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Darlington honors alumni
May 3, 2001 8:00 AM
By Stefan Eady - Faculty
Darlington alumni W. Frank Barron Jr. ’48, Rome, Ga., and Fred Kennedy Jr. ’60, (deceased, formerly of Augusta, Ga.), were awarded Darlington’s Distinguished Alumnus Award during Darlington Celebration 2001, Thursday, May 3 in the Darlington Chapel. The prestigious award is given as a way to honor alumni who have shown unyielding dedication to the School.
Barron, one of the patriarchs of philanthropy and service to the Rome area, has shared his strong leadership with Darlington as a long-time member of the Board of Trustees. However, his work extends far beyond the School’s gates.
Barron has served as the past president of the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce and Rome Rotary Club; a member of the board of directors of Redmond Region Medical Center, Rome Boys Club, Chieftains Museum, and National City Bank; vice chair of the Floyd County Airport Commission; and a former member of the Rome Jaycees and the United Way where he served as annual fund board chair.
Currently, Barron serves on Darlington’s Board of Trustees, as well as Berry College where he has served for 28 years, including chair of the executive and Oak Hill committees. Additionally, he serves on the board of directors of Atlanta Gas Light Resources, Inc.; Georgia Chamber of Commerce; Century Bank of Bartow County; board of advisors of the Georgia Conservancy; board of trustees of the Trust for Public Land; Georgia Public Policy Foundation; the Richard B. Russell Foundation; the board of councilors of the Carter Center of Emory University, of which he is an honorary lifetime member, a member of the Rome Rotary Club, and the University of Georgia.
Most recently Barron has been awarded Heart of the Community award of honor from the Redmond Regional Medical Center. He has also been honored as the Rome Young Man of the Year, a Will Watt and Paul Harris Fellow by the Rome Rotary Club, a J.W. Fannin Fellow by Leadership Georgia Board of Trustees and an honorary admiral of the Georgia Navy.
Before attending Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Va., Barron was noted in the 1948 Jabberwokk, Darlington’s yearbook, as being particularly social. In fact, his annual lists Barron as often seen, “racing a Packard.” He was involved in the social committee and was a football player. As part of a senior prophecy, his fellow classmates predicted that he might be playing in an orchestra later in life.
Barron, his wife, Ann Barron, and both their son and daughter, Rebekah Baron Montgomery ’78 and W. Frank Barron, III ’77, attended the service where the Darlington community expressed their gratitude for over 50 years of service to the School.
Fred Kennedy, who chaired Darlington’s Board of Trustees, died in December of a sudden heart attack Kennedy was president of Kennedy Broadcasting Inc., Augusta, an active member of the Darlington community, and a committed civic leader. He had previously served on Darlington’s Board of Visitors and the Campaign for Darlington committee, and served as the chair of the Presidential Search Committee in 1998 and 1999. His love for Darlington was unbounded.
He was a captain in the U.S. Army and a veteran of the Vietnam War, during which he received an Army Commendation Medal and Bronze Star. He founded and operated the Wildflower and Beautification Trust Fund, which was instrumental in planting wildflowers along major highways in the area. He founded the Wildflower Club of the CSRA and was president of the Conifer Place Property Owners Association.
For the past 12 years, Kennedy was a director of the Boys and Girls Club of Augusta and was its president in 1993. He was a director and president of the Georgia Area Council of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. He was a member of the advisory board of the Salvation Army, Augusta Chapter and a former vice chair of the Augusta-Richmond County Clean Community Commission. Kennedy was also director of the National Cable Television Association, director and president of the South Carolina Cable Television Association and director and president of the Southern Cable Television Association.
The awards bestowed on Kennedy are plentiful. He was a recipient of the Silver Achievement Award from the Girls and Boys Clubs of America, and was recognized as the Boys and Girls Club Director of the Year for the state of Georgia in 1994 and 1998. The Garden Club of Georgia presented a state merit award to Kennedy in 1993 in recognition of his highway beautification efforts.
After graduating from Darlington, Kennedy attended Princeton University and Harvard Law School. Kennedy’s classmate, Horace Stewart ’60 shared his opinion of Kennedy in a letter to Darlington President David Hicks after Kennedy’s death, “I experienced Fred’s creative approach toward engendering good will toward Darlington, his compassion for people and his generosity.” His wife, Jacque Kennedy, and their two sons, Frederick Matthew Kennedy and Andrew Albert Kennedy, accepted the award.
Barron, one of the patriarchs of philanthropy and service to the Rome area, has shared his strong leadership with Darlington as a long-time member of the Board of Trustees. However, his work extends far beyond the School’s gates.
Barron has served as the past president of the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce and Rome Rotary Club; a member of the board of directors of Redmond Region Medical Center, Rome Boys Club, Chieftains Museum, and National City Bank; vice chair of the Floyd County Airport Commission; and a former member of the Rome Jaycees and the United Way where he served as annual fund board chair.
Currently, Barron serves on Darlington’s Board of Trustees, as well as Berry College where he has served for 28 years, including chair of the executive and Oak Hill committees. Additionally, he serves on the board of directors of Atlanta Gas Light Resources, Inc.; Georgia Chamber of Commerce; Century Bank of Bartow County; board of advisors of the Georgia Conservancy; board of trustees of the Trust for Public Land; Georgia Public Policy Foundation; the Richard B. Russell Foundation; the board of councilors of the Carter Center of Emory University, of which he is an honorary lifetime member, a member of the Rome Rotary Club, and the University of Georgia.
Most recently Barron has been awarded Heart of the Community award of honor from the Redmond Regional Medical Center. He has also been honored as the Rome Young Man of the Year, a Will Watt and Paul Harris Fellow by the Rome Rotary Club, a J.W. Fannin Fellow by Leadership Georgia Board of Trustees and an honorary admiral of the Georgia Navy.
Before attending Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Va., Barron was noted in the 1948 Jabberwokk, Darlington’s yearbook, as being particularly social. In fact, his annual lists Barron as often seen, “racing a Packard.” He was involved in the social committee and was a football player. As part of a senior prophecy, his fellow classmates predicted that he might be playing in an orchestra later in life.
Barron, his wife, Ann Barron, and both their son and daughter, Rebekah Baron Montgomery ’78 and W. Frank Barron, III ’77, attended the service where the Darlington community expressed their gratitude for over 50 years of service to the School.
Fred Kennedy, who chaired Darlington’s Board of Trustees, died in December of a sudden heart attack Kennedy was president of Kennedy Broadcasting Inc., Augusta, an active member of the Darlington community, and a committed civic leader. He had previously served on Darlington’s Board of Visitors and the Campaign for Darlington committee, and served as the chair of the Presidential Search Committee in 1998 and 1999. His love for Darlington was unbounded.
He was a captain in the U.S. Army and a veteran of the Vietnam War, during which he received an Army Commendation Medal and Bronze Star. He founded and operated the Wildflower and Beautification Trust Fund, which was instrumental in planting wildflowers along major highways in the area. He founded the Wildflower Club of the CSRA and was president of the Conifer Place Property Owners Association.
For the past 12 years, Kennedy was a director of the Boys and Girls Club of Augusta and was its president in 1993. He was a director and president of the Georgia Area Council of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. He was a member of the advisory board of the Salvation Army, Augusta Chapter and a former vice chair of the Augusta-Richmond County Clean Community Commission. Kennedy was also director of the National Cable Television Association, director and president of the South Carolina Cable Television Association and director and president of the Southern Cable Television Association.
The awards bestowed on Kennedy are plentiful. He was a recipient of the Silver Achievement Award from the Girls and Boys Clubs of America, and was recognized as the Boys and Girls Club Director of the Year for the state of Georgia in 1994 and 1998. The Garden Club of Georgia presented a state merit award to Kennedy in 1993 in recognition of his highway beautification efforts.
After graduating from Darlington, Kennedy attended Princeton University and Harvard Law School. Kennedy’s classmate, Horace Stewart ’60 shared his opinion of Kennedy in a letter to Darlington President David Hicks after Kennedy’s death, “I experienced Fred’s creative approach toward engendering good will toward Darlington, his compassion for people and his generosity.” His wife, Jacque Kennedy, and their two sons, Frederick Matthew Kennedy and Andrew Albert Kennedy, accepted the award.
