UNG names Jeep in honor of first female grad

The University of North Georgia (UNG) Jeep has a name that reflects the daring nature of the university's students and all who have played a role in its history. It will be called "Willie Lewis" in honor of the first woman to enroll and graduate from what would become UNG. The name is also a nod to the original Willys military Jeep, tying UNG's past to its present.

"Willie doesn't follow tradition. She forges new paths — just like every cadet, student and trailblazer who calls this place home," UNG President Michael Shannon said. "Wherever Willie goes, she carries a legacy of service, progress and purpose."

UNG announced the Jeep's naming Sept. 17 during Fall Spirit Night when the women's and men's soccer teams faced Lander University.

Willie Lewis, which is a Jeep Gladiator, was donated by Tutton Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Jasper and initially unveiled at "Reveille" in August 2024 when Shannon laid out a bold vision for the future of UNG. At the event, he outlined moonshots aimed at elevating the way UNG serves the region, state and nation. The Jeep has since appeared regularly at major events on campus, including commencement ceremonies.

Shannon said the name of the Jeep "is where our past meets our purpose."

"She's named for UNG’s very first female student — a pioneer who showed that courage doesn’t ask permission. And she echoes another Willie — the Willys Jeep of World War II — beloved by Allied troops as a vehicle that could go anywhere and do anything," Shannon said. "Together, those names form one unstoppable force. One broke barriers in education. The other broke boundaries on battlefields."

Lewis enrolled at what was then North Georgia Agricultural College when it opened in 1873, and in 1878 she became the first woman to earn a bachelor's degree in the state of Georgia. She later became a teacher.

The Women of UNG created the Lewis Society in 2023 to recognize women of significance within the history of UNG, and multiple alumnae are inducted each year.