Bo and Gloria Ginn Scholarship

Ronald Bryan Ginn, known as ‘Bo’ Ginn (May 31, 1934 – January 2, 2005), represented Georgia’s 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.

Ginn was born in Morgan, Georgia and attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia from 1951 through 1953 and Georgia Southern College in Statesboro where he earned a degree in 1956. He was considered a champion baseball player as a youth, but was stricken by crippling polio as a teenager and was told he would never walk again. Surgery, long months of therapy at the Warm Springs Foundation, and a strong determination allowed him to leave his wheelchair. This experience and the encouragement from others ultimately led him to a career in public service.¹ Ginn served as administrative assistant to U.S. Senator Herman Talmadge and U.S. Congressman George Elliott Hagan. He successfully ran against Hagan as a Democrat to win the 1st District congressional seat in 1972 to the 93rd United States Congress. He served five consecutive terms in that seat before stepping down to run for Governor of Georgia in 1982.

Ginn is one of the most significant and effective Georgia Southern University graduates and contributors in history… His given years of dedicated and loyal support to Georgia Southern since arriving on campus in 1953… Born May 31, 1934 in Calhoun County, Georgia… Earned Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Education from Georgia Teachers College… Named Most Outstanding Business Student and was elected to Who’s Who Among American University and College Students.. Ginn was a firm supporter of increased educational funding and Georgia Southern University. Ginn helped secure the title of “University” for the college and raised millions of dollars in donations to build the college’s first football stadium while Erk Russell was head coach of the GSU Eagles national championship team. Ginn also taught as an adjunct professor for the University in political science.

Ginn was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2003 and succumbed to the disease on January 2, 2005. He was survived by three children seven grandchildren