The Bland Family

Four University of Georgia coeds are happily maintaining a strong family tradition - they are fourth generation Bulldog legacies.

L-R: Sissy Martin, Elizabeth Martin, Laura Bland, Judy Bland, Beth Bland, Kim Bland

Sisters, Beth, Kim and Laura Bland and their first cousin Elizabeth Martin are following in the steps of their mothers, grandparents, and great grandfather.

All four legacies are from Tifton, Ga., and the three Bland sisters are Family and Consumer Sciences majors as were their mother, aunt and grandmother.

Their first cousin Elizabeth Martin is in Pharmacy School. Beth Bland is getting her Masters in Food Science and sister Kim is practice teaching this semester.

Elizabeth's parents Cissy and Lamar Martin both graduated from UGA in 1973. They maintain residences in Tifton and Athens, Lamar is an Assistant Dean in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.

The coeds' Uncle, Frank Riley Jr., '71, majored in Forestry and now works and resides in Hiawassee, Ga.

The grandparents are Frank Riley, Sr., 43, and Sarah Brown Riley, '45. Frank was a Forestry major and Sarah received her degree in Home Economics. They now reside in Butler, Ga. where Frank is retired from the USDA.

Their great grandfather, Walter Brown, '17, was Director of UGA's Cooperative Extension Service for 17 1/2 years from 1937-54. His wife, Clemmie, was a graduate of the State Normal School which later became affiliated with UGA.

Walter Brown received national acclaim for his leadership in advancing Cooperative Extension work in Georgia. When the distinguished administrator graduated in 1917, he had no way of knowing that 87 years later four beautiful granddaughters would be following in his steps at UGA.

Surely, he would have been tremendously pleased with this unique legacy maintained through four generations.

Notes from the Blands:
We are also the Riley family legacy as we are all children and grandchildren of Sarah and Frank Riley. (Sarah is the daughter of Walter Brown.)

Of the girls, Kim and Laura Bland and Elizabeth Martin are all Family and Consumer Science students or graduates, like their mothers. Kim was an Elementary Education major, Laura is a Consumer Journalism major and Elizabeth is a Dietetics major now in her 1st year of pharmacy school. Beth Bland graduated with a degree in Agricultural Communications from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and is now a graduate student in Food Science and Technology in the College of Ag and Environmental Sciences.

 
 
 

Claude McBride '55, former UGA Alumni Association Tour Director is a veritable repository of campus lore and is now assisting us in writing legacy stories such as the one above. If you have an interesting legacy story please e-mail Claude at cmcbride@uga.edu.