DAHLONEGA, Ga. — Seventy-seven years after first enrolling in college, Anne Purcell is finally receiving her degree.
The University of North Georgia will award an honorary bachelor’s degree to the 93-year-old Clarkesville resident in May, recognizing a lifetime of leadership, service and sacrifice.
UNG President Michael Shannon announced the honor April 17 during the university’s annual Gathering of Generals. The event took place on the Dahlonega campus, where Purcell met her late husband, Ben Purcell, in 1950.
Purcell will receive an honorary Bachelor of Business Administration during the Mike Cottrell College of Business commencement ceremony on May 14. The degree was approved unanimously in January by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents.
“Today, we honor Anne Purcell not simply for what she endured, but for how she lived,” Shannon said. “She lived with strength, grace and unwavering commitment to her family, her faith, her husband and her country.”
Love and duty
Purcell began her studies at North Georgia College in 1949 but left before completing her degree to marry into military life.
Over the next three decades, the Purcells faced repeated separations, first during the Korean War and later during Ben Purcell’s five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Not knowing if she was a wife or a widow, Anne raised their five children on her own.
“There were, in truth, two battlefields,” Shannon said. “One a prison camp in Vietnam. The other was at home.”
Purcell became a founding member of the Columbus, Georgia, chapter of the National League of Families, advocating for the humane treatment and the release of American prisoners of war. She organized awareness campaigns and worked to keep their stories in the public eye.
In 1969, she traveled with other military spouses to the Paris peace talks to confront Vietnamese representatives about the mistreatment of POWs. She balanced that advocacy with raising her children, teaching preschool and volunteering in ministry at Southside Baptist Church in Columbus.
After his release in 1973, Col. Purcell returned home and resumed his military career. Seven years later, it came full circle in Dahlonega, where he served as commandant of cadets and professor of military science at North Georgia College, now UNG.
University leaders said Anne Purcell’s role at home made that service possible.
After retirement, the couple operated a Christmas tree farm in Habersham County, and Anne returned to the classroom as a paraprofessional at Clarkesville Elementary School. A dedicated church and community member, she devoted countless hours to serving others through missions and local charities, including Sharing and Caring, Habitat for Humanity, and Meals on Wheels.
In 1993, the Purcells co-authored Love & Duty, a book about their Vietnam experience. That same year, Ben was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives and Anne embraced the role of a legislator’s wife. Upon his exit from politics, the Purcells spent their remaining years traveling the world, sharing their story of resilience and faith with civilian and military audiences.
The honorary degree recognizes those contributions.
Newest graduate
At Shannon’s request, a faculty committee representing all UNG campuses reviewed Purcell’s academic record and lifetime achievements. The review was led by Rachel Clapp-Smith and received unanimous support.
“As an author, advocate, coordinator, leader, volunteer and family business owner, Mrs. Purcell has demonstrated the very skills associated with a business degree,” Shannon said, citing her work in leadership, financial stewardship and organizational management.
He said the recognition reflects the university’s mission to develop leaders of character.
“You remind us that leadership is not confined to position, that courage is not always seen, and that the most powerful force in the world is not authority, but love sustained by duty,” Shannon said.
Members of the Purcell family attended the announcement, including her oldest son, David Purcell, a United States Military Academy graduate and former U.S. Army officer. Also present were her daughters: Debbie Purcell, a retired social worker; Sherri Purcell, a retired Fieldale employee; and Joy Purcell, owner and publisher of Now Georgia.
Shannon said the university will formally confer the degree during commencement, inviting Purcell back to campus for the ceremony.
“It is my privilege to now recommend to you and to offer to you the newest graduate of the University of North Georgia,” he said.
