Mulherin Named 2017 Hartman Award Winner
September 14, 2017 | Football, General
Dr. William B. “Butch” Mulherin, who served as one of the Georgia football program’s team doctors — and its first orthopedic surgeon — for 33 years, has been named the 2017 Bill Hartman Award recipient, one of the highest honors given to a former UGA student-athlete.
ATHENS --- Dr. William B. "Butch" Mulherin, who served as one of the Georgia football program's team doctors — and its first orthopedic surgeon — for 33 years, has been named the 2017 Bill Hartman Award recipient, one of the highest honors given to a former UGA student-athlete.
Mulherin will be recognized at the Bulldogs' game this Saturday against Samford.
Mulherin, a native of Augusta, graduated from Richmond Academy and first attended UGA in 1952. He lettered as both an offensive and defensive end for the Bulldogs from 1953-55. Upon graduation, he returned to Augusta and continued his studies at the Medical College of Georgia. Coming from a family of doctors, Mulherin earned his degree from MCG in 1961, with a specialty in orthopedics. He then spent one year in a general surgical residency in Augusta before moving to Atlanta to serve as the first full-time surgical resident at the Georgia Baptist Hospital.
Mulherin later served a surgical residency at the Scottish Rite Hospital in Atlanta. It was there he met Dr. Fred Allman, a fellow UGA alumnus and a pioneer in the field of sports medicine. Allman convinced Mulherin that their alma mater needed full-time attention from an orthopedist.
Mulherin moved to Athens in 1966, founded the Athens Orthopedic Clinic and joined the Bulldogs' medical staff on a regular basis. He became one of the first orthopedic surgeons to provide daily care to an SEC team, traveling to every road game and attending practices regularly. He joined Dr. Jack Hughston (Auburn) as early trailblazers in this regard.
Not only did Mulherin remain with the Bulldogs until 1999, he helped grow the Athens Orthopedic Clinic into one of the region's largest and best of its kind. He started the clinic with two exam rooms and a single nurse on staff. Today it occupies a space of over 16,000 square feet with a staff of over 20 doctors and nearly four times more support personnel.
Named for the late Bill Hartman, Georgia's long-time kicking coach and chairman of the Georgia Student Educational Fund, the Hartman Award is one of the greatest honors given to a former UGA student-athlete. The Hartman Award has been presented annually since 1992 and recognizes former Georgia student-athletes who have demonstrated excellence in their profession and/or in service to others by 20 or more years of superior performance after graduation. Only former varsity athletes who have received a baccalaureate degree from Georgia can be considered for the award.
Previous Hartman Award winners, in chronological order, include the following:
Fran Tarkenton (1992), former NFL quarterback
Billy Payne (1992), former Atlanta Olympic Committee CEO and Augusta National chairman
Carl Sanders (1993), governor of Georgia from 1963-67
Tom Cousins (1993), Atlanta real estate developer
Dan Magill (1994), legendary former UGA tennis coach
Billy Henderson (1995), legendary former high school football coach
Pierre Howard (1996), former lieutenant governor of Georgia from 1991-99
Jimmy Gabrielsen (1997), noted amateur golfer
Dr. Andy Roddenbery (1998), physician
Hilton Young Jr. (1999), Athens businessman
Dr. Becky Birchmore Campen (2000), Harvard University Department of Dermatology Chief of Staff
Dr. Thomas Lawhorne (2001), vascular surgeon
Dr. Thomas Lyons (2002), endoscopic laser surgeon
Dr. Robert E. Dicks III (2003), neurosurgeon and former team physician
William Young (2004), Atlanta businessman
Hon. Aaron Cohn (2005), longtime juvenile court judge
Keith McSwain (2006), housing developer
Mack H. Guest III (2007), Athens transportation executive
Dr. Kathy McMinn (2008), pulmonary and critical care specialist
Frank Ros (2009), Coca-Cola executive
Teresa Edwards (2010), college, professional and international basketball standout
Jack Bauerle (2011), Georgia swimming head coach
Roosevelt Gilliam III (2012), renowned cardiologist
David Boyd (2013), Former UGA golfer
Gordon Smith (2014), former UGA tennis player
Ernie Johnson, Jr. (2015), award-winning broadcaster
Jenny McDowell (2016), Emory University volleyball coach
