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Georgia C. Kyser: A Carolina gem
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| Georgia Kyser |
For most Carolina undergraduates, running into their children on campus as they made their way to class would have been, to say the least, out of the ordinary. For Georgia Carroll Kyser, who graduated with the Class of 1970 at age 51, it was all in a day. “As a ‘mature’ undergraduate, I felt I could better contribute to the discussions we had in class, and I brought completely different life experiences to the table than my younger counterparts,” she observed.
Indeed.
By the time she earned her bachelor’s degree in art history, Kyser had been a well-known and sought-after model, singer and actress. She had reared a family. When she and her late husband, big-band leader James Kern “Kay” Kyser, retired to Chapel Hill, they had traveled the country and the world playing USO shows for American troops. Yet, this small-town Texas schoolgirl-at-heart felt “ill-equipped” to take part in the lively discussions she was often party to. She wanted to be “learned” like those around her. She relished the opportunity then and strongly encourages it now. “Often when you’re older, as I was, you appreciate the opportunity much more,” she mused. “I audited classes for several years before deciding to pursue my degree. I was so inspired by my professors—each one opened a new door and invited me to walk through. I did.”
That’s just the reaction she hopes every student has when following in her Tar Heel footsteps, and she supports that experience with both time and treasure. She has served as a University trustee, National Development Council member and a Center for Dramatic Arts Committee member. Kyser also makes gifts to the Annual Fund at the Chancellors’ Club level because she says it allows her to support many areas immediately and has served as the starting point for all her giving. The Kyser family and the Kyser Family Foundation have a long-standing and generous tradition of supporting the University that has had a tremendous impact on the depth and breadth of opportunities available on campus. In addition to annual fund support, the Kyser family established the James K. and Georgia C. Kyser Fellowship in History, the Carroll A. Kyser Guest Lectureship Fund and the Kay Kyser Undergraduate Jazz Scholarship. The couple’s love of the arts also prompted Georgia Kyser to generously support many initiatives, including The Carolina Performing Arts Society Endowment Fund, PlayMakers Repertory Company and the Ackland Art Museum. “It gives me great pleasure to see UNC succeed and to know that I may have helped in some small way,” she said.
Modest and regal, Kyser has often been touted as an icon for the changing roles of women in society. At 87, she continues to be involved in the community and the University. As an interior decorator, artist, preservationist and patron of the arts, she still helps the Chapel Hill Preservation Society, which she helped found, with events and dedications. She can often be found as well in the magnificently renovated Memorial Hall enjoying one of its many extraordinary performances. “It’s one of my favorite places, especially since we named a seat for Kay there,” she said. “He would be right at home.”
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