The Sessions: Nurturing the Seed to Better Rural Health

Martha Sessions and her late husband Dr. George Sessions (MCG, ’55) were among the first individual donors who recognized the value of the groundbreaking MCG 3+ program and supported it with their philanthropy.

“Looking at the bigger picture, we felt the program would help the whole medical system and prevent patients from winding up in dire health situations,” Martha Sessions said.

In 2020, they pledged an estate gift to establish the Dr. George and Martha Sessions MCG 3+ Program and Rural Health Initiative. Each year since, they have made outright contributions to their named expendable fund, allowing them to see the immediate benefit of their gifts to Medical College of Georgia students.

Dr. Sessions, a highly respected anesthesiologist who practiced for decades in the Atlanta area prior to his passing in March 2023, had humble roots. When he was just 10 years old, his father died. To survive, he and his mother had to be resourceful, sharing a paper route that earned them one penny for each copy of The Albany Herald they distributed. George would start working at a local department store in his hometown of Dawson, Georgia, as soon as he was old enough.

George’s Aunt Maggie explained to him when he was a young man that their family members generally followed one of three career paths: preacher, teacher, or doctor. George was unconvinced. He knew he did not want to be a preacher because he would have to come up with a sermon each Sunday, and the other two options were not immediately appealing to him.

Then one day while at lunch, he ran into an old friend who told him about the Medical College of Georgia and how much he was enjoying his studies there. This friend encouraged George to apply, which he did, and his path was set. Turns out Aunt Maggie was onto something.

George Sessions enrolled and graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in 1955. It was while he was completing his residency in anesthesiology in New Orleans that he met and married the love of his life, Martha. At the time of his death, they were three months shy of their 63rd anniversary.

Martha gushes when she remembers her late husband.

“He was a true Renaissance man who played the piano, loved literature, history and genealogy, and he engaged others in his intellectual pursuits. George had an intelligence that found expression outside of his profession. He mentored others and was a true leader,” Martha said. “He also loved gardening and landscaping.”

“George was smart and kind and never took advantage of anybody,” said Martha. “As a result, he had very little turnover in the various departments of anesthesiology that he established and oversaw. For example, one employee started working for him the day after she graduated from high school and stayed for 40 years,” Martha recalled.

George never forgot his simple roots and was intrigued when he learned of his alma mater’s newly launched MCG 3+ program.

“George thought it was worthwhile and would benefit poor people and their families, particularly the ones with chronic conditions,” Martha said.

Martha continues her husband’s legacy by helping support MCG students who commit to serve rural Georgia. She invests in the MCG 3+ program annually by directing her required minimum distribution dollars to the Sessions’ endowment fund.

A required minimum distribution, or RMD, is the minimum amount that IRA or retirement plan account owners generally must withdraw annually, starting the year they reach age 72. If an RMD is directed to a charitable organization, it is not subject to taxes, so it benefits the donor as well as MCG students.

Martha is hopeful that others will see the wisdom in this investment and follow suit.

“The rural people of Georgia deserve to have accessible medical care,” she said.

Make an Impact Today, and After Your Lifetime

If you are interested in making a transformational impact on AU students, contact Mary L. McCormack today at 706-721-5027 or mmccormack1@augusta.edu. She will be happy to discuss your personal situation and help you see how much good you can do.