Alumni Spotlight: Br. Carl Sanders

Alumni spotlight is a monthly series ackowledging the accomplishments of Phi Kappans whose devotion to excellence extended far beyond the walls of Phi Kappa Hall.

 Born on May 25, 1925, Brother Carl Sanders of Augusta, Georgia was not only an exceptional Phi Kappan, but led a life of public service that greatly benefitted the state of Georgia. 

Brother Sanders attended the University of Georgia on a football scholarship and was involved in several prestigious student organizations, including our own Phi Kappa Literary Society. In 1943, Brother Sanders enlisted in the US Army Air Corps during World War II. Afterward, he returned to UGA to complete his Bachelor’s degree and attend law school. During this time, he met his wife Betty Bird from Statesboro, Georgia and they married in 1947.

In the 1950s, He served in both Georgia House and Senate before he became the Governor of Georgia in 1963 – the youngest in the nation. In his vision of the New South, Brother Sanders fundamentally improved the state of education, reorganizing the department of education aand establishing minimum standards for schools. He expanded college access significantly through the addition of new junior colleges and vocational schools while still creating teaching jobs at new public schools across the state.

But it is his break with the segregationist policies and race rhetoric of other Southern governors that made Brother Sanders exceptional. As Governor, he openly discouraged racial violence and reapportioned district lines that increased the political power of Africa- American voters. His cooperation with both the Kennedy and Johnson’s Administrations to follow civil rights laws and his willingness to appoint African-Americans to state offices slowly changed the nasty image Georgia had maintained for over a century. In the years since, the Phi Kappa Literary Society like Georgia has grown to embrace the diversity with members hailing from many different walks of life – race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. 

Last November, Brother Sanders passed away but his legacy as a remarkable alumnus remains  as an inspiration to Phi Kappans to move toward progress and enlightenment.