Super Supporter Feature: A Donor Honoring George P. Burdell
This month we’re highlighting an anonymous donor who gave to Water for South Sudan in honor of George P. Burdell. This fictitious Georgia Tech alum first appeared in 1927 and is well known to Tech students today. According to Wikipedia, George P. Burdell has “received all undergraduate degrees offered by Georgia Tech, served in the military, gotten married, and served on Mad Magazine’s Board of Directors, and...at one point led the online poll for Time’s 2001 Person of the Year award.”
We sat down with this anonymous donor to learn more about why they were inspired to give to Water for South Sudan and more about George. To find more info about George, go to https://traditions.gatech.edu/gpb.html.
How would you describe yourself?
Human, standard issue. Sometimes introspective and reflective, with a few helpings of moody and "extra." Wants to ensure they spent their life somewhat effectively (without going overboard, cause I ain't nowhere near perfect). Tries to make good choices on the macro, as most of us weigh in at a "meh" performance level at least a few days of the week.
What might someone be surprised to learn about you?
I'm not even from Ohio, but no matter how bad the Cleveland Browns perform, they will always be my team. When I heard about their terrible recent historical record, I just knew they were my team. Infer what you will, lol.
How did you find out about Water for South Sudan?
I don't recall entirely. I think I was Googling well projects (as it seems like a far better investment in human life than many other ventures, nothing against the others). Then I recalled that South Sudan was formed after decades of civil war and decided that was my main group to look at.
What do you find compelling about our mission?
Water. For. Humans. You know, that tribe you're a part of. How can I not give up a little knowing that over a lifetime (with a modest, ultimately non-meaningful depreciation of my Western lifestyle), thousands of people will have cleaner water that meaningfully improves their lives. It's not everything, but it's a way bigger impact than I could typically achieve here. Even if my life was ultimately mediocre...well, me and my properly hydrated crew can live with that. ;)
Can you give a brief description of George P. Burdell?
Best guy that never existed. Our collective soul child. An inspiration across generations.
What would you say to Georgia Tech alumni about Water for South Sudan?
We are especially known for sciencing the heck out of stuff, because, yes! We invent, discover, and solve ceaselessly. Together, we swarm any challenge or curiosity. Period. We also tend to have a bit of side cash once school is [eventually] paid off, compared to a lot of other demographic groups in the world. So, given how we live in the spirit of just beating everything and teching away so many of our challenges, I wonder if we could be slightly innovative in how we manage, perhaps, a modest portion of our I-don't-need-this-to-not-starve cash? In addition to "I solved the internet, cured five cancers, and made cold fusion real in a 30-year career," let's also tack on "oh yeah, and gave clean water to a couple thousand people over a lifetime with a few minutes of effort a year," yeah?? Some of the problems you solve impact millions, but I'd be willing to bet that a lot of us, when we are thinking about our lives, would be most satisfied with giving a little bit of clean dihydrogen monoxide to our fellow humans. I have to think that someone in the crowd you help would have done the same for you.
Why do you think that George P. Burdell's fictitious legacy has lived on for so long?
Honestly, I think it is an instinctive collective response, endlessly supported by the desire to participate in a noble and humorous shared legacy. Many people went out of their way to make this non-existent person legendary, to be all things to all people. He's finished nearly every degree at Georgia Tech, served in wars, still signs in to corporate offices from time to time, and was once leading the Time Magazine "Person of the Year" polls (https://web.archive.org/web/20131029200637/http://gtalumni.org/buzzwords/jan02/article4.html). George P. Burdell is what our lives might be if we had enough time to learn almost everything and to know countless more people than we meet in our natural lives. George P. Burdell is, in essence, a living dream of all our lives we've yet to live.
What would you tell someone who is thinking about donating to us?
Donate. Or don't. But do this for me: Remember a time in your life when someone moved a mountain for you (be it financial, social, relational, educational, etc). A mountain that you had very little power to meaningfully move in that season. Remember how that felt. The security, hope, trust, dreaming, and flourishing it brought. Then envision what you could do in a similar fashion for another. Picture the people you'll never meet, who could easily have been your brothers and sisters or even you. Then. Just. Do.
