The main building at West Georgia Medical Center was financed in part by a grant from the Foundation.
As noted earlier, the gifts of the Foundation have ranged from a modest contribution of $25 for church improvements to a momentous gift of $10 million for a trust to support higher education. The lover of the arts, the individual worshiper, the student, the cancer victim, the heart patient, the child at play, and the proud citizen have all benefited from gifts made by the Foundation.

Large grants have gone to public libraries, disadvantaged groups with specific needs, and minority group projects. Foundation gifts have quite literally been involved in virtually all causes for good in the LaGrange area.

Over $30 million has been given to build medical facilities in the LaGrange community, including the West Georgia Health System, the Enoch Callaway Cancer Clinic, the Georgia Heart Clinic, the Florence Hand Home and the Medical Park.


Enoch Callaway Cancer Clinic was completely financed by a Foundation grant. The main building at West Georgia Medical Center, a six story tower, was financed in part by a grant of $3.4 million from the Foundation. The patient tower plays a major role in providing medical care for the citizens of this area. Over the years the Medical Center has been enlarged and improved by funding of specific projects by the Foundation.

Recently, a challenge grant of $2 million was made to West Georgia Health Foundation, Inc., a newly formed supporting organization for the Health System, towards the development of a new emergency care facility. The grant from this Foundation must be matched by $2 million in contributions from other sources.

Dr. Enoch Callaway, Jr., nephew of Fuller E. Callaway, Sr., started a clinic specializing in cancer patients in 1923 under the auspices of the Relief Association. From 1937 to 1949, it was in the basement of City-County Hospital. Fuller E. Callaway, Jr. led the way for the separate facility in 1949 named West Georgia Cancer Clinic. In 1971, it was renamed Enoch Callaway Cancer Clinic for its founder, who died in 1961. Connected to West Georgia Medical Center by an underground tunnel, the present Cancer Clinic, which opened in 1975, also serves as the hospital's ambulatory surgery facility. Subsequent renovations and updates of equipment have made the Foundation's total contribution over $7 million.

The Georgia Heart Clinic, which operates as the hospital's Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, in a facility provided in 1985 by another Callaway philanthropy, has received grants from this Foundation of $3 million.

Ground breaking ceremonies were held in 1979 for a 150 bed extended care facility at West Georgia Medical Center. The new facility was named "Florence Hand Home" in memory of the late Mrs. Florence Hollis Hand, mother of Mrs. Alice Hand Callaway.

The three floor complex, which provides skilled and intermediate nursing care for its patients, was financed in large part by a $2.5 million grant from the Foundation to West Georgia Medical Center. The cost of care in the facility is substantially less than the cost of acute hospital care. The concept of quality health care in such facilities, while reducing the cost to the patient, was part of a nationwide attempt to reduce hospital care costs.

Development that began in 1977 has continued over the years on the multi-million dollar medical park complex located adjacent to West Georgia Health System in LaGrange. Access roads and utility systems have been constructed and medical office buildings have been built and leased to health care providers.

All of the property in the original medical park was contributed by this Foundation to Medical Park Foundation, a nonprofit corporation that leases office facilities to medical professionals. A nearby location, with newly constructed office buildings, known as "Medical Park at Lee's Crossing," was recently acquired by the organization. Medical Park Foundation serves as a supporting organization for West Georgia Health System, Georgia Heart Clinic, and Enoch Callaway Cancer Clinic. All of the profits of the Medical Park Foundation are used for the benefit of the three medical organizations.


The Troup County Archives is located in the former offices of Fuller E. Callaway, Sr. Troup County Historical Society was able to open the Troup County Archives in 1983 with a gift of the building and $800,000 in renovation funds from the Foundation. The three story building was originally constructed by Fuller E. Callaway, Sr. in 1917 to house two banks and his offices. From 1937 to 1970 it was home to Citizens and Southern Bank (now Bank of America). Then, for over a decade, portions of the building were leased to different commercial tenants and, for a few years, by Goodwill Industries, Inc. In 1981 the property was purchased by the Foundation with a view towards its renovation and use as Troup County Archives. The Archives collects, preserves, and helps manage local government and genealogical records.

The City of LaGrange and its Board of Education have received over $22 million for a variety of educational projects, recreational projects, community improvements and civic betterment benefiting the public. Grants from the Foundation helped renovate Lafayette Square for the Bicentennial in 1976 and went towards rebuilding Callaway Airport Terminal in 1983. The City received joint ownership, along with Troup County, of Callaway Stadium in 1992, as a gift of the Foundation. Significant amounts have gone for projects connected with Downtown Revitalization. [more info]

Troup County and its Troup County Board of Education have received more than $13 million for school projects, special equipment, community improvements and recreational programs in LaGrange, Hogansville, West Point and the unincorporated areas of the County. The Troup County Recreation Endowment Fund was created with a $7 million gift from the Foundation. The purpose of such fund is to pay the cost of operating and maintaining recently developed recreational additions and improvements, whose construction, on behalf of the County, was so ably coordinated by The Troup County Parks and Recreation Department.

Other organizations such as Zoo Atlanta, Chattahoochee Council, Boy Scouts of America, the Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center and Children's at Scottish Rite, a part of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Inc. have all received significant contributions from the Foundation in recent years.

At the close of a meeting of the Newcomen Society in North America in October, 1978, an impressive affair honoring Fuller E. Callaway, Jr. and the Callaway Foundation, the touching response by Mr. Callaway to the speech about his life by Dr. Waights G. Henry, Jr. included these words: "People have asked me, from time to time, for the secret of our success. I think I can share it with you.

These very words say much about the man. They tell of his deep concern for others, his strong sense of fair play, and his abiding sense of self-modesty.

Like the late Bobby Dodd, his dear friend and the legendary football coach, Fuller Callaway, perhaps, worked hard enough to create some of his "good luck." . . . It is also true, as a famous philosopher once said, "Luck is the crossroads where opportunity and preparation meet."

It is interesting to point out that from its creation to the present time, no member of the Callaway family has ever received from Callaway Foundation, Inc., or its predecessors or subsidiaries, any financial benefit, directly or indirectly. Nor have they received any compensation, salary, dividend, interest, nor even reimbursement of expenses. Fuller E. Callaway, Jr. easily dismissed a question about this by saying that he worked those many years for the same rewards as does a longtime Scout leader or Sunday School teacher!

The overall benefits which have accrued to the public, and particularly to the citizens of Troup County and the State of Georgia, by virtue of the contributions made by the Foundation, are the inspiration of the Foundation for the present and the challenge of the Foundation for the future.

Fuller E. Callaway, Jr. died January 16, 1992. The tradition he carried on after his father's death continues today as the current Board of Trustees earnestly endeavors to follow its well-charted course.