The iconic red Georgia football helmet with its distinctive oval ‘G’ has become one of college football’s most recognizable symbols. It has graced the field for more than six decades. That timeless design was the creative vision of a UGA loyalist whose artistry transformed a simple helmet into a college football institution. Now, fans across the nation are sending prayers after learning of her tragic passing.

Anne Cappelmann Donaldson passed away after an extended illness at St. Simons Island, Georgia. Donaldson was 92 and spent much of her life in Georgia and at UGA as a proud alumnus of the program. She earned three degrees from UGA, which included a master’s in education, an education specialist degree, and a bachelor’s degree in commercial art.

“RIP to the Mother of the modern Georgia football look,” wrote one user and sent his prayers to her family. Donaldson was the wife of former UGA RBs coach John Donaldson, who served under former UGA head coach Vince Dooley from 1963. Dooley was reportedly looking for a ‘new age’ Georgia logo, something that radiated new age progress and growth. He tasked John with designing a new Georgia Bulldogs logo.

As it happened, John’s wife, Anne, had a BFA degree, and John tasked her with redesigning the logo. Initially, the logo resembled the Green Bay Packers’ ‘G’ logo, and to separate it from the Packers’ logo, an oval shape was given by Anne. It was simple, aesthetic, and symbolized UGA’s forward-looking sporting dominance.

“What Georgia did was they got permission from the Packers to use that oval G,” said Dawg Post’s Dean Legge. “As time has moved on, though, the Packers have come closer to what Georgia created. So if the two things look nearly the same, there’s a reason why. But it’s pretty clear that the two logos are different because of the colors,” Legge added.

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A native of Columbia, North Carolina, Anne moved to Georgia and graduated from Jesup High School in 1951, embracing Georgia’s culture forever. A person commented, “Small world. She taught me in Jesup. Late 80s. Sweet lady.” That was the extent of Donaldson’s impact on the lives she touched. Decades-old students still reminisce about her as “sweet lady.”

She spent almost thirty years as a teacher in Jesup and Athens. Moreover, Donaldson also taught arts at the University of Georgia. The connections alone helped Anne become familiar with the culture and gave Georgia the most iconic logo ever.

“Well, she was a damn good dawg,” another fan wrote. Now that she has passed away, her contributions will reverberate for generations to come, and every time that iconic ‘G’ helmet makes history.

Anne’s contribution to Georgia has become a permanent seal in her legacy

Georgia, in its rich history, has seen a plethora of helmets being worn, starting from the silver helmets. The move from black to silver helmets happened in 1941 due to the forward pass era, and UGA wore them till 1955. Thereafter, beginning in 1956, a red stripe featured on UGA’s helmets, running down the middle till 1958. The logo era finally came in 1962, but at the time, it featured in just three games.

Thereafter, when head coach Vince Dooley took over as head coach in 1964, the big change happened after taking blessings from the Green Bay Packers. Ever since then, the ‘G’ has remained constant even if other aspects of UGA’s kit have undergone changes. “Georgia has changed their tops,” Legge said. “Occasionally, they’ve changed their bottoms, their britches, their pants, but almost never have they changed the Georgia G helmet.”

Anne Donaldson’s contributions went beyond just designing the logo, as she became a prominent name in the Jesup community. In later years, she served as a youth advisor to the Episcopal Church and also worked in the women’s auxiliary. Anne is now survived by her sister, Sara Cappelmann, and she has many relatives in South and North Carolina.