Georgia Tech Athletics Donor Profile: Tommy Towles

Like many of the kids growing up in Atlanta in the 1930's and 40's, Tommy Towles was enamored with Georgia Tech football, especially since legendary Coach Bobby Dodd had given Tommy's father a football to take home to him. His father attended night school at Georgia Tech and was an acquaintance of Dodd.

"I treasured that football for many years until it finally wore out," said Towles, "and that was really the start of my relationship with Georgia Tech, which has been a wonderful experience."

The Towles family moved to Florida a few years later, but Tommy returned to Atlanta in 1946 to enroll at Tech. He had heard the horror stories about the school's academic rigors, and he was unsure of what the future held. He vividly recalls hearing the famous "look to your left, look to your right speech" as a freshman.

Towles also faced the economic challenges of attending college, but fortunately, he was awarded a Naval ROTC scholarship to cover the cost of his education. "I'm quite indebted to the Navy," he stated.

Towles had emerged as a talented competitive swimmer in high school, so he was naturally drawn to Tech's swim team. Coach Fred Lanoue, who pioneered Tech's famous "drownproofing" class, was at the helm, and his teams took on many of the region's powerhouse programs like Florida and North Carolina.

The squad, which practiced at the pool that occupied the building beyond the north end zone of Grant Field, enjoyed tremendous success during that era, capturing three consecutive SEC championships (1948-50). Towles was one of the team's bright stars as the two-time SEC champ in the 200 meter breaststroke.

"I look back on it, and all of us were hard workers," recalled Towles, who was inducted into the Tech Hall of Fame in 1968. "There wasn't a lot of fooling around. You had to work hard to produce. At the same time, we were very fortunate, winning the SEC three years in a row. We had some great coaches, and it was a very well organized program."

In the classroom, Towles found the curriculum as difficult as advertised. "I certainly cursed the school until the day I graduated," he said. But Towles obviously enjoyed his time outside of class as his involvement in the Greek system led to an introduction to his future wife Elizabeth, who was the sister of a fraternity brother.

After graduating with an architecture degree in 1950, Towles served in the Navy for three years, which included a tour of duty during the Korean War. Once he left the service and returned to Atlanta, he embarked on a remarkable career in construction and real estate development.

His success in business has allowed him to give back to the school, specifically the swimming program, which had struggled to become a major sport in the past. In 1998, Seth Baron was hired to revive Tech's swimming tradition, and the program has already garnered plenty of accolades.

"I expect that Tech will have one of the finest swimming teams in the country in the near future," predicted Towles. "The program has made tremendous strides in just a short amount of time."

"Tommy has always been very generous with his support, both moral and financial," said Baron, who oversees both the men's and women's teams. "He is a tremendous person, and he's always expressed an interest in our the well-being of our athletes and coaches. Tommy is very enthusiastic about the future of our program, and we appreciate his support and friendship."

To help support the squad, Towles has endowed scholarships that are awarded annually to members of the team. He is also a Platinum Life member of the Alexander-Tharpe Fund.

"I've always done my best to support the Athletic Association and specifically the swimming program," he said. "Athletics is an important part of college life. It was very important to me, and I always encourage all graduates to lend their support."