Frank Parsons, left, Chairman of the LaGrange College Athletic Commitee and Garland K. Gudger, M.D.

     On October 8, 2006, Garland K. Gudger, MD, was inducted into the LaGrange College Athletic Hall of Fame in LaGrange, Georgia.  In addition to his contributions to the athletic program, Dr. Gudger was recognized for his years of service to the community and for his devotion to area athletes and sports medicine. At the ceremony, Dr. Gudger was presented with a plaque from Frank Parsons, Chairman of the LaGrange College Athletic Hall of Fame Committee.

     From 1967 to 1969, Gudger played on the Panther basketball team as a guard. He averaged 12.5 points per game his senior year and scored 593 points in his career. Gudger won the Glenn Simpson Defensive Player Award and served as SGA president while at LaGrange College. He has served as a member of the LaGrange College Leadership Council and he was named into LaGrange College’s Wall of Outstanding Alumni in 1998.

     After graduating from LaGrange, Dr. Gudger earned his medical degree at the Medical College of Georgia.  He completed his orthopaedic residency at Greenville General Hospital System in Greenville, SC and trained in pediatric orthopaedic surgery at the Shriners Hospital. Certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Dr. Gudger holds memberships with many professional societies including the American Medical Association. In 1990, he received from the Orthopedic Research and Education Foundation the Order of Merit for distinguished philanthropy in the advancement of orthopedic surgery. Dr. Gudger is currently an orthopedic surgeon with The Hughston Clinic and he is team physician for Brookstone in Columbus. At The Hughston Orthopedic Hospital, Dr. Gudger has served as Chief of Surgery Services and Chief of Staff.

     Along with Dr. Gudger, Rodney Robinson of Gainesville, Ga., Edward Starr of Marietta, Ga., and Tracy Schuster Wommack of Columbus were among the fifth group of individuals inducted to the school’s hall of fame.