MACON–President R. Kirby Godsey, on behalf of the Mercer University Board of Trustees, bestowed the Doctor of Humanities degree to Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy in a ceremony held Dec. 12 in the Religious Life Center on the Macon campus.
Dr. Godsey said no other citizen has been more exemplary and more successful than Cathy, who has previously served on the Mercer University Board of Trustees.
Chick-fil-A is the third largest quick-service chicken restaurant company in the United States, with more than 1,200 locations in 35 states.
His WinShape Centre Foundation annually awards 20 to 30 students wishing to attend Berry College with $24,000 scholarships that are jointly funded by the Rome institution. Through its Leadership Scholarship Program, the Chick-fil-A chain has given more than $16 million in $1,000 scholarships to Chick-fil-A employees since 1973.
As part of his WinShape Homes program–a long-term care program for foster children, 11 foster care homes are located in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Brazil.
A third core component distinguishing WinShape programs is Camp WinShape, founded in 1985 as a series of two-week summer camps to help boys and girls build self esteem through physical and spiritual activities.
Chick-fil-A is also the sponsor for the annual Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta and the LPGA-sanctioned Chick-fil-A Charity Championship. Both have contributed thousands of dollars to WinShape Homes.
Founded in 1833, Mercer University is a 7,300-student, comprehensive, Baptist-affiliated university, offering undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees in the liberal arts, education, engineering, business and economics, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, theology and law.
Mercer University has campuses in Macon and Atlanta and at four extended education centers located in Douglas County, Covington, Griffin and Eastman. The University also operates the Mercer Engineering Research Center in Warner Robins and Mercer University Press in Macon.
For the past 13 years, Mercer has been ranked among the leading universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report.
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