Historic hotel commemorates 50th anniversary with $100,000 endowment for hospitality students
ATLANTA, 2017-May-04 — /Travel PR News/ — Hyatt Regency Atlanta and Georgia State University today announced the creation of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta Hospitality Scholarship, funded by a $100,000 endowment to provide opportunity to young leaders pursuing degrees in hospitality. As part of Hyatt Regency Atlanta’s 50th anniversary celebrations in May 2017, the annual scholarship has been established through a collaboration between the hotel and the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration in Georgia State’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business.
Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Hyatt Corporation and Hyatt Hotels Foundation are each contributing to the $100,000 endowment, which is designed to fund the scholarship in perpetuity. The School of Hospitality Administration will select recipients each year based on academic achievement and other criteria.
Halle Neeley, a Georgia State University senior from Atlanta, will be the scholarship’s inaugural recipient. Hyatt Regency Atlanta will honor Neeley at its 50th anniversary celebration on Tuesday, May 2.
With more than 50,000 students, Georgia State University is the largest university in the state. A national leader in graduating students from diverse backgrounds, Georgia State has raised its graduation rates by 22 percentage points over 10 years. Twenty-six percent of its student body are first-generation college students and 69 percent receive federal financial aid.
“We are honored to partner with Georgia State University to create this enduring gift for Halle and future young leaders in our community,” said Peter McMahon, General Manager of Hyatt Regency Atlanta. “Hyatt’s purpose is to care for people so they can be their best, which means caring for our colleagues, guests and communities. This gift is an extension of that commitment. An investment in our community’s future is the best way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hyatt Regency Atlanta.”
“Georgia State is enormously grateful for this generous gift from our friends and neighbors at Hyatt,” said Richard Phillips, dean of Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. “This scholarship will allow promising students to achieve their educational goals and help develop new leaders in our community and the hospitality industry for years to come.”
“I’m honored to be selected as the first recipient of this scholarship,” Neeley said. “The scholarship will help me complete my degree and start my career in hospitality. I’m so grateful to everyone at Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Hyatt and Georgia State University.”
Opened in 1967 and designed by renowned architect John C. Portman Jr., Hyatt Regency Atlanta is an architectural icon and one of America’s great hotels. The property has a rich history and was among the first hotels in Atlanta to open its doors to the civil rights movement, a tradition of inclusion and openness it still celebrates today.
To learn more about Hyatt Regency Atlanta and its 50th anniversary, please see our Facebook page or visit atlanta.regency.hyatt.com.
The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.
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About Hyatt Regency Atlanta
Celebrating 50 years in 2017, Hyatt Regency Atlanta has been Atlanta’s premier hotel since opening on Peachtree Street in 1967. The 22-story hotel is located in the heart of Atlanta, just blocks from the Georgia World Congress Center, Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola and Atlanta’s major attractions. Hyatt Regency Atlanta features 1,260 guestrooms and 180,000 square feet of ballroom, meeting and hospitality space. It was the world’s first contemporary atrium hotel, and today is a preferred destination for business and leisure travelers from around the world. For reservations or more information about Hyatt Regency Atlanta, please visit atlanta.regency.hyatt.com or call (404) 577-1234.
About Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 13 premier brands. As of December 31, 2016, the Company’s portfolio included 698 properties in 56 countries. The Company’s purpose to care for people so they can be their best informs its business decisions and growth strategy and is intended to create value for shareholders, build relationships with guests and attract the best colleagues in the industry. The Company’s subsidiaries develop, own, operate, manage, franchise, license or provide services to hotels, resorts, branded residences and vacation ownership properties, including under the Park Hyatt®, Miraval®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt®, Andaz®, Hyatt Centric®, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt™, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt House®, Hyatt Ziva™, Hyatt Zilara™ and Hyatt Residence Club® brand names and have locations on six continents. For more information, please visit hyatt.com.
CONTACT:
Jorian Weiter
Hyatt
312-780-3004
jorian.weiner@hyatt.com