GMC News
Dedication Ceremony for Parnell Ruark Athletic Complex
Georgia Military College held a dedication ceremony for it’s new 25,000 square-foot Athletic Complex on Saturday, April 17th, 10:30 a.m. The building was named to honor one of Georgia Military College’s outstanding sons, Parnell Ruark.
Parnell Ruark came to Georgia Military College from Bostwick, GA in 1940 to attend the high school. After graduating from Georgia Military College High School in 1942, Parnell joined the United States Navy and served for three years during World War II. After his discharge in 1946, Ruark went through spring training with the New York Giants before deciding to enroll in college at GMC. While earning his associate’s degree at Georgia Military College, Ruark was an outstanding athlete in all sports. Ruark went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a masters degree from Georgia College.
Parnell Ruark served as the Athletic Director at Georgia Military College and coached several teams at both the junior college and high school. In addition to his many years of service to Georgia Military College, Parnell Ruark is widely known for two outstanding athletic achievements. In 1947, he became the first junior college football player east of the Mississippi River to be named as a first team All-American. Ruark was also an outstanding professional baseball player from 1949-54, earning a career batting average of .324, 125 homeruns, a .563 slugging percentage, and a league batting championship in 1953. The Parnell Ruark Athletic Complex houses a state-of-the-art weight room and rifle range (with 12 stations), a training room (with two whirlpools and two electrostem/ultrasound stations), twelve offices, two meeting rooms, two classrooms, men’s junior college locker room, women’s junior college locker room, boy’s high school locker room, girl’s high school locker room, visitor’s locker room, coach’s conference and video room, and a spacious reception area.
Photo 1: A large crowd attended the dedication.
Photo 2: Parnell Ruark stands beside the bronzed plaque outside the building.
Photo 3: Friends and Family of Parnell Ruark.
