The Fanning Institute

As a land-grant, sea-grant institution, the University of Georgia has a mission and legacy of ensuring broad access to quality education, applying research to inform public issues and concerns, and providing service and outreach that draws upon university expertise for the betterment of communities and society. The scope of the University’s outreach efforts is varied, with overall responsibility for oversight and coordination located in the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach. The Fanning Institute is one of seven units reporting to the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach.
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Dr. J.W. Fanning

The Fanning Institute is a living legacy to the spirit, vision, and faith in humanity that characterized the life of Dr. J.W. Fanning, the first Vice President for Services of the University of Georgia. Born in 1905, Fanning grew up on land his family farmed in Wilkes and Taliaferro Counties. The love of the land—and of farmers—stayed with Fanning all of his life, even as his career took him far from the chores of plowing and working with livestock. Armed with a master’s in agricultural economics from the University of Georgia, Fanning became an assistant county agent in Clarke County, where he began his work fostering leadership and development in rural communities. He continued his work in the Agricultural Extension Service, ultimately serving in Macon, Perry, and Tifton.
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