Each year, the Office of Leadership Programs awards the W. J. Usery, Jr. Fellowship to a Georgia College student. The fellowship is named for W. J. Usery, Jr., 15th United States Secretary of Labor. A distinguished negotiator with an international reputation for overcoming impasses and creating mutual benefit, Usery mediated some of the most difficult disputes of the twentieth century. Seen as a formidable but fair negotiator, Usery commanded broad respect in Washington and across the private sector. He received five presidential appointments to national service, from both Republican and Democratic administrations.