Callaway Foundation, Inc. is a place-based foundation that supports quality of life in Troup County, Georgia. The initial wealth was generated in the early 1900s, as Fuller Callaway Sr. was an entrepreneur who created banks, insurance companies, real estate companies and a variety of charitable organizations. His core business was textile mills, and over a 20-year period, he helped to build and operate more than a dozen of them. He was known for developing vibrant communities out of the mill villages and for his philanthropic nature in LaGrange and the rest of Troup County through his support for schools, churches, hospitals and other charitable organizations.

Callaway Sr. passed away in 1928, but his legacy for both business acumen and philanthropy was carried out through his sons, Cason and Fuller Jr. Cason, the older son, led the textile mills for a number of years and eventually helped to found Callaway Gardens. Fuller Jr., the younger son, led the mills for decades and established what later became Callaway Foundation, Inc. in 1943. Fuller Jr. and his wife, Alice Hand Callaway, helped to steward Callaway Foundation, Inc. and Fuller E. Callaway Foundation for more than 50 years. Fuller E. Callaway Foundation primarily funds education through scholarships for undergraduates, graduate students and nursing students. In addition, FECF helps to support the historic Callaway home and gardens at Hills and Dales Estate in LaGrange.

Callaway Foundation, Inc., the larger of the two foundations, has contributed over $440 million during its 81-year history to religious, educational and charitable organizations. These organizations are mainly located in Troup County, but a few exceptions include institutions that serve Troup County residents, such as the University of Georgia.

The foundation’s philanthropic engagement with UGA began in 1978, and its impact can be seen all over campus. Callaway Foundation, Inc. helped UGA build the Performing & Visual Arts Complex on East Campus; it aided the enhancement of the Health Sciences Campus; it created endowed, need-based Georgia Commitment Scholarships; it helped the School of Law extend its law clinic services to rural and underserved parts of Georgia, and much more.

But the area that has benefited the most from Callaway Foundation, Inc. is the State Botanical Garden of Georgia. The Alice Hand Callaway Visitors Center & Conservatory, the Callaway Administration Building, and the entrance and elevator to the Garden Plaza are all named in honor of the enduring relationship between the garden and the foundation.

The University of Georgia is proud to have a partner like Callaway Foundation, Inc. that shares its love for the state of Georgia and its people and is committed to enriching both.