Andrew Hodges
Andrew Gerow Hodges (born June 14, 1918 in Hartford, Geneva County; died October 13, 2005 in Birmingham) was a field director for the American Red Cross during World War II, an executive vice president of the Liberty National Life Insurance Company, president of Operation New Birmingham and chairman of the Samford University Board of Trustees].
Hodges, the son of Jesse Thomas and Lee Ola Hayes Hodges of Geneva County, was a 1942 graduate of Howard College, and a member of the Bulldogs football team. A shoulder injury from his football career left him unfit for military service, so he volunteered with the Red Cross, serving alongside the 94th Infantry in Western Europe. He negotiated for the release of 149 Allied prisoners in German camps in Brittany in 1944 and was awarded the Bronze Star for his efforts.
Hodges began working at Liberty National in 1946. He was elected to Samford's Board of Trustees in 1962, and encouraged his fellow Liberty National executives Dwight and Ralph Beeson to support the school. He also actively supported Dawson Memorial Baptist Church.
The Beeson School of Divinity's Andrew Gerow Hodges Chapel was dedicated in his honor in 2002.
Hodges died in 2005 and is buried at Elmwood Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, Mary Louise, and two sons; Andrew, Jr and Gregory. along with six grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
Hodges was inducted into the Alabama Men's Hall of Fame in 2012.
References
- Nunnelly, WIliam (October 21, 2005) "Andrew Gerow Hodges, Longtime Samford Trustee and Former Board Chairman, Dies at 87." The Belltower
- Gray, Jeremy (September 13, 2012) "Birmingham business executives to be inducted into the Alabama Men's Hall of Fame." The Birmingham News
External links
- Andrew Gerow Hodges, Sr at Find-A-Grave