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This essay could easily be found in the sports pages in that Bill Griffin’s affiliation with golf has critically enhanced and advanced his business career.   Golf has been the perfect vehicle in his life to search for a deal, close one, or to cultivate and perpetuate professional relationships that have made him very successful.

He has added his own imprint which falls into the especial category.  He may be the world’s greatest gentleman.  His downhome qualities—he grew up in Rutledge, Georgia—have been treasured companions since he was graduated from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business in 1972.

His post-graduate addresses over the years have included Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Dallas.   He and his wife Lynn, an Athens native, ultimately landed in Pittsburgh where they raised their family.

Pittsburgh was still “steel town” when he arrived. He became a fan of the Steelers and the Pirates, but Georgia was always on his mind.  Whenever possible, he returned home to take his place in Sanford Stadium with a passion for the ‘Dogs that began when he sat in the student section with his Alpha Tau Omega fraternity brothers on Saturday afternoons.

As his career advanced, he embraced golf for recreation, health, and business enhancement and opportunity.   As a kid, he learned the game at the nine-hole Monroe Country Club.  He became an excellent golfer.  In college he played at the Athens Country Club, always giving this Donald Ross layout the highest praise as a golfing layout.  It remains one of his favorite golf courses.  He has played them all from Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, Winged Foot, Medinah, Torrey Pines, to all the Golf Digest top rated courses where the United State Golf Association has organized countless championship events.

When he settled in Pittsburgh, he was invited to join Oakmont, where the U. S. Open has been played more times than at any other U. S. course which is nine times with a tenth being added to the club’s resume in June.

If you are familiar with what usually takes place at those high-end clubs across the country, you find that members who become president only serve one term which is a year.  Bill Griffin was re-elected president six consecutive years at Oakmont.  That must be some sort of record.  I would venture that it is most likely to happen to a small-town boy with Southern manners and extraordinary leadership skills.

One of his redeeming qualities is that he is fiercely loyal to his old friends, especially those he grew up with in Morgan County.   He enjoys returning home to Rutledge and Madison and playing a round of golf with his buddies from high school or meeting up with them somewhere for dinner.

Fraternity brothers, friends from college, University of Georgia officials and alumni—if you are a friend of Bill Griffin’s, you are a friend for life.  When he was invited to join the Augusta National Golf Club, the first time he was permitted to take overnight guests, he invited three of his high school buddies as his guests.

They had become passionate Masters fans who slept in their car at the Piggly Wiggly shopping center across the street from the famous golf club, freshened up at a service station in the morning and hit the golf course to follow Arnold Palmer.

His story had the happiest results.  He is a member of several prestigious golf clubs and Arnold Palmer became a friend with whom he played several rounds of golf prior to Arnold’s death in 2016.

His top priorities in life are family, business, UGA, and golf.   With three kids and five grandchildren, Bill and Lynn can’t wait for the next family get-together.  He now is chairman of ServiceMac, the nation’s fastest-growing subservicing company providing mortgage serving support to lenders and investors nationwide.  He co-founded the company and recently helped its sale to First American Financial, a Fortune 500 services firm.

His business affiliation has him constantly traveling but he finds time to volunteer for UGA for which he holds the highest regard.  He has been a key fundraiser for his fraternity, the Terry College of Business, and provided key leadership in the effort to name the indoor football facility for Billy Payne, former Bulldog letterman and Chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club.

He has been closely involved with the fun raising efforts for Steve Stice, UGA scientist who is a leader in the development of neural exosome-based therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.  Bill is chairman of Aruna Bio, an Athens based biotech company which raises funds for Stice’s research.  Additionally, he co-chaired the fund-raising campaign to name the Honors College for UGA President Jerry Morehead. 

Paraphrasing John F. Kenndy’s remarks at his inaugural address, Bill Griffin’s mantra is:  Ask not what your university can do for you, ask what you can do for your university.