Sonny Seiler looks on from the sidelines during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Georgia Tech November 28, 2015 in Atlanta. AP Photo/Brett Davis, file
Frank “Sonny” Seiler, an attorney who owned the famous line of University of Georgia “Uga” bulldog mascots and served as the lead defense attorney in an infamous case chronicled in the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil was died Monday. He was 90.
The university announced that Seiler had died in his hometown of Savannah, Georgia, after a short illness.
The “Uga” tradition began in 1956 when, at the request of then-coach Wally Butts, Seiler and his wife Cecelia brought their English bulldog to the season-opening game.
Since then, Seiler and his family have raised a continuous line of mascots for the Georgia football program, including the current “Uga XI”. The burly dogs have garnered critical acclaim, including being on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
“Mr. Seiler was a dear friend who I cherished and will miss dearly,” Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks said in a statement. “He has been an icon at the University of Georgia for the past nearly 70 years. Because of his generosity is Uga is the most loved and recognizable mascot in all of collegiate athletics and we owe him a huge debt of gratitude for building a legacy that will last for many years to come.”
Seiler’s fame extended beyond the stage, most notably when he served as principal defense attorney for Savannah antiques dealer Jim Williams, who stood trial for the 1981 murder of his lover four times before finally being acquitted.
The case served as the centerpiece of John Berendt’s 1994 bestseller, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which introduced the world to a variety of eclectic characters in the historic coastal city of Georgia. The book was later adapted into a film by Clint Eastwood in 1997, with Seiler playing the trial judge.
A member of the Screen Actors Guild, Seiler also appeared in the films The Gingerbread Man (1998) and The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000). He was also co-author of the book Damn Good Dogs!
After earning both his bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Georgia, Seiler joined the Savannah law firm Bouhan Falligant in 1960 and became a senior partner. He has also served on the board of directors of the Georgia Athletic Association and several other organizations associated with his alma mater.
“Sonny’s contributions to the University of Georgia as an undergraduate and alumnus were innumerable, and his loyalty to his alma mater was unmatched,” said University President Jere Morehead. “His legacy will forever live on in the history and traditions of this great institution.”
Seiler leaves behind four children, seven grandchildren and one great-grandson. Cecelia, to whom he was married for 59 years, died in 2014.
