Dr. Victor Richard Persico, Jr.

Dr. Victor ‘Richard’ Persico joined the faculty of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Georgia Southern in 1979. He served as president of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, curator and member of the board for the GSU Museum, and held many other positions within GS. He was am active member of Pittman Park United Methodist Church and participated in several mission trips to underdeveloped countries. He was an Eagle Scout and had survived on the staff of Philmont boy Ranch in New Mexico. He was assistant Scout master of Local Troop 342 for 20 years and active in the Coastal Empire Council for the Boy Scouts of America.

In 1998, he received the University’s Award for Excellence in contributions to instruction. A prolific writer and speaker, he was an invited participant in National Endowment for Humanities programs, published more than a dozen works and presented scores of lectures to societies in his field. Professionally he chaired the anthropology section of the Georgia Academy of Science and was councilor of the Southern Anthropological Society at the time of his death in 2004.

Teaching was his life’s passion. Former GSU President, Bruce Grube said of Persico, “Richard Persico’s fusion of knowledge, intellectual verve, heart for students and wonderful wit was a rare and special gift to the university and the community”.

The Martha Rebecca Persico Memorial Scholarship was renamed The Victor, Rebecca and Richard Persico Scholarship in Anthropology after Dr. Persico’s untimely death.