ProfilesThe John N. Goddard Foundation

The University of Georgia has helped mold many successful leaders since it was chartered in 1785. Alumnus Jimmy Alston has chosen to honor that past by helping to ensure the success of UGA’s future law graduates.

Jimmy’s father, Philip H. Alston, graduated from UGA in 1932. He went on to lead one of the nation’s premier law firms, act as ambassador to Australia, and become one of President Jimmy Carter’s closest advisors. He also demonstrated unwavering support to his alma mater, serving as the President of the UGA Alumni Association and a Trustee of the UGA Foundation.

Giving true meaning to the word “legacy,” Jimmy followed in his father’s footsteps by graduating from UGA in 1966, establishing a successful company, and serving as a UGA Foundation Trustee. Jimmy chaired the Foundation Fellows Committee and saw firsthand how this premier undergraduate fellowship drew top students to the University of Georgia. Now, in honor of his father, he has supported a fellowship that will allow UGA’s law school to attract the same caliber of talent.

The John N. Goddard Foundation, co-chaired by Jimmy and his sister Elkin and named after their maternal grandfather, became the inaugural donor to the newly created Distinguished Law Fellows program at Georgia Law. The foundation established the Philip H. Alston Jr. Distinguished Law Fellowship with a $2 million gift. This fellowship was awarded to three exceptional students this fall. The program provides full-tuition scholarships, stipends for internships, study abroad, and research projects, and special opportunities to meet with preeminent law professionals across the country, including U.S. Supreme Court Justices. This endowment will establish UGA’s law school as one of the few that offer full-tuition-plus law scholarships, allowing it to compete for the nation’s most promising law scholars and honor the legacy of Philip H. Alston.