George Edwards, Greg Garcia Given Honorary Doctorates at Commencement

George Edwards, Greg Garcia Given Honorary Doctorates at Commencement

May 24, 2024 8:00 AM

Frostburg State University presented Mr. George C. Edwards '74, former Maryland senator, and Mr. Gregory T. Garcia '92, television writer, director and producer, with Honorary Doctorates at the 164^th commencement ceremony held on Thursday, May 23.

Edwards received an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree. He was born in Garrett County, Md., where he attended Northern High School. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Fairmont State College, cum laude in 1970, and his teaching certificate from Frostburg State College in 1974.

After college, where he was an NAIA Football All-American fullback, Edwards was drafted by the Baltimore Colts. He also served in the Maryland National Guard from 1970-1976. Edwards was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1982 where he served for 24 years and was the Minority Leader from 2003-2007. He was elected as the State Senator for Maryland District 1 in 2006, which covers Garrett and Allegany Counties and parts of Washington County, where he served for 16 years. He was a member of multiple legislative committees and sponsored several bills during his tenure as a senator. He chose not to seek reelection in 2021.

Edwards resides in Garrett County, Md., with his wife, Linda. They have two adult children and eight grandchildren.

Garcia received an Honorary Doctor of Arts degree. A native of Arlington, Va., he graduated from Frostburg State University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech communications. While at FSU, he was the president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, wrote a comedic advice column for The Bottom Line and hosted numerous radio shows on WFWM. During his senior year, Garcia participated in the Warner Bros. outreach program Writing for Television course and based on the script he wrote in that class; he was selected to go to Los Angeles for an internship working with the sitcom writers of Room for Two.

After returning to the Washington, D.C. area and working for The Tony Kornheiser Radio Show, Garcia relocated back to L.A. to pursue his dreams of being a television writer. Over the last 30 years, he has created, produced or directed the sitcoms Yes, Dear, Raising Hope, My Name Is Earl, The Guest Book and Sprung. In 2006, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for My Name Is Earl.

Garcia remembers his time at FSU fondly, often referencing the University in his shows. Although meeting lifelong friends and taking a TV writing class that ultimately lead to his future in television were highlights of his time at FSU, Garcia says that meeting his future wife, Kim (Ludke) Garcia '93 was, without a doubt, the best thing that happened to him at Frostburg. He and Kim have three sons, Camden, Nathan and Trace and still reside in Los Angeles.

To watch a recording of the live stream of commencement, visit the Commencement web site at http://www.frostburg.edu/commencement.