UGA alumnus is volunteer of the year
Savannah attorney Frank W. "Sonny" Seiler received the 1997 Bill Franklin Volunteer of the Year Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education at the District III conference in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 18.

Seiler was recognized for his long-term service to his alma mater, the University of Georgia. More than 500 schools and colleges from nine Southeastern states were represented at the conference.

Seiler, who received an undergraduate business degree and a law degree from UGA, recently completed his term as the first president of UGA's new National Alumni Association, an organization that represents the university's more than 188,000 living graduates.

"Sonny gave tirelessly to make sure the organization had the right foundation," says David Muia, executive director of alumni relations.

Seiler also has served as president of the board of visitors of UGA's School of Law and was an active member of the board of the UGA Athletic Association for 20 years. He currently serves on the UGA Foundation Board of Trustees and is a member of the Presidents Club.

His best-known connection to his alma mater may be as the owner of the university's line of bulldog mascots--collectively known as "Uga"--since 1956. The current mascot, Uga V, was named the No. 1 college mascot in the country by Sports Illustrated magazine last year.

Both Seiler and Uga V can be seen in the film Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, based on John Berendt's best-selling book. That's no accident: in real life, Seiler was the lawyer who won acquittal for antiques-dealer Jim Williams in the murder case on which the book is based.

In the movie, Seiler is portrayed by Australian actor Jack Thompson, while he himself plays the role of the judge.

His on-screen legal career continues in John Grisham's Gingerbread Man, directed by Robert Altman and, like Midnight, set and filmed in Savannah. Seiler plays a senior partner in a law firm--not a stretch, since he is one.

In a letter nominating Seiler for the CASE volunteer award, UGA President Michael F. Adams noted "a generosity of spirit, a keen enthusiasm for institutional success and a willingness to place UGA prominently in the public eye" as reasons to bestow the honor.

"He has become so much a part of the fabric of the university that we assume such loyalty to be commonplace," Adams wrote.

Seiler's nomination also was supported by Carl Swearingen, president of BellSouth-Georgia, who succeeded him as president of the alumni association. "He is the volunteer every organization prays for," noted Swearingen. "He is the catalyst for success."

Seiler's leadership traits were evident in his student days, when he was elected president of the Interfraternity Council and Gridiron, a secret society. He also was chosen for membership in Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity, ODK Honor Society and Sphinx, the highest honor attainable for a male student.

Museum exhibition recognized: At the 1998 annual meeting of the Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries in Macon, the Georgia Museum of Art received the award for "Special Exhibition of the Year" for Masterpieces of Renaissance and Baroque Sculpture from the Palazzo Venezia, Rome. The exhibition, which was on view from Oct. 5 through Nov. 5, 1997, featured 22 objects demonstrating the range of sculpture production in Italy from the 15th to the 17th centuries, in a wide variety of media, from marble and bronze to terra-cotta. Works by Jacopo Sansovino, Bernini and Algardi were included. The Georgia Museum of Art was the first museum in the United States to display many of these works.

E-mail demonstration Feb. 27: University Computing and Networking Services will hold Arches Migration Day Feb. 27 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Room L of the Georgia Center for Continuing Education. The demonstration is a fast and convenient way for faculty and staff to get information about moving from the Contac e-mail system to Arches. Contac, the university's current e-mail system, will not be available after June 30.

A general introduction to Arches will be offered every 15 minutes beginning at 9:30 a.m. and informal question-and-answer sessions with the Arches development and support team will be offered continuously throughout the day.on-and-answer sessions with the Arches development and support team will be offered continuously throughout the day.

Express, beginning at 10 a.m. and repeating every hour; Netscape Communicator at 10:15 a.m. and repeating every hour; and Simeon at 10:30 a.m. and repeating every hour.

For more information, check the Arches Web pages or call the UCNS help desk, 542-3106.