility of teaching.” At the urging of his father, he attended college at Texas Lutheran University where he received his B.S in English education in 1964, followed by a Master’s in English at Lamar University in 1967, and a Ph.D. in American Civilization at the University of Texas in Austin in 1972.

Bloodworth began his teaching career in the public schools. After graduate school he began his college teaching career in 1972 at East Carolina University in North Carolina, where he moved through the ranks to become Chair of the Department of English, Acting Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and then Assistant to the Chancellor. In 1990 he became the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Central Missouri State University. In October 1993 he became President of Augusta College, the position he held until 2012, when he retired. Bloodworth was also an active scholar, publishing many articles in journals, several book chapters, and two books, Upton Sinclair in 1977 and Max Brand in 1993.

Throughout his career, Dr. Bloodworth was the recipient of many honors and awards, including the Augusta State University’s Richard S. Wallace Distinguished Service Award and the Metro Augusta Chamber of Commerce’s Lester Moody Award of Excellence. He served as the national president of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. He was an active member of many local service and philanthropic organizations including the Augusta Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce, the Augusta Neighborhood Improvement Corporation, the Augusta Red Cross, the Greater Augusta Arts Council, the Association of United States Army, Communities in Schools, and others. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Augusta. He was a graduate of the Leadership Augusta Executive Forum and received the Community Leadership Award from Leadership Augusta in 2011. Upon retirement, he was awarded President Emeritus status by the Board of Regents.

President Bloodworth changed the face of Augusta State University. He is well known for the physical transformation on the Summerville campus. In 1997 the new Science Hall opened. When asbestos was discovered in the six classroom buildings that were originally World War II warehouses, he successfully lobbied the state for what became Allgood Hall and University Hall, and the asbestos buildings came down. In 2006 the Jaguar Student Activities Center (JSAC) opened and two years later the D. Douglas Bernard Jr. Amphitheatre began providing a beautiful outdoor venue for events and concerts. He also oversaw the re-design of the campus entry with the Russell Blanchard Fountain. In 2002 the History Walk on the perimeter of campus was dedicated and in 2011 the portion through the center of campus was completed. At the Forest Hills campus, a golf pavilion was added in 2005 and two years later the J. Fleming Norvell Collegiate Golf House. In 2005 the University Village, the 24-acre student housing complex opened on Damascus Road. One of the accomplishments Bloodworth was most proud of was convincing the Board of Regents to allow the renaming of the College Activities Center for African American community education and civic leaders Isaiah (Ike) and Justine Washington.

More important than the buildings to Bloodworth were the people--faculty, staff, and students—who worked in them. He always considered himself a faculty member. He respected his faculty and their goals and stayed abreast of their work as scholars and teachers. He let them know they were recognized and valued. He worked to cultivate a sense of collegiality and common purpose, and always supported the idea of faculty governance.

Staff were treated with the same respect and concern as faculty. He was quick to praise and did small things that made a difference. He made sure, for instance, that maintenance staff had names on their shirts so people would know who they were. In return they had a shirt made for him with his name and he treasured it.

In his inaugural address, President Bloodworth said, “The accomplishments of a college lie in the lives of the students it has served.” Students were his great love, and at heart, he was always a teacher. He knew that a teacher could change lives. Despite his heavy administrative duties, he taught regularly as president. Even after retirement, he continued in the classroom in the both the English and History Departments, where he was beloved by students who filled his classes each semester. In spite of his illness, he taught through the spring of 2022. He always enjoyed having fun with students, and was the number one fan of Jaguar sports. When he travelled to cheer on the basketball team in the national championship playoffs, he rode in the bus with students with his hair sprayed Jaguar Blue.

His values were clear in the criteria he created for the Bloodworth Endowment when he retired. While full time faculty and staff already had awards, he sought to recognize the unrecognized and underappreciated. He established three awards, one to go annually to a part-time faculty member, one to go a member of the custodial or grounds staff of the Summerville campus, and one to help support a student whose economic circumstances might endanger their ability to graduate.

He is survived by the family he adored: his wife of 57 years Julia Rankin Bloodworth, son Paul Bloodworth (Catherine), daughter Nicole Bloodworth (Dana Meyers), and grandchildren Palmer, Sara Jane, and Molly, and beloved King Charles Cavalier Spaniel, Ollie. He also leaves a legacy of accomplishment, kindness, caring, humility, joy, and great integrity.

A Celebration of Life Event will be held on September 12 at 11 am at the Maxwell Theatre on the Summerville campus, 2500 Walton Way, Augusta, GA 30904 with a reception for family and friends immediately following.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to support the William A. Bloodworth, Jr. Endowment. Donations can be mailed to the Augusta University Foundation, 1120 15th Street, AD-1104, Augusta, GA 30912 or made online at https://www.augusta.edu/giving/gift.php?fund=391650.