“Education is the great equalizer,” Georgie Angones declared. “I was a first-generation college student, and know how difficult it is to work and go to school at the same time.”
Through the decades, Georgie, who is assistant dean, law alumni and community relations at Miami Law, has regularly contributed to the University with her husband Frank, a distinguished trial lawyer. “My husband and I are Cuban-Americans who believe strongly in giving back to the U and paying it forward for future generations," she said.
In 2010, they established the Francisco R. and Georgina Angones Endowed Scholarship at the law school, which is awarded to students who advocate for Hispanic causes. “It is based on leadership and service because working students often find it difficult to maintain a high grade point average,” she said. Recently, they made provisions in their wills to further endow the Angones Scholarship at Miami Law and leave an important legacy at the U.
The Angoneses have also made it a point to reach out and mentor their scholars whenever possible. The law school’s annual scholarship luncheon enables donors and scholarship recipients to meet and fosters networking, mentoring, and career opportunities for Miami Law students. “It has been very rewarding to see our students find their first jobs and blossom in their careers,” she said.
From Cuba
A native of Cuba, Georgie is a woman of faith, wife, mother, grandmother, immigrant, and community activist. “My maternal grandmother, Josefa, immigrated from Spain to Cuba during the Civil War in Spain. After her husband’s death, she raised her two children on her own, spending the school year in Galicia and the summers in Cuba until my mother got married in 1950. My grandmother taught me that the only constant in life is change, and we need to embrace change as an opportunity to do something new.”
After Castro’s takeover of Cuba, Georgie came to the United States with her grandmother in 1961, three months after her future husband left on a “Pedro Pan” children’s flight to Miami. Frank and Georgie met at Immaculata - La Salle High School, when he was president of the student council, and she was president of the senior class. They both received scholarships to attend the University of Miami and enrolled in the work-study program. She earned her degree in three years, resulting in significant financial savings.
They married in 1972 after earning their bachelor’s degrees. Determined to pursue a career in law, Frank turned down Indiana University to stay at the U, which offered a tuition remission policy for spouses of employees.
For the next eight years, Georgie worked at the University in various capacities, including as an assistant director of alumni relations when there were very few women in fundraising. She had many “wonderful mentors” while working in development and alumni relations before Dean Soia Mentschikoff recruited her to join the School of Law in 1980.
Through the years, Frank built a successful law practice as the founding partner of Angones, McClure and Garcia, P.A. He served as president of the Cuban American Bar Association and became the first Cuban-American to be elected president of the Dade County Bar Association and The Florida Bar.
Together, they raised their son Frank R. Angones, Jr., who today is a successful writer, director, and producer in Los Angeles.
Community leadership
Meanwhile, Georgie was making her mark as a leader at the U and in the South Florida community. She was tapped into the Iron Arrow Society—the University’s highest honor--elected to the Omicron Delta Kappa national leadership honor society and received the “Inside Out Award” from the University of Miami Alumni Association for her outreach efforts. She is a recipient of the Florida Immigration Advocacy Center’s “Arthur Helton Humanitarian Award” and the Junior League's “Women Who Make a Difference Award” in recognition of her community leadership.
Georgie’s recognition as a recipient of the Anti-Defamation League’s inaugural Community Champion Award is the latest in a long string of honors from community and professional organizations. She has served on various legal committees and initiatives, including various Judicial Nominating Commissions, and has been a board member at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, the Florida Bar Foundation, and several schools.
“When you work at the U, you have an opportunity to see the importance of education in our community,” said Georgie, who also served as chair of Miami Mosaic (formerly known as MCCJ), the Miami-Dade County Library Board, and the State Library Council. “I’m proud to give back to our University, which provides a high-quality education and welcomes students from all backgrounds with an open heart.”
