Hall Of Fame
George Y. and Sue Birdsong
and The Birdsong Foundation
George and Sue Birdsong and the Birdsong families have been special friends to the University dating back to its inception in 1961. A photograph from a Wesleyan groundbreaking in Bray Village between 1961 and 1966 features Harvard Birdsong, George’s uncle, along with a young George and his bride Sue attending. Sue’s father, the mayor of Suffolk at the time, Major Benton, is also in the picture. At our inaugural Founders Day in 2016, George honored us by delivering the keynote speech. In his speech, he spoke about the history of Virginia Wesleyan and how this old cornfield, previously called Smith Farm, went from growing corn to growing fine graduates like the ones we are honoring today. The Birdsongs have supported many notable projects across multiple areas of the University, academics, student life, community service, and intercollegiate athletics. Every student, graduate, and member of our community has been affected by the Birdsongs expressions of devotion to the institution. Birdsong Field, which was dedicated in 2015, is a capstone facility for intercollegiate sports, housing men’s and women’s lacrosse, and field hockey. Many midnights under the lights, one can drive by and see students playing a game of flag football. The competitive playing ground for our teams also provides the University an impressive, grand feel as you enter campus. Its iconic structure sets the tone for the Athletics complexes throughout the University, and we could not be more proud.
