THE TARBUTTON FAMILY HAS BEENA PRESENCE at Emory since Ben J. Tarbutton ’05C left his hometown of Sandersville, Georgia, to study at Emory College in Oxford. Tarbutton returned to Sandersville, a small town in east-central Georgia, and joined his father’s mercantile business. In 1916, he acquired the Sandersville Railroad. In 1951, he became president and director of the Central Georgia Railway. He also served as a member of both the State Senate and House of Representatives as well as mayor of Sandersville.

Ben married Rosa McMaster and had two sons, Ben J. Jr. ’49Ox-’51C and Hugh M. ’52Ox-’55B, both of whom followed in their father’s footsteps by attending Emory and building careers in the railroad industry.

At Emory, Ben Jr. was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and majored in economics. After serving in the Navy, he married Nancy Rankin Tarbutton ’57C, an English major from Atlanta whose brother is Vance O. Rankin III ’66L and uncles are James K. Rankin ’27C-’30L and William K. Rankin ’29B. Ben Jr. and Nancy, too, raised their family in Sandersville. A member of Emory’s Board of Trustees since 1976, Ben Jr. has also been president of the Sandersville Railroad. Ben Jr. and Nancy were 1997 Emory Medalists. To honor his father, Ben Jr. and his family made a gift to the University to rename the Social Sciences Building as Tarbutton Hall. Ben and Nancy have three children. Anne Tarbutton Mori ’95MBA, who owns a public relations business in Atlanta, married John S. Mori ’94MBA, president of Mori Luggage and Gifts. (John’s parents were Betty Nunn Mori ’58C and Jean A. Mori ’63MBA, and he is nephew to former Senator Sam A. Nunn Jr. ’61L-’62L-’81H.) Rosa Tarbutton Sumter ’89C, a history and art history double major, is an account manager with Norfolk Southern Railway. Ben J. III, a graduate of Georgia Tech, is assistant vice president of Sandersville Railroad.

Hugh, president of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity chapter while at Emory, earned a degree in business before returning to Sandersville to build his career in transportation. Currently president of Sandersville Railroad, Hugh is married to L. Eugenia “Gena” Kernaghan. This summer, a gift from Hugh and Gena enabled Oxford College to meet its fundraising goal for new and expanded arts facilities. The addition to Few Hall and the theater within will be named in their honor. In 1997, Hugh received the business school’s Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. He has been a member of the Oxford College Board of Counselors since 1983. Hugh and Gena have four children, Hugh Jr. ’84Ox, vice president of sales and marketing at the Robinson Humphrey Company; Charles K. ’88B, assistant vice president of Sandersville Railroad; Benjamin R. ’91C, an attorney with Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan in Atlanta; and Loulie E., an M.B.A. student at Georgia State University.

Tell us about your family’s Emory Legacy. E-mail us at abeierl@publications.emory.edu, or write to Emory Magazine, 1655 N. Decatur Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30322.