Georgia Tech’s Lt. Tyler Brown Fitness Facility was dedicated on Nov. 8, honoring Tech alumnus and Army Officer Lt. Tyler Brown, MGT 2001, HTS 2001, bringing state-of-the-art equipment and renovated training space for the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), housed within the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at Georgia Tech. 

The new facility is named in honor of Lt. Tyler Brown, who was killed in combat in Ramadi, Iraq, in 2004. Brown served as Student Government Association president at Georgia Tech in 2001, earning dual degrees in management and history, technology, and society. Commissioned as an infantry officer, Brown completed Airborne and Army Ranger School before deploying to Korea. He was later deployed to Ramadi, Iraq. His unit came under small arms fire, and he was killed on Sept. 14, 2004. 

A generous donation from the B. and B. Stern Foundation supported the renovation and upgrade of the ROTC Facility, with plans to include an area dedicated to all Army ROTC alumni who visit the program, creating a space for Tech veterans to stay connected to the program and each other. Brown’s father, Carey Brown, stated, “The renovation and dedication of the facility is all about honoring Tyler by honoring others.” 

Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera joined representatives of Georgia Tech’s ROTC and other members of the campus community to dedicate the new fitness facility. “We are, as a community, vigorously committed to honoring the legacy of Yellow Jackets who have served and continue to serve our country,” Cabrera told the gathered crowd. “We’re committed to supporting our student veterans and ROTC cadets, midshipmen, and airmen. We’re committed to strengthening our relationships with the armed forces and growing our ROTC programs. And this new facility will help all of those commitments.” 

The new fitness facility aims to better prepare cadets to compete for professional assignments upon commissioning and to prepare them for the physical demands consistent with the Army. According to Commanding Officer and ROTC Professor of Military Science Lt. Col. Brad Morgan, such a facility is critical for cadets. “Physical preparation leads to mental, spiritual, and emotional maturity and capability,” he said. The new facility supports the ROTC mission of building a team to meet the demands of the 21st century by bringing advanced-level sports science training to the program.

For more information or to make a gift or commitment to ROTC at Georgia Tech, contact Lauren M. Kennedy, director of Development for the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, at lauren.kennedy@dev.gatech.edu, or Laura Gregory, associate director of Development for the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, at laura.gregory@iac.gatech.edu.