Georgia Military College Prep School received a $1 million payment from the Usery Foundation, as the first installment of the $4 million gift to establish the Usery Legacy Fund, in memory of the honorable W. J. “Bill” Usery, Jr. This endowed fund, which was first announced in March 2017 is to honor, commemorate, and celebrate the life of Mr. Usery, who was a distinguished GMC Prep School alumnus, and former United States Secretary of Labor. Mr. Usery passed away in December 2016 but his legacy at GMC lives on.

“Bill Usery had a deep love for the students at the Prep School. He would literally light up and actively engage with our students every time saw them.” said Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell, IV, President of GMC. “We are so blessed by this incredible enduring gift that will serve others. It truly is reflective of the nature of Bill Usery.”

The Usery Legacy Fund is inspired by the actions of Secretary Usery’s mother, Effie Mae Williamson Usery, who left her job as a nurse to become a laundress at Central State Hospital to ensure that her son would have a clean, pressed GMC cadet uniform every morning. The proceeds of this endowment will significantly defray the costs of the initial school uniform requirement, eliminate a financial barrier, and honor Secretary Usery’s own personal experience of having worn a patched uniform while he was a student at GMC’s Prep School.

A key element of this fund, as the endowment grows, is to provide every incoming fourth grade and sixth grade student and any other first time students, with a school voucher up to 100% of the initial preparatory school uniform purchase requirement. The total purchase of these uniforms, including accessories, for six graders is the equivalent of approximately $600.

The remaining $3 million of the gift to the Usery Legacy Fund is expected to be received from the Usery Family Trust over the course of this year.