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Fran Lane Retires As Director Of The UGA Visitors Center

by Jennifer Holmquist
12/01/2007

After over 25 years of work for the University of Georgia, Fran Lane has decided to retire as director of the UGA Visitors Center.

Lane was born and raised in Athens, Ga., and has been part of the “Bulldawg Nation” for her entire life. Lane has very fond memories from her childhood in Athens and said that when she was growing up, “the University was just part of your life.”

She learned to swim at the Stegeman pool, which at the time was located where the new Tate 2 project will stand. She also remembers eating Sunday dinners with her family at Snelling Dining Hall.

Lane’s high school graduation was also held at Stegeman Coliseum.

Following in the steps of her family, she enrolled at the University and received a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in counseling and student personnel.

Soon after graduating in 1969, Lane served as the director of orientation in the UGA Admissions Office, and after holding that position for several years, she began work in the President’s Office coordinating the inauguration of University President Dr. Charles Knapp.

Years later, Lane transferred to the Development Office and had the opportunity to work on the development of the UGA Visitors Center.

Concrete plans began to develop for the visitors center in 1994, and Lane was promoted to director the following year.

“Planning then moved quickly as our goal was to be in the Visitors Center before the 1996 Olympics,” she said.

Lane watched the site transform from an old dairy barn and poultry center for the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences into a wonderful site for campus visitors.

In the fall of 1995, Lane hired 10 students and began training them to staff an information desk and lead campus tours.

“We have continued to grow in numbers, staff, and services ever since,” Lane said.

Over the years, she said, she has talked with many interesting individuals either by phone or in person through her work with the Visitors Center.

She said she has spoken with a lady who called to say that her family was seeing faces in their chest of drawers and needed to speak to an expert in paranormal activity. Once, someone wanted to know how to cook a Thanksgiving turkey.

Lane said she has truly enjoyed watching the University change over the years.

“Athens has probably tripled in population since I was in elementary school and has become more cosmopolitan and diverse,” she said.

“I cannot imagine the Visitors Center without Mrs. Fran,” said Natalie Harris, assistant director of the Visitors Center. “She has been a wonderful boss and friend.”

In retirement, Lane said, she hopes to travel, write, speak and continue her work on the “Goin’ Back: Remember UGA” oral history project.

Although she retired at the end of October, Lane will return to the University part-time in December to continue working with the Visitors Center, but she said she will miss the people the most when she leaves for good.

Lindsay Lamphere, a Visitors Center student staff member, summed up how those who have worked with Lane over the years feel about her leaving.

“This is going to be a good time for her to do some things that she’s wanted to do in retirement, but we are so sad to see her go,” she said.

Photo by Paul Efland

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