PRESS RELEASE
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Sen. Blake Tillery Honors Dr. Esco Hall, Jr. in Senate Resolution
ATLANTA (January 22, 2020) | Sen. Blake Tillery (R – Vidalia) recently introduced Senate Resolution 549, which was read and adopted by the Senate Chamber on Thursday, January 16, 2020. SR 549 was enacted to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Esco Hall, Jr., as well as to recognize his active involvement in the state of Georgia.
“Dr. Hall was beloved in our community for his devotion to his work – both as a veterinarian and as a councilman. His memory goes on and his contributions to our community will outlive us all,” said Sen. Tillery.
“He was an unbelievable man that helped everyone he could through his passion for and devotion to the elderly and youth,” said Dr. Hall’s wife Ora Hall. “During his life, he was incredibly fond of politics and made a great impact on his community in the city of Baxley and throughout Appling County, Georgia, but he also loved visiting his hometown of Alamo where many memories were fostered. Most of all though, Esco will be remembered for his dedication to family. A grandfather to eight, he spent his life making sure they knew they were important – not just to him, but to the world.”
“I first met Dr. Hall when I was elected to the city council in 1997 and he was serving as Mayor Pro Tem,” said City of Baxley Mayor Tim Varnadore. “Throughout my years working with Dr. Hall, he was a man of incredible intelligence, with a gift of being able to speak to anyone and make them feel comfortable. He had a peaceful demeanor, the memory of an elephant and a special kind of down to earth reasoning. Whenever we spoke, I always left with an answer – doesn’t matter if it was in my office or in the passenger seat of his funeral home’s hearse. Dr. Hall had a lot of firsts in his life – he wasn’t someone to back down from a challenge. He was a community leader respected by all and it is tragic he is no longer with us. I dearly miss him.”
Dr. Esco Hall, Jr. was the first African American to graduate from the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1973, serving as a fundamental part of the college’s integration. He was also a heavy participant in the state’s local political scene through his role as both city councilperson and Mayor Pro Tem for the city of Baxley.
You can read the full text of SR 549 at this link: http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20192020/188020.pdf.
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Sen. Blake Tillery serves as a Governor’s Administration Floor Leader. He represents the 19th Senate District, which includes Appling, Jeff Davis, Long, Montgomery, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne, and Wheeler counties and a portion of Liberty and Tattnall counties. He can be reached by email at blake.tillery@senate.ga.gov.
