A new scholarship has been created in honor of Statesboro restaurant pioneer, Inman Hodges.
The Parker College of Business at Georgia Southern University announced the creation of the L. Inman Hodges, Sr. and Mary Sue Lovell Hodges Endowed Scholarship on Sept. 29.
“When I was a student at Georgia Southern, Inman Hodges not only gave me the job I needed but also provided me with hands-on education in how to run a business,” said Parker College dean, Allen Amason.
“So, it’s fitting and appropriate that Inman and Mary Sue will continue to support future students through the creation of this scholarship,” Amason added.
A native of Statesboro, Hodges began his company after purchasing a small restaurant across from the Georgia Southern campus. That restaurant later became the Paragon.
An early franchisee for Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Hodges traveled to Kentucky to personally meet with Col. Sanders.
Hodges and his wife, Mary Sue, eventually built a restaurant firm with more than 35 locations of national brands. These included KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Inn, and Dairy Queen.
The Hodgeses not only fed countless Georgia Southern students, they also provided jobs for many of them, including Amason, who worked at Pizza Inn on South Main Street as an undergraduate.
Appropriately, the scholarship will be directed toward students majoring in hospitality management.
To learn more about the Hodges Scholarship, contact Chris Osborne at [email protected]. For additional information about the Parker College of Business, click here.
