When J. Russell “Russ” Ivie Sr., IM 1958, attended Georgia Tech it was stress-free, financially. “My father owned a small business in Clayton, Georgia, and he was generous in supporting me in my desire for a college degree,” Ivie said. “I didn’t have to work while I was in school, and my college experience was a lot easier than others.”
Ivie worked in the banking industry throughout his career, the majority of which was spent in Northeast Georgia. “I started as an assistant bank examiner with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. That led to a 50-year career in banking,” he said. Ivie retired as chair of Century South Banks, a bank holding company that was sold to BB&T in 2002 and is now part of Truist.
“My degree helped me immensely throughout my career,” Ivie said. “When people know you graduated from Georgia Tech, you get a little extra respect.”
Russell, and his wife, Stella Curry Ivie, who graduated from Auburn University in 1964, believe they have been very fortunate. They have established a Tech Promise Scholarship to continue their commitment to students who might not be able to attend Georgia Tech because of financial hardship. The James Russell Ivie Sr. and Stella Curry Ivie Scholarship is open to students from Northeast Georgia who are eligible for the Tech Promise Scholarship and who are pursuing degrees in the Ernest Scheller Jr. College of Business.
This article was originally published in the 2021 spring issue of Georgia Tech's Philanthropy Quarterly Magazine.