this is a bit off topic, but was it ever discussed that the University of Georgia nearly lost the right to call itself the University of Georgia while Merideth was running the University of Georgia System?

Merideth backed an ill-planned idea by UGA President Michael Adams to seperate the university from the the UGA Foundation, who was trying to force Adams out of his job because he had force Vince Dooley into retirement.

The board was right to support the president against the angry athletic supporters, but not mch thought was put into how to handle things.

Well guess who had let their trademark on the UGA lapse about seven years earlier (and didn't know it), and guess who had applied for the trademark a few months earlier in 2004...

And the University and the University of Georgia System were caught off guard when this was unveiled AFTER the university announced it's intention to seperate from the UGA foundation.

I tried to find the full article from the AJC on it, but I can't a free copy of the full article. If you're at USM though, just go to the library and look for pg A1 of the May 28, 2004 edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on microfilm.

Sounds like a classic case of the tail wagging the Elephant.