Dawg of Distinction

UGA Circle of Distinction inductee Sonny Seiler, son Charles, daughter Swann, family friend Bobby Lenihan, and UGA X “Que” (Photo by Wingate Downs)

Dawg Distinction

When EIL contacted Frank W. “Sonny” Seiler, we interrupted him out working in his garden. This immediately brought to mind the green thumb of legendary coach and former University of Georgia Athletic Director, Vince Dooley, the very impetus for this phone call. Dooley himself is a master gardener and has both a camellia and a hydrangea named after him, so we wondered aloud if Dooley had inspired Seiler to create a blooming floral oasis at his Savannah home. Sonny was quick to dispel the notion, clarifying that his is a vegetable garden and Coach Dooley is well-aware of his stance on gardening too: “If you can’t eat it, I won’t grow it.” He enjoys the tending on warm sunny mornings, however, and looks forward to harvesting the fruits of his labor.

It was the fruits of a different kind of labor – Sonny’s lifelong labor of love for the University of Georgia – that had prompted our call. For those who don’t know “Daddy Dawg,” as he’s fondly called by his daughter, island resident, Bess Thompson, Sonny is a “double dog” UGA alum with both undergraduate and law school degrees from Georgia. The former Savannah barrister is the patriarch not only of the Seiler family, but of the university’s beloved English bulldog mascots since 1956, as the owner of “Uga” from I (Hood’s Ole Dan) through X (Que). We were excited to learn that he was recently named to the UGA’s Circle of Distinction, an honor granted to fewer than a dozen recipients in the 16 years since its inception.

In 2002, during his days as Athletic Director, Vince Dooley helped establish the Circle of Distinction award to honor individuals who have extended extraordinary support to Georgia athletics through the years. Of the initial

You need only hear the cheers erupt on the field when the members of the Seiler family arrive with the nation’s most well-known mascot to know that this family’s contributions to the school are remarkable and indelible.

2002 class of four inductees that year, Dooley said, “I have known each one of them from the time that I first arrived in Athens 40 years ago. Their loyalty and generosity has been unwavering during all that time.” That Class of 2002 included Freddy Farah, Leon Farmer, Don Leebern, and Jack Turner. J. Warren Mitchell (2003), Rankin M. Smith (2011), Jim Nalley (2012), Alice and John Sands (2013), Tom Cousins (2015) have been the only other recipients of the honor – until this year.

Sonny was chosen to join the ranks of these ten distinguished inductees in recognition for his extensive contributions to the University of Georgia and its athletic programs. A well-deserved honor, as Sonny has not only contributed to the school financially and made substantial commitments to the university in his role as Uga’s owner, he has also been president of the University of Georgia National Alumni Association and chairman of the Georgia School of Law Board of Visitors. He has also has served on the boards of the athletic association, the Georgia Student Educational Fund, and the University of Georgia Foundation, according to UGA Athletic Director Greg McGarity. Seiler says, “First of all, I’m very honored. If you look at the authentic background of the award, those are some very deserving people. I’m honored to be included with them.” He also recognizes that this award is made even more special by that fact that it has not been granted to anyone since 2015. The Circle of Distinction award presentation was held as part of the university’s Circle of Honor Awards, an annual tribute to outstanding former student-athletes. Sonny thought that was a very fitting tie-in and he and daughter, Swann Seiler, who attended the event with him, agreed that it was quite a lovely evening, although he adds, “you can’t tell from the pictures, but it was freezing cold in Athens and we were dying to get inside!”

This isn’t the first time Sonny has been recognized for his contributions to the school, but it might be the sweetest, as the university presented him with a ring that Sonny says proudly “looks similar to the ones they have for the national championship,” as well as a beautiful award statute. In 1998, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education presented him with the William W. Franklin Volunteer of the Year Award. In 2000, the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame honored him with its Distinguished American Award. In 2001, the university bestowed the highest recognition they have for alumni, the National Alumni Merit Award, on Sonny and his late wife Cecelia. You need only hear the cheers erupt on the field when the members of the Seiler family arrive with the nation’s most well-known mascot to know that this family’s contributions to the school are remarkable and indelible.

Bess was disappointed to have missed the celebration in Athens for her “Daddy Dawg” due to sports commitments for her graduating senior, but she is absolutely thrilled about him getting the red carpet treatment from the university. She says, “It really is a such an honor, especially when this isn’t something being awarded every year, and it’s such an exciting time for the Dawgs. They’re playing at the top of their game, so it couldn’t be more fitting. There were some slim years, and Daddy’s loyalty never swayed. He is truly a super fan. I can’t think of anyone who deserves this more – and at such a perfect time!”

Agreeing that this is a good time to be a Georgia Bulldog and happy to see his team finally at the top of the pack, Sonny chuckles, “I like to think the dog had something to do with it. I don’t know if he got a vote. He’ll never tell.” You can see from the photo that Que did dress up for the ceremony! We happen to think both the dog and the man are something special.