McCay Legacy
When Megan McCay received her degree on May 13, she became not only a UGA alumna, but also a fourth generation legacy.
A psychology major, Megan plans to pursue her Masters degree at UGA and hopes to become an elementary school counselor, following a family tradition as an education professional.
The legacy began with Edward Lee (E.L.) McCay, who graduated from the university in 1907. A Bulldog athlete, E.L. grew up in Danielsville and according to family lore, played in the first intercollegiate football game he ever saw. He said he was recruited by his teacher, Dr. Steadman V. Sanford, who later became chancellor and for whom the UGA stadium is named. E.L. is pictured in the college yearbook, the “Pandora” with the 1905-06 football team.
He married Nettie Burroughs who also attended UGA and they had six children who each graduated from UGA. One of his sons, Ralph L. McCay, Sr. ’36, is Megan’s grandfather. A retired teacher and farmer, Ralph is 91 years old and lives in Ila, Ga. Ralph’s three children are UGA graduates, including his son, Ralph, Jr. who is Megan’s father. A teacher-farmer in Madison County, Ralph, Jr. is married to Megan’s mother, Debbie Brown McCay ’74.
Megan’s aunt, Dr. Barbara Jean McCay, ’66, ’70, ’73, a lifelong teacher, is retired from the Gwinnett County School System and lives in Ila, Ga.
Megan’s uncle, James L. McCay, ’82, Director of the Food Services Division for the Georgia Center of Continuing Education, recently received the Public Service and Outreach Staff Award for Excellence. His daughter, LeAnn McCay Kidd ’04 teaches at Ila Elementary and was a member of UGA’s National Champion Equestrian team. She also is a fourth generation UGA alumni legacy. James is married to Kathryn Power McCay ’74, ’75.
In addition to Megan’s grandfather Ralph, Sr., the only living immediate descendant of E.L. McCay is Dr. Myron S. McCay ’32 who is 94 and lives in Chattanooga, TN where he is the retired head of the Physics Department at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. Other children of E.L. include the late Rama McCay Garrison ’41,’69, Effie Mae McCay Prager ’36, ’39 James Edward McCay ’40, who was one of the first casualties of World War II, and Bonnie Ruth McCay Black ’42. Bonnie’s late son, Francis James Black III ’68 is also part of the McCay legacy.
During her time at UGA, Megan was involved in the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, the Daughters of the American Revolution, Students of the Red Cross, and was active in student government affairs including Relay for Life and the Miss UGA Pageant committee. She was an honor graduate of Madison County High School where she was a cheerleader. Megan, who never really considered another college, says she could not live in her family and not want to come to UGA.
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.
