Hall of Fame
ABAC alumni still talk about the coaching exploits of Coach Bruce Gressette but many also rave about his ability as a mathematics faculty member on the campus. Whether it was coaching a basketball team or standing in front of a math class, Gressette excelled in both venues. Gressette coached basketball, baseball, and track and field at ABAC from 1945-63. His teams won Georgia junior college basketball titles in 1946, 1947, and 1949. The 1949 and 1952 teams won National Junior College Athletic Association Region championships. Gressette’s track and field teams won state championships in 1961 and 1962. His cross country team won the state title in 1961. During his time on the ABAC campus, he also served as athletics director from 1945-63 and was an NJCAA vice president in 1948-49. A former president of the Tifton Kiwanis Club, Gressette was also selected as a Lieutenant Governor for the Georgia District of Kiwanis International. He was also a Sunday School teacher at Tifton’s First Baptist Church. Gressette received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of South Carolina. Gressette Gym on the ABAC campus is ABAC campus is named for him.
