DOUG LAMBERT’S ENDURING CONNECTION
When Doug Lambert (’71) set foot on the Georgia Southern University Statesboro Campus in the late ’60s, he never imagined he would forge a connection that would last a lifetime. The business marketing major from Atlanta could have attended college close to home. Instead, he chose Georgia Southern and has remained a dedicated alumnus ever since.
“I think that a lot of alumni don’t stay connected enough, but I feel loyal, I feel grounded,” Lambert explained. “These are my people, and I enjoy being around them.”
When Lambert graduated, he was married and, like so many other Eagle Nation alumni, he decided to call Statesboro home. “I got a job running the hotel I worked at during college and, while the expected pay for a college graduate then was $150 a week, they paid me $100 a week and free housing,” he said. “I figured it was better and ended up working 27 years for that company.”
Since then, the entrepreneur has established his own company and managed and developed many hotels in Statesboro and Savannah. Amid his success in business, he has never stopped advocating for his alma mater through the people he hires and the events he supports.
“I’m True Blue,” said Lambert as he described his love for Georgia Southern sports. “My wife and I talk about this all the time. We’ve had some great trips just by going to different towns when the Eagles played in the Southern Conference or in playoff games. We’ve been to North Dakota, to the West Coast and to towns that we would never have gone to for any reason other than it was a Georgia Southern sporting event. We’ve had some good trips and a lot of fun.”
Lambert has fond memories of legendary football coach Erk Russell. The alumnus served on the national championship committee that brought the championship football game to Statesboro.
“The Eagles won it at home and that was just a great event,” said Lambert, who attended Russell’s last game. “And when Erk had a perfect season of 15 and zero, I was with him on the field for his 15th consecutive victory.”
Once named the Alumnus of the Year by the Parker College of Business, Lambert is impressed by the growth of his alma mater over the years.
“When I started, it was something of a sleepy little school,” he shared. “I think it had about 4,000 students back then, and that was the biggest it had ever been, and now there’s 15,000 in summer school! So, there’s really been a lot of changes at Georgia Southern and in Statesboro. It’s been a lot of fun to be along for the ride.”
Lambert says his deep commitment to the University is invaluable in both business and community. During the recent basketball season, Lambert was honored to receive a basketball at the first game in the new Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center, also known as “The Hill.”
“They gave it to me because I had attended the first basketball game at the old Hanner Fieldhouse over 50 years ago,” he recalled. “Hanner Fieldhouse was built when I was in school in the ’60s, around 1969. I remember attending the first basketball game there, thinking it was such a neat experience.”
His children have continued his longtime connection to the University. Four of his five children are Eagles. In reflecting on the positive impact Georgia Southern has had on his life, Lambert expressed his appreciation for the solid education he received, the successful career he built in the hospitality industry, and the great relationship he has with his alma mater.
“I can remember early in the days when I traveled on business, you almost never saw anybody that went to Georgia Southern,” he said. “And now, if you go to a lot of events in the state of Georgia, you’ll find a lot of people there that went to Georgia Southern. The network is growing.”
—Sandra Bennett